"The King's guards and generals," the Chancellor continued reading, "now have the right to search any noble properties, stop any private carriage, open any sealed crate, and seize any unauthorized weaponry found within the borders of Daril."
The Chancellor finished reading. He rolled the parchment up and stepped back.
The council chamber went dead silent for exactly three seconds.
The wealthy nobles stared at the King. Their brains processed the new law very quickly.
It became immediately, terrifyingly clear to some of the nobles that this decree wasn't just about finding smuggled weapons.
The Duke of Westbury started sweating profusely.
"If the King's guards can search my private ships without warning," the Duke thought to himself, his mind filled with panic. "They won't just find weapons. They will find the hidden crates of untaxed gold! They will find the illegal luxury goods I bring in from the islands! They will see my shady bookkeeping!"
