The war room became my second home over the next three days. Maps covered every available surface, reports piled on tables, and military advisors came and went with constant updates on troop positions, supply lines, and potential weak points in our defenses.
I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw scenarios—attacks from the north, from the mountains, from inside the castle itself. Daemon had been planning this for fifteen years. He wouldn't simply accept defeat because we'd arrested thirty of his agents. He had more. Deeper connections. Resources we hadn't discovered yet.
"You need to rest," Kael said for the hundredth time, finding me poring over supply manifests at two in the morning. "You're going to collapse."
"I'll rest when we're safe. Right now, I need to figure out how Daemon will strike." I pointed to the map. "The northern approach is too obvious. He knows we'll defend there heavily. The eastern road could work, but it's narrow and easily blocked. The southern route is furthest from his base but gives him access to the city before reaching the castle. And the western approach goes through old family territory, which means he could have support from people we don't know about."
"Elara, you're looking at this backwards. Daemon doesn't need to attack from outside. He already has people inside the castle we haven't identified yet." Kael moved closer, turning me away from the maps. "You're preparing for conventional siege warfare when we should be preparing for assassination and sabotage."
He was right. I'd been so focused on military tactics that I'd forgotten Daemon's primary weapons were deception and infiltration, not armies and siege engines.
"So we focus on internal security. Screen everyone who has access to sensitive areas. Implement new protocols for food handling, chamber security, guard rotations. Make it impossible for hidden agents to act without being detected."
"Better. But even that might not be enough. What if Daemon's real plan isn't military at all? What if he's planning to use magic? His curse is as strong as mine. He could theoretically create shadow beasts by the hundreds, send them through the castle, create chaos and terror while his actual forces attack during the confusion."
I hadn't considered that. Couldn't begin to imagine defending against that kind of assault. "Can you do that? Create shadow beasts with your curse?"
"Theoretically, yes. It would require enormous power and control, probably killing me in the process, but it's possible. If Daemon is willing to sacrifice himself, he could do devastating damage."
"Would he? Be willing to die?"
"He's been isolated and bitter for decades. He might see it as a final act of revenge, taking the entire kingdom down with him." Kael rubbed his eyes tiredly. "This is why you need rest. We're spinning scenarios with no actual intelligence to back them up. We're scaring ourselves with possibilities that might never happen."
"Better scared and prepared than confident and caught off guard."
"There's a balance between preparation and paranoia. You're crossing into paranoia." He took my hand, pulling me away from the maps. "Come on. We're going to our chambers, we're going to eat something that isn't cold rations, and we're going to sleep for at least six hours. That's not a request."
"Kael, I can't just—"
"Yes, you can. The advisors know their jobs. Captain Thorne is coordinating security. Theron is managing the guard rotations. Elena is monitoring magical signatures. Everything that can be done is being done." He guided me toward the door with gentle insistence. "And you collapsing from exhaustion helps no one. Least of all the kingdom you're trying to protect."
I wanted to argue, but exhaustion made my thoughts sluggish. When had I last eaten a full meal? When had I last slept more than two hours at a stretch?
"Fine. Six hours. But if anything happens—"
"They'll wake us immediately. I promise." He kept his arm around my waist as we walked, and I realized I was leaning on him more than I'd intended. My legs felt like water, my vision slightly blurred at the edges.
"I think I might be more tired than I thought," I admitted.
"You think?" He actually laughed. "Elara, you've been operating on pure willpower for three days. Your body is about to shut down whether you want it to or not."
We reached our chambers to find Mira waiting with a tray of food and a concerned expression. "Finally. I was about to come drag you back myself."
"She tried," Kael said, helping me into a chair. "But she's stubborn."
"I'm strategic," I corrected. "There's a difference."
"Right now, the most strategic thing you can do is eat and sleep." Mira set food in front of me—warm soup, bread, cheese, things my exhausted stomach could handle. "Eat. All of it. Don't make me force-feed you like when you were sick as a child."
The memory made me smile despite everything. "You were twelve. I was ten. And you absolutely would have done it."
"Still would. Now eat."
I ate mechanically, not tasting much but forcing down enough to satisfy Mira. Kael ate with me, and I noticed he looked tired too. He'd been trying to stay visible and confident for the court while also supporting my defensive planning. Neither of us had been taking care of ourselves properly.
"After we sleep, we need a real plan," I said between bites. "Not just defensive preparations. We need to know what Daemon is planning, where he is, what resources he has. We're fighting blind."
"Which is why I sent scouts north three days ago," Kael said. "Elena provided guides from the old families who know the mountain routes. They should be returning with intelligence soon."
"You didn't tell me you sent scouts."
"You didn't ask. You've been so focused on preparing defenses that you haven't been checking in on intelligence gathering." He said it gently, not accusingly. "That's another sign you need rest. You're usually the first person asking about reconnaissance."
He was right. I'd become so hyperfocused on one aspect of preparation that I'd neglected others. Classic sign of exhaustion impairing judgment.
"I'm sorry. I should have—"
"Stop apologizing. We're all doing the best we can with impossible circumstances." He finished his food and stood. "Now, bed. Actual sleep. I'll wake you if anything urgent happens."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
I let Mira help me change into nightclothes, too tired to care about modesty or propriety. When I finally collapsed into bed, Kael was already there, and I curled against him automatically, seeking the warmth and security I'd come to associate with his presence.
"I love you," I murmured, already half-asleep.
"I love you too. Now sleep. Everything will look less overwhelming after rest."
I wanted to argue that problems didn't improve just because you slept, but darkness was already pulling me under. The last thing I remembered was Kael's arms around me and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my ear.
I slept deeply, dreamlessly, for the first time in days. When I woke, sunlight was streaming through the windows and Kael's side of the bed was empty. Panic spiked through me before I heard his voice from across the room.
"She's awake. No, I'm not waking her earlier. She needed the rest." He was speaking to someone I couldn't see. "Tell Captain Thorne I'll be there within the hour. And have Elena meet us in the war room. If the scouts are back, I want her assessment of their intelligence."
The scouts. They'd returned while I slept.
I sat up, finding Kael at the desk fully dressed and reviewing documents. "Why didn't you wake me?"
"Because you were sleeping peacefully for the first time in days, and nothing was urgent enough to interrupt that." He came over, kissing my forehead. "Good morning. You slept for eight hours."
"Eight? I told you six!"
"And I ignored you because eight was better." He smiled at my indignation. "Get dressed. The scouts returned an hour ago with intelligence on Daemon's fortress and forces. Captain Thorne is compiling their report now."
That got me moving. I dressed quickly in practical clothes, strapped on my weapons, and followed Kael to the war room. It was already crowded with advisors, military commanders, and King Aldric himself.
"Princess," the King greeted me. "Good of you to join us. I trust you're well-rested?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. What did the scouts find?"