Chapter 17 - Whispers from the East
Three weeks had passed since the trial in the arena. The kingdom was finally settling into a fragile, hopeful peace under Valeria’s just rule. The corrupt tax laws of Valerius were dismantled, food stores were opened to the impoverished lower districts, and the palace guards were retrained to protect the citizens rather than terrorize them.
Yet, in the quiet hours of midnight, Valeria often found herself awake in the royal study, pouring over maps of the neighboring empires.
The eastern border had always been a volatile region—a vast expanse of dense forests and rugged mountains controlled by the nomadic warlords of Kaldor. For decades, they had maintained an uneasy peace with the central kingdom through heavy tributes paid by Valerius. Now, with the throne overthrown, the tributes had stopped, and scouts reported strange troop movements near the mountain passes.
"They're coming," a soft voice said from the doorway.
Valeria looked up to see old Thomas, now appointed as the chief royal archivist, stepping into the room carrying a steaming cup of herbal tea. His eyes were heavy with fatigue, but his smile was warm.
"The Kadorians care nothing for our internal politics, Thomas," Valeria sighed, rubbing her temples. "They only care about weakness. They know the kingdom was fractured by a civil war, and they want to test if the new queen has the stomach for a foreign campaign."
"They don't know who they're dealing with," Thomas replied gently, setting the cup down on the heavy oak desk. "You faced the throne room's terror, and you faced the northern duke's champion. Kadorian warlords are just men of flesh and blood, Your Majesty."
Before Valeria could answer, the heavy double doors of the study burst open.
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Captain Marcus strode in, his face grim and covered in dust, holding a wax-sealed parchment bearing the red crest of the eastern scouts.
"Your Majesty," Marcus said without preamble. "A vanguard of Kadorian cavalry has crossed the border at Red Pass. They aren't raiding—they're marching with an army of ten thousand."
