Aria’s POV ……

The air was thick with tension the next morning — the kind that made your skin prickle even before you opened your eyes. The entire kingdom seemed to sense what was about to happen. War.

I stood before the tall mirror in my chamber, fastening the last clasp of my dark silver armor. The metal gleamed faintly in the morning light filtering through the window. The armor felt heavier than usual today, though maybe it wasn’t the metal — maybe it was the weight of ...