"The weight of a kingdom is heavier than any blade. And tonight, we were drowning in it."
The air in the war chamber was thick with unspoken words.
The council had gathered, maps sprawled across the long table, the scent of ink and wax mixing with the unease hanging over us. The tension was palpable, pressing against the walls like a living thing.
Asher stood at the head, his fingers tracing the edges of the war plans, his face unreadable.
I watched him in silence, waiting for the moment he would finally speak.
But he didn’t.
Not yet.
Kieran broke the silence first. "They’re waiting for our response."
"They’re waiting for weakness," I corrected, arms folded as I studied the marks on the map. "And we’re giving it to them by hesitating."
"Verauno is still rebuilding,"
