The Winter Citadel did not sleep. It roared.
The transition from a magnificent Solstice celebration to a full-scale military mobilization took less than an hour. The massive courtyards that had just been filled with music, dancing, and blooming winter roses were now completely overrun by the deafening clang of blacksmiths striking anvils, the heavy thud of supply crates being loaded, and the guttural snarls of thousands of dire wolves being fitted with their heavy iron barding.
Inside the royal chambers, the atmosphere was thick with a tense, crackling energy.
Elara stood by the massive arched window, completely ignoring the breathtaking view of the Aurora Borealis above the city. In her hands, she held the Tear of Aurelia. The azure pearl pulsed with a slow, agonizing rhythm, castin
