"I'm all ears," Lyan's voice echoed throughout the room, its calm and gentle cadence acting as a soothing balm that quelled the turbulent waves swirling within Wilhelmina.
Taking a deep breath, Wilhelmina steadied herself, her resolve hardening like steel beneath her delicate exterior. "I need your help, Lyan," her declaration hung in the air, charged with a weight that belied the slight tremor in her voice. Her fingers, cool and delicate, betrayed her inner turmoil as they intertwined.
The silence lingered, a living entity that seemed to stretch between them. Lyan's unwavering quiet prompted Wilhelmina to press on, her determination refusing to yield. "My lands, once prosperous and proud, fell victim to a brutal invasion that left my kingdom shattered, my people enslaved, and everything I held dear torn asunder." She spoke with a mix of sorrow and steely resolve, her eyes aflame with the remnants of her former nobility.
