Vanessa smiled, her voice cold and smooth as silk. "Then you swear allegiance to me. When the dust settles, my father will be dead, Edwin will be weakened, and I will be the only heir left to claim the Ashbane name." Her calm, matter-of-fact tone terrified them more than any war cry could. "Those who stand with me," she added, "will keep their lands. Those who do not..." She paused, letting the silence fill in the threat. "...will share my father's grave even before they blink." By the time she left the tent, the captains had already begun whispering among themselves. The army was splitting silently invisibly, one half loyal to Garrett, the other to Vanessa. Later that night, Garrett awoke in a cold sweat. His chest burned, his veins felt heavy, and the faint metallic taste of wolfsbane lingered on his tongue. He pushed himself upright, gasping, and saw Jon standing by the tent flap, tense and uncert
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