The debate inside the command tent had grown sharper when the flap parted without ceremony.
Lucas stepped in.
Dust clung to the hem of his cloak, and his expression carried the weight of a man who had already committed himself to something irreversible. He bowed briefly to the king, then acknowledged Commander Alexander and Captain Varran with a nod.
"Your Majesty," he said.
The king's eyes narrowed slightly. "We are in council."
"I am aware," Lucas replied evenly. "And I ask to be heard."
Alexander folded his arms. "If this concerns the valley, we have already concluded that marching into it would be ruin."
Lucas did not hesitate. "We must march into it."
The words landed like a dropped blade.
Varran stared at him. "You cannot be serious."
"I am entirely serious," Lucas answered.
The king's face darkened. "You were the one who warned us of the trap."
"Yes," Lucas said. "And I stand by that warning."
