Whispers of War in the Dark

Meanwhile in Drayton Empire in the palace of the king

The room was almost dark, the only light coming from the moon through a high, narrow window. The stone walls were bare, and the air was thick with silence. Two men stood facing each other, their faces hidden behind masks, strange, distorted, like grinning demons.

"It must happen during the trade," the first man said, his voice deep and steady. "The princess dies, and the world will believe the Devotion Empire is responsible. That will be enough to start the war."

The second man tilted his head slightly, considering. "How do we make sure they take the blame?"

The first man stepped forward, his mask catching the moonlight in an unsettling way. "We position ourselves near their forces. When the moment is right, an arrow will strike the princess down. Their archers will already be in place, and it won't take much to make it look like one of them fired the shot."

The second man remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "And how are we getting this close? The archers will be watching them. If they see us, they will stop you before you can shoot."

The first man laughed softly. "We will go before they take up positions. We will disappear into the shadows, moving before they suspect anything. By the time they set their sights on the trade, we will already be in place, unseen."

The second man nodded slowly. "And if someone does notice?"

The first man's voice remained cold. "Then we kill them before they can speak."

Silence filled the room again, the weight of their plan settling between them.

The second man let out a light laugh and said, "Clever. In this chaos, they won't have time to think. The moment she falls, Drayton's forces will attack without hesitation."

"Exactly," the first man replied smoothly. "By the time they realize they were never the ones who fired the arrow, the war will have already begun."

There was a moment of silence between them, filled only by the faint sound of the wind outside.

"The king has his plans, but war must come sooner. This empire needs it," the second man muttered.

The first man turned slightly; his masked face unreadable. "Then let's make sure it happens."

Without another word, they returned to the darkness, disappearing into the shadows as if they had never been there.