"Wars are not always fought with swords. Some are waged in whispers, in stolen glances, in the weight of a single word that can shift an empire."
The first lie was spoken before I even entered the hall.
“The Queen is prepared for this meeting,” Maren said to the gathered council, his voice steady, practiced.
I wasn’t.
Not for this. Not for what was waiting beyond those doors.
A battle where blades would remain sheathed, but the wounds inflicted would be just as deep.
The war had already begun.
And I was walking straight into it.
A Throne Built on Promises
I adjusted the silver cuffs on my wrists, exhaling slowly as the voices beyond the doors swelled and dipped in an uneasy rhythm.
The chamber was filled with wolves and men alike, noble houses of Verauno seated across from Eldori
