He took a step forward, and despite being unarmed and apparently relaxed, everyone in the room felt the threat inherent in the movement. "Don't you dare talk to me about duty. I've done my duty a thousand times over. I've earned the right to make my own choices. And I choose this."
The Pope's eyes blazed with righteous fury. His voice, when it came out, was a roar that echoed through the entire throne room and probably carried into the halls beyond:
"GUARDS! SEIZE HIM!"
The response was immediate, overwhelming, and clearly pre-planned.
Dozens of royal guards burst from hidden alcoves that TheReaper had noticed but dismissed as irrelevant. More poured through side doors that had been concealed behind decorative tapestries. Within seconds, they'd formed a perfect encirclement, each warrior positioned to support the others in a formation that spoke of serious military training.
