Journey to Become the Zenith

The Queen’s Decision [Part 2]

Then she said quietly,

”I think you’ll find him very different from the person you remember.”

Amara’s eyes narrowed slightly.

”You’ve met Victor.”

”Yes.”

”And?”

Aura’s lips curved into a small smile.

”He’s difficult to understand.”

Amara gave a faint laugh.

”That doesn’t sound reassuring.”

”It wasn’t meant to be.”

For the first time that evening, a little warmth appeared in the queen’s eyes.

Aura turned toward the doors.

”I’ll leave you to your thoughts.”

”Thank you.”

Aura walked away.

The enormous court gradually emptied.

Amara remained standing beside her throne.

She looked toward the distant horizon.

”Brother...”

Her voice was barely audible.

”Just what have you become?”

The palace fell quiet.

The court session was over.

But the night had only begun.

----------------------

Night had settled over the royal capital.

Moonlight washed across the rooftops, turning the city silver beneath the dark sky.

Yet the streets were far from quiet.

Merchants were pulling down the shutters of their shops. Guards were changing shifts at the gates and along the main roads. Groups of citizens lingered in corners, speaking in low voices as though the walls themselves might be listening.

Rumors had spread through the capital faster than anyone could control.

The Prince was alive.

Fantom City had declared itself independent.

There had already been battles.

Victor was involved.

And, most importantly, the Queen had refused to immediately send an army.

That last part had caused the greatest disturbance.

The nobles were not accustomed to being denied when they demanded action.

Inside a private residence belonging to one of the kingdom’s higher-ranking nobles, several men sat around a long wooden table.

The heavy curtains were drawn shut.

Not a single servant remained inside.

The only light came from several candles placed across the table, their flames flickering whenever the night wind slipped through the cracks in the windows.

For several moments, nobody spoke.

Then one of the nobles finally broke the silence.

”It looks like the Queen won’t listen.”

A man sitting across from him leaned back in his chair.

”She has always been stubborn.”

”Stubborn isn’t the problem.”

A third noble frowned.

”She isn’t stupid.”

The first man looked toward him.

”Then why is she allowing this?”

”Because she’s thinking about the border.”

His expression hardened.

”That’s exactly the problem.”

His palm struck the table.

The candles trembled.

”While she waits, Fantom City grows stronger.”

Nobody argued with that.

Another noble slowly nodded.

”I’ve received reports from several merchants.”

Several heads turned toward him.

”What kind of reports?”

”They say people are already speaking positively about the new territory.”

The room became noticeably quieter.

That was not what they wanted to hear.

”How many people?”

”We don’t know.”

”Then find out.”

The noble shook his head.

”We need more than numbers.”

A man across the table narrowed his eyes.

”What do you mean?”

”We need information about their military.”

”Their troops?”

”Yes.”

”And their powerful individuals.”

The first noble’s expression slowly changed.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

”Now you’re thinking.”

A large map was unfolded across the table.

The edges were held down with cups and small metal ornaments to keep it from curling.

One noble placed his finger over Fantom City.

”If the Prince is serious about independence, he’ll need soldiers.”

”He’ll need food.”

”Money.”

”Blacksmiths.”

”Magic users.”

”Supplies.”

”And territory.”

One by one, the words came.

Each answer added another piece to the problem.

The noble studying the map slowly nodded.

”If we can determine where their troops are stationed, we can estimate their strength.”

Another man leaned forward.

”And if we identify the powerful people serving him, we can determine whether this rebellion is actually dangerous.”

A younger noble had remained silent throughout the discussion.

He stared at the map for several seconds before finally speaking.

”What if we’re wrong?”

The conversation stopped.

Several men looked at him.

One raised an eyebrow.

”What do you mean?”

The younger noble didn’t look away from the map.

”We’ve only heard reports.”

”Exactly.”

”And those reports are coming from frightened people.”

A noble scoffed.

”Fear exaggerates everything.”

”Sometimes.”

The younger noble finally raised his eyes.

”But sometimes fear is the first warning.”

Nobody laughed this time.

The words lingered over the table.

The older men exchanged uneasy glances.

The younger noble continued.

”I don’t think we should rush into a war without knowing what we’re dealing with.”

Several nobles nodded reluctantly.

One of them sighed.

”The Queen said the same thing.”

”And perhaps she’s right.”

Silence settled over the room again.

For a moment, even the crackling candles seemed loud.

Then one of the oldest nobles slowly shook his head.

”Whether she’s right or wrong doesn’t change our responsibility.”

He placed both hands on the table and looked at every person sitting around it.

”We need information.”

”Agreed.”

”Send scouts.”

”Not ordinary scouts.”

The old noble pointed toward Fantom City.

”People capable of moving through the city without being noticed.”

Another noble gave a thin smile.

”And perhaps we should send people who know how to count soldiers.”

A few quiet laughs escaped around the table.

The tension eased.

But only for a moment.

The oldest noble’s expression soon hardened again.

”Begin with their troop strength.”

His finger pressed firmly against Fantom City on the map.

”Find out how many soldiers they have.”

Another noble nodded.

”And their commanders.”

”Yes.”

”Their defensive positions.”

”Yes.”

”Their supply routes.”

The old noble looked around the table.

His voice dropped.

”Everything.”

The meeting was over.

But the night had only just begun.

The candles flickered.

Outside, the capital remained peaceful.

But inside that room, the nobles had already begun preparing their own answer to the crisis.

They would obey the queen publicly.

But privately, they would gather information.

They would measure Fantom City’s strength.

They would study its soldiers.

And they would discover exactly what kind of power had appeared beneath Victor’s shadow.

For now, however, nobody knew the truth.

They only knew that something was growing in Fantom City.

And they were beginning to fear it.