Adrian's plan was brutal, yet simple. He had long since decided that the system of hereditary nobility could not be allowed to continue; it was an inefficient and unstable form of governance that was fundamentally incompatible with the technologically advanced society he needed to build to face the Garog.
To achieve that, he first needed to cut off the existing powers at the knees, and he needed to do it in a way that left no room for doubt or future insurrection.
The threat he had just made was empty for the most part, as he had no intention of massacring the kingdom's leadership; but he was sure it would fulfill its singular purpose: letting the gathered elite know that he possessed absolute power and, more importantly, that he was not hesitant to use it.
Meeting their nervous, terrified gazes, Adrian clarified himself, his voice softening just enough to allow them to process his words without cowering.
