The elder councilor spoke first, his voice low but steady, a quiet strength that commanded attention.
"We agree, Your Majesty," he said, his eyes unwavering as he looked across the room. "We stand with you, as always. There will be no surrender."
The other councilors, lined around the table, nodded in solemn agreement. Each of them was old in years, but their faces were resolute, worn from decades of service but unyielding.
They had seen kingdoms rise and fall, but never before had they faced an enemy like this — an enemy who would stop at nothing to tear apart everything they had built.
They knew this was no longer about politics, no longer about grand strategies or negotiations. It was about survival. About protecting everything the King had worked for.
The King's gaze swept across his councilors, their expressions matching his own.
He could feel the weight of the decision pressing upon him, heavier than any crown could ever be.
