Meeting With Greed
The carriage rattled along the moonlit path, kicking up dust that swirled in the dim glow. Inside, Duke Radcliffe, his face etched with frustration, slumped against the plush upholstery.
The council meeting had been a disaster. The king, swayed by the words of the heroes and the stoic Lady Quindel, had decided on a balanced approach – a strategy that shackled Radcliffe's bold offensive plans.
"We're almost there, Your Grace," the coachman said, his voice surprisingly deep and smooth for a human of such humble stature.
Radcliffe barely heard him, his mind churning with a tempest of emotions. There was a flicker of unease too, a sense that the coachman's attentiveness was a touch too… keen.
As the carriage rolled through the grand gates of Radcliffe Manor, the massive building loomed before them, a proof of the duke's vast wealth and power.