Shadows of Kingdom and Blood
The women looked at each other, the burden of truth heavy in the darkened room. The lantern lights danced, casting uneasy shadows on the walls, as if even light itself was intimidated by what was to be said.
And then Lira moved forward. Her silver hair reflected the light, shining like moonlight spilling through the doors. Her face was somber, her voice low but slicing through the stillness like a knife.
"Darling… in the kingdom…"
Her silence was thick, her throat constricting before she pushed the words out. "Much has changed in Reverent. Most significant—Duke Edric Starlight has betrayed us. He sold out all the secrets of the kingdom to our foes. And when the treachery was complete, he laid waste to the Starlight Duchy itself. He burned it, as Vellore once burned our Silver City."
The words fell like hammer blows.
