The fire from the torches crackled softly in the chamber, casting long shadows over the maps and scrolls scattered across the table. The candle beside you had nearly burned down to its base, but there was still work to be done. Your eyes scanned the battlefield positions once more, analyzing each mark, searching for an improvement, a flaw no one else had noticed.

—"Working late again."

Rhaenys approached with the calm confidence of someone who had witnessed this scene countless times before. She stopped beside you, eyes flicking over the map with a sharp understanding. Her arms crossed over her chest, and her expression carried a mix of exasperation and something else… something softer.

—"I don’t want to find you asleep on the table again."—Her tone held a note of reprimand.—"Tell me what you see."

It wasn’t a suggestion. It was an invitation. One that meant that, for tonight, if you were going to do this… you wouldn’t do it alone.