The council chamber of Eldoria's crystal palace stood silent save for the occasional crack of ice shifting beneath the weight of tension. Queen Eleanor stood at the frost-etched window, her delicate fingers tracing patterns that bloomed into intricate ice flowers upon the glass. Twenty-one years of age, crowned in her own right, and already navigating the treacherous waters of an uneasy alliance.
"Your Majesty," Shane's voice broke through her thoughts. "The latest reports from our spies in Viscine have arrived."
Eleanor turned to face her loyal engineer, his weathered hands still smudged with grease from the latest defensive mechanism he'd installed. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, testament to sleepless nights spent reinforcing their shared defenses against a common enemy.
"What news of Denise?" she asked, her voice steady despite the dread pooling in her stomach.