"Power alone does not make a ruler. Wisdom, sacrifice, and the willingness to rebuild—those are what defines a true leader."
The Throne Room
The palace was too quiet.
Not the peaceful kind of silence that came with a sleeping kingdom, but the fragile, unsteady quiet of a nation trying to piece itself back together.
I stood at the edge of the great throne room, my fingers tracing the polished surface of the long council table. This place had once been filled with voices, debates, arguments, and alliances.
Now, only uncertainty lingered.
"Asher will be here soon," Tobias murmured beside me.
I glanced at him. The young commander looked exhausted, dark circles shadowing his eyes, his uniform still dusted with battle grime. He had barely left my side since the war ended, as if sensing ho
