Rod, unable to contain his anger, stood. "Your Majesty, what are you saying?" he demanded. "After everything we have done, you want to cancel the plan?"
Rowan, equally outraged, added in a sharp tone, "Yes, Your Majesty. Our ambition was to become the overlords of the kingdoms. How can you suddenly call the plan off?"
The King of Hades glared at Rod and Rowan, his eyes cold and full of authority. The weight of his gaze was so powerful that both men trembled involuntarily, feeling the force behind it.
They both quickly bowed in submission. "Please forgive us, Your Majesty," Rod and Rowan said in unison, their pride momentarily forgotten in the face of the king's wrath.
The King gestured for them to sit. He took a deep breath before speaking again, his voice calculated but filled with a rare vulnerability.
"Rod, Rowan," he began, his tone softer, "I know you both have served me faithfully for many years, and you want nothing more than for this kingdom of ours to prosper."
