Not everything in the kingdom could be faced with sword or magic.
And at that moment, what threatened me more than visions, broken runes, or marks on my chest was the real state of New Drakhal. The city might look whole on the outside, but inside... it was starting to crack.
The morning after the cylinder's message, I put my personal matters aside and went to the war room, where maps of the borders, reserves, and trade routes were displayed. Orzoth was already waiting for me with a table full of reports; I needed to deal with the kingdom's problems without letting my personal ones get in the way.
"We received news from the western route," he said bluntly. "Two supply convoys didn't arrive. They were intercepted. Not by thieves... but by organized troops. Someone has blocked our trade routes with Ryel."
"Ryel is an ally?"
"Was. Now, they're claiming political instability. They say that while the 'throne is unstable', they can't guarantee the integrity of our agreements."
