"You all know that King Orig is no longer capable of fighting, and half the kingdom's armies have perished. Recruiting those who remain would be pointless, as most of them are either too old or just children,"
Taya declared, her sharp words echoing through the stone walls of the council chamber. Silence fell over the room as the remaining members of the round table exchanged uneasy glances. Her words carried the weight of truth, yet they resented hearing it from her—a woman whose presence at the table was, to them, an affront to tradition.
"Is this woman mad?" a grizzled general murmured to the man beside him, his voice barely audible but filled with disdain.
Finally, one man broke the silence. "The kingdom is finished. What do you expect us to do, Lady Taya?" His tone was laced with sarcasm. "The king himself can no longer fight. What hope do we have without him?"
