Nyx pushed through the entrance of the command tent before the guards could even announce her.
The heavy fabric fell closed behind her, muffling the distant sounds of the camp outside. Inside the tent the air felt thick and dim, lit only by a few lanterns that cast wavering shadows across the wooden table at the center.
Her father sat there alone.
The King of Valerion no longer looked like the ruler who had once commanded armies and presided over courts filled with nobles and ambassadors. His armor had been removed and now rested carelessly on a nearby chair, still cracked from the blow Ken had delivered earlier in the valley.
A half-empty bottle of wine sat on the table.
Another cup lay on its side nearby.
The King held a goblet loosely in one hand, staring down at the dark red liquid inside as if the answers to everything might be hidden at the bottom of it.
His shoulders looked heavy.
He had not even noticed Nyx enter.
"Father."
Her voice was quiet.
