Meanwhile, in the Royal City — Caer Thalas — the war council was meeting in the castle.
Some of the nobles present were showing discontent with the king's recent decisions. The discussion was far from diplomatic. Voices were raised, the atmosphere was tense.
"This is a disaster waiting to happen," said one of the dukes, slamming his fist on the table. "The king has completely lost his mind."
Several of those present, especially the ones who had been against the war from the beginning, began openly questioning the current monarch's ability to rule.
"He's leading us straight into ruin... and doesn't even realize it," commented a baron, staring coldly at the others.
King Elion IV listened in silence to the council's discussion. He knew it was all just a façade — a group with no real power. The decisions of the Order of the Eclipse were the ones that truly mattered. But his expression changed when the nobles began to question the strength of the Order itself.
