Fall 964 MC
King Halfan shifted uncomfortably, then winced, an action noted by Lord Hollis, the Earl of Beaconsgate.
"Are you in pain, Your Majesty?" he asked.
"No more so than usual," the king replied. He looked around the room, taking in the assembled nobles. It had required a lot of effort to gather all his earls, an effort, he hoped, that would prove beneficial.
"Everyone is here, Your Majesty," noted Lord Rutherford. "You may begin at your leisure."
Halfan looked at the man in irritation. "I might have some ailments," the king said, "but I"m fully aware of my surroundings."
Lord Rutherford diverted his gaze, but the king knew his thoughts. Like all the other earls, he was waiting for King Halfan to die. They had already started flexing their political muscles in anticipation of
