Lucretia sat with her face glowing with pride. Zarek's package had arrived early that morning, and she hadn't stopped smiling ever since. Her son had proven himself to not only be his father's son but also a great leader. He had shown that there was no one better than him to rule Arvenia and lord over the five kingdoms.
"Your Excellency, this is great news!" Hephzibah jumped to his feet as soon as the messenger read the letter to the councilmen. "Prince Zarek has restored the pride of Arvenia in less than a month, despite his inexperience," he grinned widely, displaying his set of brown teeth.
The other council members nodded in agreement. "Now we can finally put this all behind us, and our soldiers can come home to their wives and families," Cicero, a fat man with an unnaturally squeaky voice, said.
