And so began a chain reaction of events. The king's bodyguard rushed to the castle to deliver his message and get help.
Astaroth wanted to return to the castle as quickly as possible, to deny any involvement in the events.
Then came the guardsman, who reported the minotaur attack and relayed his message: "Beware of Astaroth, he is playing a dangerous game." Whereupon Primosz, the eldest prince, sent Tertius to fetch Astaroth and bring him to the velours chamber.
Astaroth immediately fell to his knees and said he knew nothing. But then Quintus reentered and told Primosz he had a visitor in the old tapestry room... a minotaur. And he had an urgent message.
The minotaur introduced himself as Menetavro, and he explained that the princes' father had been murdered by three rampaging minotaurs, on Astaroth's orders. He added that the minotaurs responsible had already been executed.
What neither the princes nor Astaroth knew was that Asterion and his military commander had devised a plan to confuse the princes, discredit Astaroth, and meanwhile prepare the minotaur army for a surprise attack.
Something that Menetavro’s generals were already busy with.
What Asterion and Menetavro did not know was that Astaroth was a notorious poisoner, who had set a number of things in motion during his visit to the plateau.