Shahab remained silent for a long moment after Alpheo finished, his hand resting on the tablet.
Shahab finally leaned forward, his face a mixture of anger and contemplation. "You speak as if you had no choice, but my son-in-law lies dead, a civil war may also be coming to our doorstep. Your 'necessary' actions have made more chaos than you could even believe"
Alpheo didn't flinch at the accusation, keeping his voice calm and letting it wash away like oil on water. "It was not my intention to cause harm to your family, my lord. I deeply regret how things unfolded. But we all know what type of man Arkawatt was. If I hadn't acted, I would have been dead, and between him and me, I chose me.''
Shahab exhaled slowly, clearly grappling with the situation, one week ago they had just won a great victory and now they were on the verge of civil war. "And what of the lords? The other families that once pledged their loyalty to him?"
