"Power does not make a queen. It reveals one."
The War Chamber – A Kingdom Holds Its Breath
The chamber was restless. Whispers crackled like embers in the air, and the scent of burning wax mixed with the weight of uncertainty. The war council had gathered, but there was only one name on everyone’s lips.
Aria.
She had been gone for days.
And now, she was returning.
I sat at the head of the table, my fingers tapping absently against the wood, eyes locked on the doors. Waiting.
For her.
For whatever she had found beyond the borders of Verauno.
For whatever she had become.
Tobias shifted uneasily beside me, his voice low but urgent. "Do we know what she’s bringing back?"
I didn’t answer.
Because I didn’t know.
And that—that unsettled me more than anything.
The room seemed to shri
