Chapter 15
293 Words
Chapter 15: The Fire Beneath the Silk
Ivory had spent days watching the war room from the shadows—how the men leaned over maps, how Vichen's voice commanded them, how no one dared question his strategies. But she had also seen the flaw in their next move. A narrow valley they planned to march through would leave their forces exposed. She had read it in a book once. And now that valley might become their grave.
She couldn’t sit back anymore.
That evening, as the torches burned low and Vichen stood alone studying the map again, Ivory stepped into the war room for the first time.
“You’ll be ambushed if you move through Elden’s Hollow,” she said.
Vichen turned, brows lifting, a slight smirk on his lips. “What do you know about Elden’s Hollow?”
“Enough to know it’s been used as a trap before. The terrain shifts after rainfall. Your men will sink before they’re shot.”
Vichen studied her, his face unreadable. “And what would you suggest, princess?”
“I’m not your princess,” she said, stepping closer. “And I suggest you take the western cliffs. Higher ground. It’s longer, but safer. You'll see them before they see you.”
He paused, then slowly nodded. “Interesting. I’ll have it checked.”
As she turned to leave, he called, “Ivory.”
She paused at the door.
“There’s fire in you,” he said. “I just wonder how long it will take to burn.”
She said nothing, but the echo of his words followed her down the hall. For the first time, she wasn’t just a bride or a daughter. She was a threat—and maybe soon, a weapon.
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