Kijani rose up immediately, exhaustion forgotten for the moment, when King Veruna entered. Her first instinct was to shout as well, but Eskel was already doing that. She closed her eyes a moment. The man sounded like he was at his limit.

But at the same time, she was upset at his words. “Out of your han- [i]are you a king or not, man[/i]?!” Her gold eyes lit with a burst of anger. “Those people – [i]your[/i] people - look to you for guidance and strength, and in their moment of need, suddenly it’s too much for you?” Her mouth twisted into a scowl.

“Eskel, you must take after your mother.” She shook her head, getting up from the bed and starting to pace. “There’s got to be something left. To rule with fear is one thing, but to rule with love is another. Fear can be overcome, but love is much harder to shatter. If your people love you, there will be loyalty in their hearts. And with that, hope.”

She looked between the two royal men, silently willing one to calm, and the other to find the will to fight.

“So – what are we working with?”