As the attendees prepared for the session, a sudden silence fell at the entrance. Heads turned with a mechanical, almost sacred synchronization.
KAY LIGHTEN stepped into the hall. He was the living image of the legendary hero KLAUS in his youth: tall, with sharply carved features like marble, and golden-blonde hair that shined under the chandeliers, styled in a strict military fashion. He wore luxurious white and gold formal attire, with a gem-encrusted military rank on his shoulder and a crimson sash symbolizing his status as a field commander.
His presence dominated the room; his piercing gaze suggested the calm before a storm. As he walked with solemn strides, JENNIFER did not miss the deep bows he received from the senior organizers—bows that were not just respect, but a veneration of the "Genius" who carried the clan's destiny on his shoulders.
KAY took his seat opposite JENNIFER, giving her and his mother a simple nod before directing his attention to the CHIEF ORGANIZER.
The meeting began with dry discussions regarding the continent's resources. The Minister of Finance stood to declare in a grave tone:
"The war has completely depleted our resources. The peasants in the villages surrounding the fortress are no longer able to pay the wheat taxes, and grumbling has reached the city walls. Therefore, it has been officially decided to reduce taxes by 15% for the coming season to ensure public loyalty and prevent any internal rebellion that might distract us from the front."
The proposal was met with murmurs of approval, but the atmosphere quickly shifted to the most critical file: The War.
A veteran army leader, a man whose face was covered in scars, stood and said: "Reducing taxes means a smaller budget for the military, and we are currently in a state of endless attrition. The borders are breached daily, and our forces are stretched thin on the front lines."
Here, KAY intervened with his resonant voice, cutting through the hall's noise: "An endless war is necessarily a losing war, regardless of our strength."
Everyone fell silent, waiting for him to continue. KAY proceeded: "After consultation with allies, it has been decided that we present a peace treaty to the other side. Not out of weakness, but as a strategic necessity. The reasons are clear to all:
Attrition and Siege: The deterioration of living standards and exhaustion of supplies.
Neutral Powers: The rise of third parties lurking for both us and our enemies, threatening to plunge the continent into inescapable chaos.
Internal Reorganization: Our need to rearrange our internal ranks and seek alternative resources away from the battlefields."
JENNIFER watched the reactions; the elders were nodding in difficult agreement. For the warriors of light, peace was as bitter as gall, but it was the only option for survival.
Tension crept into the hall as the "Peace" proposal was put to a vote. The air was thick with anticipation. The CHIEF ORGANIZER stood to silence the rising whispers: "Let us proceed to the final vote on the peace treaty project. Who approves of ending the conflict under specific conditions?"
Five hands rose, including KAY and LADY MARIA. KAY's expression was cold, viewing the matter as a purely mathematical calculation, while LADY MARIA gave JENNIFER a silent, warning look, demanding she remain calm.
In contrast, three hands rose in defiant rejection. The first objector, GENERAL FALK, a man with a raspy voice, stood and said: "This peace is not a strategy; it is a blatant declaration of weakness! History will record that the LIGHTEN family, which conquered darkness for decades, has finally bowed. The moment this paper is signed, we lose our prestige before the neighboring clans."
He was followed by the second objector, a hardline cleric named PRIEST DANK, who said with visible fury: "How can we put our hands in the hands of the CLAN OF DARKNESS? They represent evil in its purest form! History tells us they are treacherous. Reconciling with them is a betrayal of every drop of blood shed by our soldiers."
The third objector simply stood and nodded sharply: "Weakness and the betrayal of principles are two sides of the same coin. This peace is a slow suicide"
A heavy silence followed these biting words. All eyes turned toward JENNIFER, who had not yet raised her hand.
"Everyone speaks of 'Prestige' and 'Evil'..." JENNIFER said in a low but audible voice. "But no one speaks of the truth we all know."
She continued, "My brother KAY sees that we are being depleted, and the opponents see we will lose our dignity."
KAY interrupted her before she could finish: "JENNIFER, emotions do not manage wars. The reality is that we need to breathe before we suffocate."
JENNIFER rose slowly, meeting the gaze of the room. "You speak of breathing, brother, but what if this peace is the rope that will tighten around our necks later? The CLAN OF DARKNESS will not grant us peace out of love, but because they also want time to rest. They have been damaged as much as we have, perhaps more; they will welcome this peace quickly."
KAY leaned back in his chair, responding calmly: "That is why we set conditions that guarantee our sovereignty. We are not asking for peace; we are imposing a temporary truce for reconstruction. JENNIFER, emotion is a trait for women in stories, but here... at this table, Logic is master."
JENNIFER's eyes flared at the veiled insult. She suppressed her rage, masking it with a cold smile: "The logic that ignores the dignity of fighters is a mechanical logic, brother. But... since the clan's interest requires 'breathing' as you claim, let us see if this peace heals our wounds or deepens them."
The CHIEF ORGANIZER intervened to end the debate: "We have heard all viewpoints. Now, based on the council's powers and the vision of Field Commander KAY LIGHTEN, we move to the final vote."
Despite the strong opposition from the three dissenters, the scale tipped in favor of KAY's proposal:
LADY MARIA supported the decision with her usual silence.
The five organizers supported it out of blind faith in KAY's military brilliance.
JENNIFER nodded in agreement at the end—not out of conviction, but to avoid appearing fractured from the LIGHTEN family unity.
The CHIEF ORGANIZER declared officially:
"By a majority vote, the peace treaty with the CLAN OF DARKNESS is approved. Messengers will be sent tomorrow with the terms we set to ensure no betrayal from the other side. We shall see what terms they offer in return."
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