Librona's soldiers traveled towards its capital, Alryn, where King Sloan's castle stood tall. They galloped their horses through the waking and unaware city and up the hill into the castle courtyard. The head soldier – a knight of Librona – dismounted his horse and bowed to his king as he trotted down the stone steps outside of his castle.

“There has been an attack on Talmond,” the knight explained to his king. “One of Scarletta's witches.”

King Sloan cursed under his breath. “What are the damages?”

“The city is practically in ruins,” the knight said. “Homes and shops destroyed. We lost men and citizens.”

“Where's the witch?”

“It disappeared. My men searched the city for her, but it was nowhere to be seen. Just vanished before our eyes. It grows weak, though.”

King Sloan sighed. “That means nothing. I know Scarletta. She'll come back with something stronger.”

“What will you have us do, my lord?”

“Find that witch. If it is weak, we may have a chance to destroy it. That will put a thorn in Scarletta's plans for now.”

The knight bowed to his king and mounted his horse once more. He shouted to his troops, ordering them to begin their search through the kingdom of Librona to find the witch. The knight and his soldiers took off through the dark city once more and towards the distant forest that marked Librona's boundaries. Scarletta's castle lay just beyond the kingdom, tucked away deep in the forest. Scarletta's castle stood just outside their southern neighbor, In'audis' northern border. The southern forest of Do'lor was too dense for travel. This made it nearly impossible for the kingdoms to aid each other, especially in Librona's war against Scarletta.

Librona's only other neighbor and ally remained to the north of them; the seaside kingdom of Asmar. While the kingdom aided them in the past, they quickly withdrew after the death of their beloved king. The kingdom refused to help their southern ally as their own kingdom struggled to remain afloat under their young ruler. With no other heir, their focus was to keep their kingdom alive for as long as possible.

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King Sloan stood on the steps of his castle, gazing over the waking city. The kingdom struggled in their war against Scarletta without an ally, especially after Asmar pulled out of the war. King Sloan never doubted King Rowan's decision, but they were crumbling under Scarletta's reign of terror, and King Rowan's Asmar would surely be next.

He absentmindedly stroked his beard, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Over the years, King Sloan couldn't help but to slowly lose hope in their war against the witch. He didn't know how much longer his kingdom would last; the odds did not seem to be in his favor. His stomach churned as his mind turned to his wife and children. He never wanted his children to grow up in world where war threatened their home. He would keep them safe at any cost. Perhaps King Rowan would let them stay in Asmar while the war raged on in Librona. Surely even he couldn't hold King Sloan’s children responsible for the demise that had befallen Asmar.

King Sloan headed inside the castle as the sun came out from hiding beyond the horizon. With Scarletta's attacks still on his mind, he made his way towards the tactical room. Regardless of their situation, he had a kingdom to run and to fight for. He would fight to the very end for his kingdom, but not blindly. He needed a plan. He needed to ensure his family's safety in Asmar and he needed to prepare his army for battle.

King Sloan stopped as he walked through the empty throne room. He gazed up at the banners that hung above the red, velvet throne and felt a sudden wave of defeat wash over him. He tried to be a fair king. Scarletta needed to be stopped, but with each passing day, that seemed less and less possible. He couldn't bear to think that he could be Librona's final king, but his options were dwindling rapidly.

Images of his father played through his mind as his gaze fell to the throne before him. As a child, he sat in that very throne, pretending to be the king, when he wasn't at his father's side. “Sloan, a king must be fair and just,” his father would say to him. “Sometimes the solution isn't clear. Sometimes things aren't black and white. The world is grey, Sloan. It is your job, as the future king, to bring the color into the world. Do not be quick to judge those who have made mistakes.”

King Sloan always looked up to his father. He strived each and every day to be a king his father would be proud of and to continue to earn respect for the Martel lineage. His father never gave up, nor should he. He would fight for his kingdom, even if it meant fighting to the end. He would fight to bring the color back into their gray world.