The next days at the fortress passed in a blur of war councils and strategy sessions.
With the arrival of the dragons, everything had changed. Though the dragons weren't as big as Freja's and Aragon's, they were still beasts that could fly.
The cousins who had come aren't from the main family, but they had the blood of the imperial house and the dragon mounts are the perfect proof of it.
The lords of the kingdom argued and planned, mapping out routes for messengers and preparing for a counter-offensive against the Arakenys' forces that still occupied the northern provinces. Yet as the week progressed, a curious development did not escape notice – both Aragon and Freja were increasingly absent from these meetings.
At first, their absences were explained away by reasonable justifications.
Aragon needed to scout with Eliviraa.
Freja was coordinating intelligence from the eastern borders.
But as the days passed, the whispers began.
