The silence in the grand strategy chamber was heavy enough to crush bone.
Outside the high arched windows, the blizzard raged across the capital, throwing thick sheets of snow against the stained glass. Inside, the long mahogany table was covered in tactical maps, troop movements, and glowing mana-maps of the Lumia Kingdom's borders.
King Troy stood at the head of the table, his arms folded behind his back, his cold blue eyes fixed on the shattered silver clearance token Kyle had placed in the center of the wood. Beside him, Princess Lumia sat motionless, her hands tightly clasped in her lap. Her golden hair fell over her face, concealing her expression, but the trembling of her shoulders betrayed the storm brewing inside her.
