"They wound the innocent, Matilda! They wounded you!" His voice quivered with emotion, his eyes brimming with unshed tears as his words rang out in the cold air. "How can you even contemplate supporting those who spread ruin and discord with every step? You hold the power to stop this madness, to raise your voice—"
"And what if my voice is spent?" Matilda's reply came with a tremor, her own tears threatening to fall as she swallowed the sting of helplessness. "What if I have spoken until my throat is raw, and yet it changes nothing? What if, despite doing everything right, it still leads to nothing?"
Her final word echoed through the chamber like a haunting specter. George's fingers tightened their grip on the table before him, knuckles pale as he refused to meet her gaze.
"Change was never meant to be easy," he murmured, his voice dropping to a dangerous, hoarse whisper, heavy with grief and fury.
Matilda straightened slightly, defiance sparking in her stance. "And sometimes, George, it requires more than words. Sometimes, drastic actions are the only way."
His hands trembled, clenching and unclenching as his eyes remained fixed on the table. Silent tears fell, tracing their way down his face, but he spoke no further. The discussion had reached its end.
The sun lingered just above the jagged peaks of the distant mountains, casting a celestial wash of tangerine, gold, and deep sapphire across the early morning sky. The earth below, glistening with fresh dew, shimmered beneath the warm glow of dawn, while the air was alive with the soft scent of damp earth and grass. Silence reigned over the waking world, interrupted only by the occasional trill of birds and the steady cadence of hoofbeats.
Genelyn sat astride Apollo, her hand absently caressing the dun coat of her steed. The knights flanked her in a protective circle, but she had spoken little throughout their journey, her voice swallowed by the weight of unspoken thoughts. The survivors, too, remained silent, as though speech itself were an affront to the journey's solemnity. Respect, perhaps, though respect for what, she did not know. Still, the stillness had stretched for days, broken only by the steady rhythm of their travel.
It was not unwelcome. In the quiet, Genelyn found space to truly behold the beauty around her—the towering spires of mountains, the rivers winding like silver threads through the land, the valleys that yawned like chasms carved by ancient hands. Each sight stirred a quiet reverence in her chestnut eyes. As Apollo slowed upon reaching the crest of a hill, Genelyn's breath caught, her gaze resting upon the breathtaking expanse before her.
"You called, Mother?"
The gentle light of early morning spilled through the castle's grand windows, bathing the dining hall in a soft, golden glow. Queen Louise stood at the table, her slender, ivory hand hovering elegantly over a display of fruit. Her gown, a deep-cut black, draped her figure with regal poise. She did not spare even a glance in her daughter's direction, her voice flat and detached. "I am gratified to see you, Matilda."
Matilda's jaw tightened, her forced smile betraying the simmering tension beneath the surface. She positioned herself beside Anet, the one person in the room she could trust, though even standing there she felt out of place in her hastily chosen shirt and tunic. Yet, despite the disarray of her appearance, she looked far more composed than Anet, who seemed as though she had rolled out of bed mere moments ago. Matilda had risen early, intending to train with her dagger, her tunic and trousers functional yet adorned with a single necklace, a subtle reminder of her royal lineage. The queen's unexpected summons had, however, derailed her plans for the morning.
Queen Louise cast her daughter a withering look, her delicate nose wrinkling in distaste. She lifted her goblet with a graceful, practiced hand, the scent of berries and wine lingering in the air as she took a slow, deliberate sip. Setting the cup down with a sigh that echoed through the chamber, she continued in a voice both commanding and cool.
