[Lavinia's POV—Western Darn Castle—Night Before the March]
The war room emptied one by one.
Scrolls were rolled. Maps were sealed. Armors clanked faintly as soldiers hurried to prepare. The air buzzed with the kind of tension that made even silence heavy.
Outside, the night was calm.
Deceptively calm. As if the kingdom itself were holding its breath.
I stood alone before the wide open window, staring out into the vast stretch of darkness that led toward the Western Border. Torches littered the distant field like scattered stars—our troops, moving in disciplined rows, preparing through the night.
Behind me, footsteps crossed the chamber.
"Your Highness," Haldor's voice said, low and steady, "the decoy units are ready. All three divisions are awaiting your command."
I didn't turn.
"Good," I replied softly. "And the fastest riders?"
"Handpicked," he said. "The best scouts. They know they are not to engage, only lure."
"Rey?"
