"What did you say?" Azariah asked, her voice tinged with disbelief as her red eyes locked onto mine, searching for any hint that I might be joking.
We were in her chambers, a private and dimly lit room that reflected her taste for understated elegance, with heavy velvet curtains drawn to block out the daylight. I had come here to explain my decision, to tell her about my plan to join the Trojan War, but judging by her reaction, she wasn't taking me seriously.
"I said I'm going to take part in the Trojan War and fight on the side of the Trojans," I repeated, my voice calm and measured, but firm.
Her expression didn't change, but her hands, resting on the arms of her chair, tightened into fists. "Are… you serious?" she asked again, her red eyes narrowing as she scanned my face, seeking some sign of uncertainty, something that might suggest I wasn't entirely committed to this course of action.
"Yes," I answered without hesitation, holding her gaze.
