The campfire crackled weakly, casting long, flickering shadows against the strained faces of her closest friends. Evelynn sat in the center of it all, her mind still reeling from the meeting with King Harold. The capital’s looming walls felt suffocating behind her, as if even the stones whispered his threat: Three days. Submit, or burn.
Eric hadn’t spoken since they left the palace. Now they have set up just outside the capital. He sat rigid beside her, his jaw clenched, his fingers digging into the hilt of his sword. She could still feel the weight of his father’s words pressing against him, threatening to crush him beneath their weight.
Callum was the first to break the silence. “Tell them what he said.”
Evelynn exhaled slowly, forcing herself to steady her voice. “King Harold has giv
