IrasVal, Capital of Gab — Royal Palace, War Council Chamber — End of Year
The chamber felt heavy.
The Red Tide was over.
War stood at the door.
King Helvos sat at the head of the table, surrounded by princes, dukes, generals, treasurers, and old soldiers who had already spent too much of their lives preparing for death.
Maps covered the central table.
Northern borders.
Supply routes.
Fortified rivers.
Trade roads.
Everything a kingdom would bleed for.
"Today," Helvos said,
"We finalize the plans that will determine if this kingdom survives."
Silence followed.
Then a general stepped forward.
"Faros continues reinforcing the northern border," he said.
"Supply roads have expanded by thirty percent. River crossings are fortified. Layered trench systems are under construction."
He placed several reports on the table.
"We estimate Faros can mobilize within eighteen months."
A pause.
"Sooner if Talon sees an advantage."
Helvos turned toward Adrean.
"Prince Adrean."
"We have restored nearly sixty percent of the Eastern Marches losses," Adrean said, gesturing toward the map.
"Fortresses along the western corridor are reinforced. The rail lines requested by Laos have begun construction."
He ignored the glances that statement caused.
"However, our officer corps remains weak."
"Too many titles."
"Not enough capability."
His eyes shifted briefly toward Sous.
"The heirs gathered by Sous are at least beginning to understand war."
"Mirelle Varn and Darian Voss are the most prominent."
Helvos looked toward Lucien.
"Prince Lucien."
"Our intelligence network is active again."
Lucien placed several papers onto the table.
"Forty-three Farosian agents have been identified inside Gab."
"Seventeen were killed."
"Nine were turned."
"Seventeen remain under observation."
The chamber shifted slightly.
Lucien folded his hands.
"Talon has removed four generals, three administrators, and at least twenty-two local officers."
"For incompetence?" Helvos asked.
"For hesitation."
Lucien's tone remained calm.
"Talon is eliminating anyone opposed to the war."
"He is centralizing authority."
"Leaving only those who believe in him…"
A pause.
"…or fear him."
Adrean's jaw tightened.
"By the time he marches," Lucien added,
"He will have an army of loyalists."
Silence settled over the chamber.
Helvos turned toward Sous.
"Sous."
Sous stood.
"Talon cannot be beaten in a normal war."
"He has stronger commanders."
"More unified leadership."
"And he is not restrained by politics, pride, or tradition."
He walked toward the map.
"If we fight him directly, we lose."
His hand hovered over the northern territories.
"We need to isolate him."
"Then kill him before he achieves martyrdom."
Adrean leaned forward slightly.
"And if he does not take the bait?"
"He will," Sous replied immediately.
"Talon is not driven by ambition."
"He is driven by hatred."
"If we threaten his control…"
"He will come."
Lucien's eyes sharpened slightly.
Interesting.
Adrean turned.
"Baron Logos Laos."
The room shifted.
That name still made people uneasy.
"I motion that he be made the architect of the trap."
"He has already demonstrated the ability to halt superior forces."
Several councilors frowned immediately.
"Laos already controls too much industrial output," one of them said.
"And we are becoming dependent on him for this rail project."
"Giving him more freedom is unwise."
Silence followed.
Then Count Rhedon spoke.
Old.
Nervous.
Greedy.
"If Laos is already producing these machines," he said,
"The Crown should simply requisition them."
"The armor."
"The artillery."
"The rail system."
Another noble nodded.
"We are at war."
"Extraordinary authority is not unreasonable."
A third added,
"If necessary, we place the facilities under royal supervision."
"To remind him of his place."
The chamber grew quiet.
Because even those who disliked the idea—
Found it tempting.
Then Sous laughed.
It was not warm.
Not amused.
Just sharp.
"You want to threaten Logos Laos?"
He looked around the room.
"You want what he built…"
"…without the effort it took to build it."
The older lord stiffened.
"He is still a vassal."
Sous's voice remained calm.
Colder now.
"If you point a sword at him," he said,
"He will stop cooperating."
They all knew it was true.
"He is sixteen," another noble said.
"He cannot oppose the Crown."
Lucien folded his hands.
"It would certainly be advantageous to have Laos under complete obedience."
He looked toward the noble.
"So tell me."
"How exactly would you do it?"
The man shifted slightly.
"I have soldiers."
"I simply need authority."
"Wonderful."
Lucien smiled faintly.
"Then please explain how you intend to march soldiers into a territory filled with enough artillery to break mountains."
Several brows rose.
Lucien reached toward the crystal orb resting near his seat.
"Laos survived the Red Tide by building a fortress."
The orb shimmered.
An image appeared above the table.
Mountains.
Stone walls.
Endless trenches.
Iron barricades.
Rows upon rows of artillery.
Watchtowers.
Rail lines.
Fortified depots.
The entire Laos territory looked less like a barony—
And more like a nation preparing for the end of the world.
An older councilor blinked.
"That is a fortress?"
Lucien smiled faintly.
"No."
"That is only the outer defensive ring."
"We were unable to get closer."
He turned toward the noble again.
"So tell me."
"How exactly do you plan to 'remind him of his place'?"
Count Rhedon swallowed.
"He is still only one barony."
"No," Adrean corrected flatly.
"He is one barony with more artillery than several territories combined."
Lucien's smile widened slightly.
"And unlike several territories…"
"He actually knows how to use it."
Count Rhedon stood abruptly.
"Your Majesty, give me a chance."
"I can bring him into compliance."
"I will have that maid-born cur on his knees swearing loyalty."
The chamber went still.
For a second—
No one moved.
Then—
Adrean stood.
Not quickly.
Not dramatically.
But with the kind of coldness that made the entire room tense.
"Do you understand what you just said?"
Count Rhedon stiffened.
"My prince, there have been rumors surrounding the Baron of Laos for years."
"His appearance."
"His voice."
"That maid Lucy who raised him."
"We cannot have a commoner influencing that much power."
No one in the chamber spoke.
Rhedon continued anyway.
"Either we subdue him…"
"…or we remove the maid."
The room felt colder.
"Otherwise he will become a threat in the future."
Sous looked at him for a moment.
Then—
"Logos has a taste for all kinds of knowledge," he said quietly.
"You do not want to know what his wrath would look like."
Lucien's smile disappeared completely.
Adrean's hand rested against the table.
Helvos remained seated.
Silent.
Watching.
Then the King finally spoke.
"No one touches Lucy."
The chamber froze.
Helvos's gaze moved slowly toward Rhedon.
"Not because she is a maid."
"Not because she raised him."
"But because if you threaten the only person capable of restraining Logos Laos…"
His voice remained quiet.
That somehow made it worse.
"You will create something this kingdom cannot survive."
Count Rhedon went pale.
Helvos looked away from him.
"Baron Logos Laos is not to be threatened."
"Not to be cornered."
"And certainly not to be provoked."
A pause.
"We will cooperate with him."
"Because right now…"
Helvos's eyes settled over the map of Faros.
"…we need him more than he needs us."
Silence followed.
No one argued.
Because no one in that room—
Wanted to imagine what a hostile Logos Laos would look like.
Then Duke Solar finally spoke.
"There is another issue."
The room shifted toward him.
Solar's expression remained unreadable.
"We are discussing Logos as if he is a weapon."
A pause.
"He is not."
"He is an independent actor with his own priorities."
His gaze moved across the chamber.
"And if we are not careful…"
"…those priorities may stop aligning with ours."
Lucien folded his hands.
"You think he may leave?"
"No."
Solar looked toward the map of Laos.
"I think he may simply stop asking permission."
That landed harder than expected.
Because everyone in that room could imagine it.
Laos expanding.
Industrializing.
Growing.
Not through rebellion.
Not through conquest.
But simply by becoming too useful to restrain.
Helvos leaned back in his chair.
"And what do you suggest?"
Solar's eyes shifted briefly toward Sous.
"Keep him close."
"Not controlled."
"Not threatened."
A pause.
"Integrated."
Lucien's expression sharpened slightly.
"Through Sous."
"Yes."
The room went quiet again.
Because that—
That was dangerous.
Not politically.
Personally.
Helvos noticed it immediately.
"So that is your recommendation."
Solar nodded once.
"Sous can speak to him."
"He listens."
"More importantly…"
His gaze settled on the young swordsman.
"…he pushes back."
Sous frowned slightly.
"I am not handling him."
"No," Solar replied.
"You are balancing him."
Silence followed.
Helvos looked toward the map again.
Toward Faros.
Toward Laos.
Toward the narrow line between necessity and disaster.
Then—
"Very well," the King said.
"Sous will maintain contact."
"Prince Adrean will coordinate industrial cooperation."
"Prince Lucien will continue intelligence gathering."
A pause.
"And no one…"
His eyes drifted briefly toward Count Rhedon.
"…will do anything so monumentally stupid that I have to bury an entire house to fix it."
Count Rhedon looked down immediately.
No one spoke.
Because for the first time in years—
The chamber understood something terrifying.
Gab was no longer merely preparing for war against Faros.
It was also preparing for the possibility that the most important person in the kingdom…
Was not sitting in that room.