The grand hall of Thaldris was eerily quiet. The crackling of the braziers echoed off the ancient stone walls, casting wavering shadows across the room. King Ardyn of Thaldris stood by the towering windows, his hands clasped tightly behind his back as he read the message again, the parchment trembling slightly in his grip.
"Your daughter will be returned unharmed if you withdraw your forces. Fail to comply, and you will never see her again."
The words burned in his mind. His first instinct was to scoff. Elira, the cursed child, the harbinger of calamity—what value did she hold to him? And yet, the thought of her, bound and helpless in the hands of Aladrath, stirred something unfamiliar in his chest.
"Your Majesty," came the Queen's voice, sharp and unyielding. Lady Seredith entered the hall, her gown trailing behind her, every inch the regal sovereign of Thaldris. "I trust you see through this pitiful ploy?"
Ardyn turned to her, his expression unreadable. "They have her, Seredith. Our blood. They know this war is lost and cling to the only leverage they have."
"And you would let that sway you?" she asked, her tone laced with incredulity. "Do you forget what she brought upon this kingdom? What she cost us?"
His jaw tightened. "She is still my daughter."
"She is a curse!" Seredith snapped, stepping closer. Her voice lowered, but her words carried venom. "You heard the High Priestess. You felt it yourself when we lost our sons. How many times must her shadow darken this kingdom before you see the truth?"
Ardyn's gaze drifted back to the parchment. His armies were on the brink of victory. Aladrath, with all its ambition, would soon fall, and its lands would be his. And yet, he hesitated. The faces of his sons flashed in his mind, but so too did the image of Elira as a child, peeking out from behind pillars, her eyes wide with fear, longing for his approval.
"We can end this war and take their land," Seredith continued, her voice softer now, coaxing. "She was destined to bring ruin. Let her fulfill that fate, and let us rise stronger from it."
Ardyn closed his eyes. The weight of his crown had never felt heavier.