Chapter 60
****Elara’s POV****
The war council chamber smelled of iron and smoke. The long table at its center was littered with maps, letters, and shards of candle wax—remnants of sleepless nights and restless decisions.
Elara stood near the window, her eyes tracing the horizon where the last embers of dawn bled through the storm clouds. Below, the camp stirred—soldiers, healers, messengers, all preparing for another day under the weight of war.
But today was different.
Today, she would no longer stand in the shadows of kings and commanders.
The door creaked open behind her. Footsteps echoed—measured, confident. Lucien entered, the storm that had lived in him since the first campaign still burning behind his eyes. His armor caught the light like obsidian.
“They’re waiting for you,
