[Third Person].
The Grand Hall was filled once again the following morning, but this ti the atmosphere bore no resemblance to that of the previous gathering. Only tension.
The council of elders, Royal Alphas, Betas, and high-ranking officials stood assembled, their expressions serious as Draven took his place. redith sat beside him, her presence calm, though her gaze remained sharp and attentive.
When the hall fell silent, Draven spoke. He inford them of Estella’s letter, her demand, and the two-week deadline.
The reaction was imdiate.
Shock spread first, then murmurs, then overlapping voices as the weight of it settled over them. A war—so soon and with such boldness—was not sothing any of them had expected to face at this mont.
Draven allowed the noise for only a mont before raising his hand, and the silence returned. Then, the strategies began.
Maps were brought forward. Positions were discussed. Defensive lines were drawn and redrawn as the elders and Alphas contributed their experience.
Soon, the focus shifted—subtly at first, then entirely on redith.
Layers of protection were proposed around her position. Elite guards assigned solely to her. Formations built not just to win the war, but to ensure nothing reached her.
One Alpha stepped forward. "If Her Majesty is the target, then we fortify around her. Multiple defensive rings. No one gets close."
Another added, "We can position her at the rear, surrounded at all tis—"
"And double the guard unit assigned to her—"
"And assign our strongest warriors—"
redith listened to them for a while before stepping in.
"This war may be one of the bloodiest Stormveil has ever faced," she said, her voice cutting cleanly through the discussion.
The room quieted as her gaze moved across them. "If most of your strategy revolves around protecting , then we will lose."
No one spoke.
"And when we lose," she continued, "it will not just be that falls. It will be our soldiers. Our people."
Her words settled heavily. Then, in a firm tone, she said, "There is no need to centre everything around . Fight the war as it should be fought."
A brief silence followed. Then one of the elders frowned slightly. "Your Majesty, with all due respect—you are the primary target."
"And that is exactly why I cannot be treated as a weakness," redith replied.
Another Alpha stepped forward. "Then perhaps... you should not go to the battlefield at all."
That suggestion shifted the air. Several nodded in agreent.
"It would be safer—"
"We can protect you within the palace—"
"There is no need for you to expose yourself—"
redith’s expression hardened slightly. "I will not sit here while others fight for ," she said. "I am part of this war. I will fight for my people."
The firmness in her voice left no room for negotiation.
The hall fell silent again. This ti, no one argued at once. Then another concern arose.
"If both His Majesty and Her Majesty go to war," one of the elders said carefully, "who will remain to oversee Stormveil?"
That question lingered. It was valid. The weight of it settled across the room as several others voiced their agreent.
"The kingdom cannot be left without leadership, especially in uncertain tis," another added.
Draven spoke before the discussion could spiral. "Dennis."
All eyes turned to Dennis as he stepped forward slightly. "Your Majesty."
"You will remain in Stormveil," Draven said. "You will oversee the kingdom in our absence."
Dennis did not hesitate. "Understood."
There was no reluctance in him, only acceptance.
With that decision made, the tension eased slightly, and the focus returned to strategy, this ti, balanced and revised.
redith was no longer the centre of every formation, but neither was she ignored. The plans adjusted, spreading strength across the battlefield instead of concentrating it in one place.
And slowly, a war plan began to take shape.
—
Later that night, the palace had quieted again.
redith stood by the window in Draven’s chamber, her gaze resting on the distant lights of Stormveil. The city looked peaceful, unaware of what was coming.
Draven stepped up behind her, letting the quiet envelope them before breaking it. "You pushed them hard today."
redith let out a small breath. "They were planning to waste the soldiers on ."
He didn’t deny it. "They were trying to protect you."
"And that would have cost us the war."
Draven stepped closer, his hand resting lightly at her waist. "I don’t like the idea of you being their target," he said quietly.
redith turned slightly, eting his gaze. "And I don’t like the idea of hiding while you fight."
A brief pause passed between them. Then she added, more softly, "If Estella and her minions are coming for , then I will face them."
Draven studied her for a mont, then nodded once. "Then we face her together."
The decision settled between them, firm enough to shape everything that would follow.
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The next days did not pass in idleness.
redith stood once more before her grandmother in the palace grounds, composed but focused.
A soft breeze moved through the trees, stirring the leaves just enough to create a faint, steady rustle, while sunlight filtered through the branches and scattered across the stone paths.
It was peaceful, almost deceptively so, considering what lood ahead.
"I want to teach you sothing. Close your eyes," her grandmother said at last.
redith exhaled quietly and did as instructed.
"Hold yourself steady and let your powers co to you," the old lady continued, her voice calm and even. "Your power responds to your state of mind. If you are restless, it will scatter. If you are focused, it will listen."
redith didn’t answer, but her breathing gradually slowed.
"Now, don’t reach for it," her grandmother said.
That sounded counterintuitive.
"Just stand."
redith did. At first, there was nothing but the wind brushing past her skin. Then, slowly—sothing else settled.
A quiet presence beneath her skin, steady and calm, like sothing that had always been there but rarely noticed.
"Hold that," her grandmother said.
redith focused, not forcing it, just... keeping it there. The air around her shifted slightly, barely noticeable yet present.
"Good," the old lady murmured.
Then, without warning, she flicked her fingers. A sharp pulse of energy moved toward redith.
redith felt it. But before she could react, it stopped right in front of her like it had hit sothing invisible.
Her eyes snapped open. For a brief second, the air in front of her shimred faintly, like heat bending light. Then it was gone.
redith blinked. "What... was that?"
"A shield," her grandmother replied simply.
redith looked at her hands, then around herself, trying to grasp what she had just done. "I didn’t even move."
"You are not supposed to," the old lady said. "If you wait until an attack cos before you react, you are already too late."
That settled deeper than redith expected.
"Again," her grandmother said.
This ti, redith didn’t question it. She closed her eyes, steadied herself, and found that sa quiet place within her again. It ca easier now, less distant.
"Keep it around you like a second skin," the old lady instructed.
redith held it.
The breeze passed again, but this ti, it shifted slightly as it reached her, as though sothing redirected it without resistance.
Her grandmother tested her again, and the invisible barrier held.
redith maintained her focus, her control steadier than before, and when she opened her eyes, there was no confusion in them this ti.
"If they co for you, this will give you ti to respond," her grandmother explained.
redith nodded faintly. Then, after a mont, she turned to her. "Grandma... help us."
Her grandmother did not respond imdiately, but the stillness in her posture changed.
"Bring your people," redith continued. "You know how serious this is. Even a few of you would make a difference."
The old lady’s expression remained calm, but when she finally spoke, her answer was imdiate.
"No."
redith’s brows drew together. "Why?"
"The fae will not be part of this war," her grandmother said, her voice steady and final.
"But you have seen what’s coming," redith pressed. "You said it yourself—"
"That is exactly why we will not be involved," the old lady interrupted gently, though there was no room for argunt in her tone.
"We have done this before, involved ourselves in wars that were not ours." She rested both hands lightly on her walking stick. "And we paid for it."
There was no emotion in her voice, just truth.
"We were hunted. Used. Almost erased," she said. "What remains of us exists because we stopped."
The weight of that settled between them.
redith held her gaze for a mont, then exhaled slowly. "...I understand."
Her grandmother nodded once.
"This is your war. Your people. Your fight." Then she lifted her chin slightly. "But you will not face it unprepared."
redith straightened.
"Co back tomorrow," the old lady said. "We are not done yet."
redith gave a small nod, then turned and started making her way back to the palace.
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