Daena leaned back in her chair, her expression grim. "Careful or not, we're running out of ti. The Dark Sovereign is more powerful than ever, and she's made it clear she's not staying in the shadows anymore."
Nyssara rubbed her temples, exhaustion lining her features. "We've known she was dangerous for centuries, but this... This is a new level of chaos. She's playing with us. The way she tossed us into that desert was a statent, not just an attack."
Verida stood rigid, arms crossed, her golden eyes burning with frustration. "And what statent would that be?"
"She's untouchable," Daena replied flatly. "At least, that's what she wants us to believe. She didn't just fight us she dismantled us. Every spell, every strategy… useless."
Verida began pacing the room, her boots clicking against the marble floor. "You've faced impossible odds before, Daena. This isn't the first ti you've walked away licking your wounds."
"This is different," Daena said, her tone sharp. "We weren't even on the sa battlefield, Verida. She's beyond anything I've ever faced."
"And now she's claiming Liria," Nyssara added, her lilac eyes narrowing. "Do you know what that ans? It ans she's staking a claim, planting a flag in the heart of our strongest weapon."
Verida's pacing stopped abruptly, her gaze snapping to Nyssara. "Weapon? Liria isn't a weapon. She's a girl a stubborn, reckless girl but not so tool to be wielded."
Nyssara raised a brow. "You're naive if you think the Dark Sovereign sees her as anything but a ans to an end. Whether she's truly her child or not, this is about control. Power."
Daena exhaled heavily, running a hand over her horns. "Nyssara's right. If Liria is her child—and I'm not saying I believe it—then it's a way to destabilize us. She knows how much Liria ans to you, Verida. To all of us. This isn't just a battle of strength; it's psychological warfare."
Verida's jaw tightened, her golden eyes blazing. "If she thinks I'll let her get her claws into Liria, she's sorely mistaken. I've fought for this kingdom, bled for it. I won't let her undo everything we've built."
"And yet," Nyssara said softly, her voice laced with an edge, "she already has. We're playing her ga now, Verida. Every move we make, she's five steps ahead."
Daena leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. "We need to stop pretending we're in control of this. She's not going to sit back and let us regroup. She's coming for us, and she's not going to stop until she gets what she wants."
"And what is it she wants, exactly?" Verida snapped.
Nyssara's voice was eerily calm. "The sa thing she's always wanted: domination. But this ti, she has leverage Liria. And if we can't figure out what she plans to do with her, we're already too late."
The room fell silent, the weight of Nyssara's words hanging heavy in the air. The crackling of the fireplace was the only sound, a faint reminder of the world outside their grim conversation.
After a mont, Daena spoke, her voice low. "There's sothing else."
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Verida turned to her, her expression wary. "What?"
Daena hesitated, her violet eyes flickering with uncertainty. "When she fought us, she wasn't just showing off her power. She was… testing us."
"Testing?" Nyssara frowned.
"She said sothing before she teleported us," Daena continued. "Sothing about knowing our limits. It wasn't just a fight it was an assessnt."
Verida's face darkened. "She's gauging our strength. Preparing for sothing bigger."
Daena nodded. "Exactly. And that ans whatever she's planning, it's not just about us. It's about Liria. She wanted to see how far she could push us before we broke."
"And you think we broke," Verida said, her tone cutting.
Daena didn't flinch. "We didn't just break, Verida. We shattered."
Nyssara stood, her silvery-white hair cascading over her shoulders as she moved to the window. "We need a plan. Sothing beyond reacting to her every move. We're running out of ti."
Verida's gaze followed her, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. "What do you suggest? That we march back into her territory and demand answers?"
Nyssara turned, her lilac eyes cold. "We need information. Allies. And we need to keep Liria out of her reach at all costs."
"Easier said than done," Daena muttered.
Verida ignored her, focusing on Nyssara. "You're suggesting we pull back? Strengthen our defenses and wait for her next move?"
Nyssara's lips thinned. "No. I'm suggesting we use the ti we have to prepare. The Dark Sovereign thrives on fear and chaos. If we're going to fight her, we need to understand her. Every weakness, every motive. And we need to do it without letting her know we're coming."
"And what about Liria?" Daena asked.
Nyssara hesitated, her expression softening slightly. "She's stronger than any of us give her credit for. But she's also vulnerable. We need to tell her the truth about the Dark Sovereign, about everything. She deserves to know."
Verida's voice was firm. "Not yet. She's not ready for this."
"She'll never be ready if you keep coddling her," Daena snapped. "She's already in the middle of this, whether you like it or not."
"She's a child," Verida argued, her golden eyes flashing with frustration. "You expect to throw her into a war with the Dark Sovereign when she barely knows who she is? When she's only just started to figure out her place in this world?"
Daena's jaw tightened, her violet eyes smoldering with barely restrained anger. "She's my child," she said sharply. "And don't you think for a second I'm going to stand by and let that woman—" Her voice broke montarily before she pushed through it. "That monster sink her claws into Liria. But pretending she's not already in the middle of this won't protect her. You know that as well as I do."
Verida crossed her arms, her stance unyielding. "What I know is that she's been thrust into a world that's already too much for her. She has a system she barely understands, enemies coming from every direction, and now the Dark Sovereign claiming she's her child? This is madness, Daena!"
"I didn't ask for this!" Daena shot back, her voice rising. "Do you think I wanted any of this for her? That I enjoy watching her face danger after danger while I stand on the sidelines?" She stood abruptly, her tail lashing behind her like an angry whip. "But the fact is, she's in it. Whether we like it or not. And we don't have the luxury of shielding her anymore. She needs to know."
Nyssara, who had been silent until now, stepped between them, her voice calm but firm. "Enough. Both of you." Her lilac eyes flicked between Daena and Verida, her tone leaving no room for argunt. "Fighting over this won't solve anything. We all want to protect Liria, but the question is how. If we're going to keep her safe, we need to be united. Anything less, and we're handing the Dark Sovereign exactly what she wants."
Daena let out a heavy sigh and sat back down, her shoulders slumping. "Nyssara's right. As much as it kills to say it, we don't have ti for this."
Verida's expression softened slightly, but her posture remained rigid. "Fine. But if we tell her anything, it needs to be asured. Controlled. We don't dump everything on her at once."
"She's stronger than you give her credit for," Daena muttered. "She's been fighting battles most adults would crumble under since the day she got here."
"And you think that's a good thing?" Verida snapped.
"No," Daena admitted, her voice quiet. "But it's the truth. And ignoring the truth won't make it go away."
Nyssara exhaled, her hands resting on the back of a chair. "Then we agree Liria needs to know sothing. The question is how much, and when."
Daena nodded reluctantly. "Soon. But not all at once. We tell her what she needs to know to stay safe, to understand the danger she's in. No more, no less."
"And what do we tell her about the Dark Sovereign?" Verida asked, her voice tinged with doubt.
Nyssara tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "The basics. That she's a powerful enemy, and that she has an interest in Liria. We don't ntion the claim of parentage not yet. Let's see if the Sovereign tries to push that narrative herself first. If we bring it up, it might plant doubts in Liria's mind we can't afford."
Daena's lips pressed into a thin line. "Agreed. But the mont the Dark Sovereign tries to reach out to her, we're telling her everything. I won't let her be blindsided."
Verida frowned, her gaze distant. "She's already been blindsided, Daena. Over and over again. We're just trying to minimize the damage now."
Nyssara straightened, her expression resolute. "Then we do it carefully. We don't overwhelm her with everything at once, but we also don't leave her vulnerable. She's smart—she'll figure things out faster than we give her credit for."
"She always does," Daena murmured, a hint of pride in her voice.
The room fell silent for a mont, the weight of their decisions settling over them. The flickering fire cast long shadows across the walls, a reminder of the darkness that lood over them all.
Finally, Verida broke the silence. "And what about the Sovereign herself? We can't just sit here and wait for her next move."
Daena's tail flicked behind her, a restless gesture. "We can't face her head-on, not after what happened last ti. But we need to find out more about her plans, her weaknesses. Anything that can give us an edge."
Nyssara nodded. "Agreed. We'll need to reach out to our sources, see if anyone's heard whispers of her movents. And we need to strengthen our defenses here. If she's truly coming for Liria, this castle will be her first target."
Verida's gaze hardened. "Then let her co. She'll find out just how far I'm willing to go to protect my family."
Daena's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Now that's the Verida I know."
Nyssara chuckled softly, though the sound lacked humor. "It's good to see we're finally on the sa page. Now let's make sure we stay there."
The three won exchanged a look of mutual understanding.
For Liria's sake, and for the kingdom, they had no other choice.
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