11 Alexander?

"King Aloxandros." Minister of Commerce Dylan began. "The Zantrolls invade! We must prepare for war!"

"Don't think that you can change the topic so easily." Minister of Education Belroy interrupted coldly. "Minister of Agriculture Velanos killed Minister of Foreign Relations Velaros in cold blood. Why."

"I do not answer to you, Minister of Education Belroy." Dylan sneered. "We have more important issues than Velaros to discuss.

"Velaros was a faithful and honorable Minister who had given his entire life in service of the country. He was just brutally murdured right before our eyes. And you have the audacity to talk about other issues first?" Belroy was fuming mad.

"Hmph. Velaros was indeed a great minister. But that was long ago.." Minister of Personnel Lilian began.

"Silence." Alexander said slowly.

"King Aloxandros! We need an explanation for Velaros's death!" Belroy shouted.

"King Aloxandros, if we do not go to war, I guarantee you that we will not survive the week!" Minister of War Rimett said loudly.

"Silence!" Alexander repeated rather mildly.

"King Aloxandros!" Rimett pressed on. "You MUST declare war! The army will not take this lying down!"

At that moment, a dense killing intent erupted from Alexander.

Every minister in the room felt as though a terrifying beast had them in its sights and was about to pounce and kill them. The killing intent was unlike anything they had ever felt before.

As Ministers who had never experienced massacres and blood lust, they had absolutely no defence toward Alexander's bloodthirsty killing intent which was honed and perfected in the killing fields of Greece, Persia and Asia Minor.

It pressed down heavily upon them as their instincts screamed from them to flee. Their very souls seemed to tremble in fear. Soon their bodies followed suit. A minister from the 2nd row even collapsed.

A few ministers unleashed their magical energy in an attempt to resist, but to no avail. It was a power unlike anything they have ever seen and experienced before.

Alexander stood up slowly from his throne, still radiating his dense and horrifying killing intent.

All 18 ministers stared at him, their hearts thumping madly.

"Am I a joke to you?" Alexander took a step forward. Immediately the pressure upon the ministers doubled. It was incredibly suffocating.

More ministers from the 2nd row collapsed. The rest began to choke and gasp for breath.

Alexander took another step forward, bringing him to the edge of his throne's raised dais. This time his gaze fell upon Rimett.

"Am I not the King? Are my words so cheap that they can be ignored?"

Rimett's eyes bulged as his mouth opened and closed like a fish. Blind terror gripped his heart.

"Let me make this clear, once and for all." Alexander took another step forward, off the raised dais. An ice step formed beneath his feet.

When he spoke next, his voice was filled with majesty, like the unbridled roar of a lion king. "I am King Alexander. You. Will. Obey. Me."

By his side, Aleyria was surprised once more. Alexander?

Alexander retracted his killing intent. A collective gasp of relief could be heard as his ministers regained their senses.

"I know the Zantrolls invade. And I know there are conspiracies here in this palace. And so these are my commands. Princess Aleyria."

"Present." Aleyria said as she quickly made her way forward to kneel upon one knee before Alexander.

"Henceforth, you will be Chief Minister. Your authority will override every single minister's. You answer to me, and to me alone."

"As you command, King Aloxandros."

"Arise." Alexander nodded. He looked at his ministers who had extremely ugly looks upon their faces.

"I will brook no argument over this matter. All who utters so much as a single word of protest in public or in private will be executed. I will hang the heads of anyone, minister or officials alike, upon the gates of their offices. If you doubt my resolve, if you believe that your meagre alliances and factions can stand against me, then test me now. Before I smash the Zantroll invasion, I will smash the rebellion here."

Silence. Alexander let it stand for a full minute.

"Capture and kill King Dirz'On and his delegate. Hang their heads on the Eastern Gate of the City of Rin." Alexander glanced at Aleyria. "I trust the Palace Guards are capable of carrying out this order?"

"They are, King Aloxandros. I will personally oversee this matter."

"Good. Minister of War, mobilize one battalion and wipe out the Zantrolls." Alexander looked at Rimett, who was perspiring uncontrollably.

"Ju-just one battalion, my King?" Rimett stammered.

Alexander narrowed his eyes. "Apparently, you are unfit to be Minister of War. You're dismissed."

"Wait! Wait!!" Rimett cried out in shock.

Alexander glared at Rimett, releasing a little bit of his killing intent. Rimett shrank back in fear and kept his mouth shut.

"Princess Aleyria?"

"I will get it done, King Aloxandros."

"Excellent! You are now acting Minister of War." Alexander proclaimed.

Lilian glanced at Aldrian. But his face was inscrutable. Years of intrigue, conspiracy and sacrifice fell apart like a house of cards.

"Finally, we are entering a national state of war. Building up our military will be national policy number one. All ministers are to submit working proposals based on 50% of their current budget. You have one week to get it done."

Alexander looked at his ministers' stunned and lost faces and surpressed an urge to laugh. They all looked so pathetic. A far cry from all the bluster mere minutes ago.

"State of war, my King?" Dylan could hardly believe his ears. Wasn't this what they were aiming for all along?

They had worked so hard to convince the previous King to go to war and be more aggressive, but for naught.

They had even conspired and poisoned their new king, all for the sake of galvanizing the country to war. They did not expect the very king they seek to assasinate would be the one leading them to war.

"Yes. War. It is time for Rin-Turah to rise." Alexander said softly but powerfully.

"To war."

There were no need for grand gestures. They were fully unnecessary. Alexander's battle intent exploded and boiled the blood of everyone present.

"To war." Minister of Justice Aldrian murmured, a gleam of excitement shining in his eyes.

"To war." Repeated all the ministers.

Two words softly spoken, marked the beginning of the bloodbath that will cover Arcanus 26.

By Alexander's side, Aleyria felt a disturbing, yet rather exciting sense of unease.