The grand military assembly hall echoed with the clatter of armour and boots as dozens of sub-commanders filed into position. Duke Ephesians stood at the head of the massive oak table, maps of Lysora County spread before him like a war general's feast. The morning light streaming through tall windows caught the gold trim of his uniform, but shadows seemed to cling to the corners of the room where his wife sat in silence.
Commander Aldric Stoneheart, a grizzled veteran with more scars than medals, studied the maps with troubled eyes. Beside him, Captain Mira Blackwater shifted uncomfortably, her youth making her questions feel dangerous in a room full of career soldiers. Only General Marcus Ironwood appeared completely at ease, his unwavering loyalty to the Duke evident in every rigid line of his posture.
