"A kingdom's greatest strength is not in its armies or its wards, but in the hearts it refuses to surrender even when war comes knocking."
The warm, whiskey-induced reprieve of the inner sanctum shattered with the frantic, coded chime of the emergency communication rune on my wrist. I had barely finished teasing Lord Ostel about his sudden paternity when the digital summons ripped us all back to the brutal reality of the Kingdom. A guard arrived at the chambers, and based on his knock, it was urgent, and he seemed to come directly from the central military office.
"Status," I commanded, my voice instantly dropping to the sharp, cold edge of command. The playful laughter of moments ago vanished, replaced by the grim focus of command.
