The Palace Beast

*** Kingdom of Maxis ***

"Your Majesty!" The sound of Commander Gil's urgent voice reverberated across the throne hall, causing the king to raise his gaze from the documents he was perusing. As he turned his head towards the entrance, he saw the commander sprinting towards him at full tilt, his face contorted with anxiety. The king immediately sensed that something grave had occurred, judging by the way his loyal commander was running, and the sense of urgency in his voice.

The king maintains an intense gaze as he watches him bend a knee before him. Commander Gil takes a moment to catch his breath, feeling the weight of his words as he prepares to speak. He clears his throat, the sound echoing in the tense silence, before beginning to deliver his message. The king in front of him remains still, his eyes fixed on Commander Gil, patiently waiting for him to finish.

The king stared with curiosity. He can't maintain his calm anymore. He inquired with desperation. "Speak!" he said. "What is the matter, Commander?"

Commander Gil raised his head toward the king sighing with relief but his heart wasn't relieved of his troubles and the troubles that had continued before Maxis. "There has been an attack," he said.

Before he could open his mouth to speak further, the king rose from his throne. "What?" he gaped at him with a shocking look. "Where?"

A soft mumbling breaks out amongst the three nobles who had been with the king discussing on the matters of the safety of the entire kingdom. The commander's words threw them off guard.

"The maiden's quarters, Lord King," he said without further hesitation in his voice. "The princess and a guard were..."

"What?!" the king's nostrils flared as he stared with mixed feelings at Commander Gil. He couldn't believe a second attack on the princess had occurred. The king drew forward. He tilted his head quizzically and fired one more question. "Where is my daughter?"

"She's being attended by the healer, Lord King. But..." The Commander paused for a while and lowered his head. He hesitated. He's not good with bearing bad tidings. He has been kneeling on a knee all this while.

The king sensed the hesitation in his voice. "Speak up, Commander!" as the King roared, his jaw clenched. A glare of hostility crossed his face.

The nobles continued to pay close attention without interfering. When they hear the Commander say, "Am afraid Oh King. I fear the princess might not make it. She's badly injured and being attended to by the healer," their heart skip inside their chest as they made a glance at one another.

This isn't the time this should be happening. They need the king to be in his right mind while dealing with their safety. They can't afford to lose the focus of the king because of the trauma he would pass through because of Princess Bonnie. As the king rolled up his royal mantle, he threw his left leg first, wanting to rush out with haste to go see his daughter in the healer's, one of the nobles blocked him and whispered, "Your majesty, we still need..." King Gilbert couldn't let him finish the sentence. He ordered him to be silent and then shoved past him-the noble tilted back on his heels as he watched the king dash out of the throne hall. Commander Gil hurried after the king, leaving the nobles alone.

The noble couldn't help but glance at his colleague with concern. "We can't stand and watch the king's attention be divided," he said. "We need him to finalize what we have started in regards to securing this kingdom."

After the mysterious transformation of the creature found within the walls of Maxis, the people of the kingdom were filled with fear and suspicion that whoever it might be had turned into a terrifying, hairy, beastly creature. They were deeply concerned that this creature might be living among them and could even be their neighbor. The people's fear spread quickly, and soon they managed to convince the king to order his guards and knights to conduct a thorough and extensive door-to-door search throughout the kingdom. This search was to be modeled after the infamous werewolf trial from centuries ago and would be carried out with the utmost diligence and care. To execute this order, the king must sign a decree, which would allow people to comply with the search. The decree must be written on the finest parchment and sealed with the king's signet ring, which would serve as the official seal of the kingdom. Without the signet ring, the decree would be void and the search would not be authorized. The king, therefore, must take great care in signing this decree, as it carries with it the weight of his authority and the safety of his people.