Chapter 57. The Broken Alliance

Dawn brought no peace.

The battered walls stood, blackened by fire, and the wolves of the Crown patched their wounds with whatever scraps they could find. Every able-bodied fighter was pressed into service, and even the elders carried weapons now. The fortress groaned under the weight of too many fears spoken in whispers.

Selene stood atop the battlements, scanning the horizon. Dark banners still gathered in the distance. She could feel the tension in her bones—the breath held before a second, harder blow. Beneath her, the courtyard bustled with frantic preparation: wounded dragged themselves into defensive lines, and the sound of hammers on iron echoed from the smithies.

Garron approached, his limp more pronounced after yesterday's battle.

"The envoys have returned," he said grimly. "And they bring demands."

Selene followed him down