(Elena's POV)
I look directly at Big Brother Lucian, my voice losing its usual playful bounce as I get totally serious. "Crown Prince, you are absolutely determined to not change the route of nature?"
Big Brother nods once, his expression hard as ice. "I would not. Nature is a balance that shouldn't be bent for convenience."
"Then," I say, turning my gaze away from him to look at the rest of the table, finally locking eyes with Mother. "I do believe we have much more time than just a few hours, Mother. Firstly, those quick-to-spoil goods are not going to magically rot by tomorrow morning. That means Big Brother can comfortably shield the empire tonight without the merchants losing a single coin. And given the distance the storm has to travel to reach the northern mountains and bounce back to the empire, that return trip might take..."
