The Riftborn and The King

The Weight of Defiance – Kael Stands Alone

Kael's words still echoed across the battlefield.

> "No. We do not accept."

For the first time, the Hand of the King had refused an order.

The frozen silence that followed was unbearable.

The nobles of Solmara stared in disbelief. Some clutched their cloaks tighter, others whispered frantically. Even the soldiers—those who had fought under Kael's command for years—shifted uneasily. This had never happened before.

And at the center of it all, King Aldric.

He sat atop his warhorse, unmoving, his face unreadable beneath the weight of his crown. The flickering torchlight from the soldiers' ranks cast long, shifting shadows across his features.

Then—he spoke.

> "What did you just say?"

His voice wasn't loud. It didn't need to be. It carried an authority that had once been absolute.

Kael met his gaze. He did not kneel. He did not falter.

> "This truce is a trap."