The war chamber was stifling, summer's warmth had turned oppressive. The atmosphere was heavy with frustration and grief. Maps lay scattered across the table, their corners curled and scorched from too many sleepless nights. Spells had been cast. Scouts had been sent.
Yet there was no sign of her.
"She is gone," Casimir said at last, his voice low, tight, a storm barely contained. "Vanished like a wisp of smoke. Not even the High Seers could trace her."
Victor, the new court mage, stepped forward. "Your Majesty… the wards hiding her are old. Older than the pacts between the courts. Blood-forged magic like this can't be undone by force alone."
Casimir's jaw locked. His hands clenched at his sides.
Victor hesitated. "Since she's in the Evergreen Glade… there's nothing we can do. Not without....."
