The night was colder than it had any right to be. A chill wind blew through the camp, carrying the faint scent of smoke and blood. Elira had retreated to her tent after the confrontation with Corin. She needed time to think, but her thoughts were tangled, slipping away from her grasp like the fog creeping across the battlefield. Betrayal. That was the word that clung to her, gnawing at her insides. She had trusted him—trusted Corin with everything.
But the truth hung heavy in the air, and no matter how hard she tried to push it away, she couldn't escape it. Corin had betrayed them all, had betrayed her, in the name of protecting his family. Could she forgive him? Could she still see him as the man she had once fought beside, the one who had been her right hand?
The sound of footsteps outside the tent jolted her from her thoughts. She hadn't called for anyone. Not tonight. But the tent flap was pulled aside, and Kael's figure emerged from the shadows.
"Commander," he said softly, his tone more respectful than it had been before.
Elira didn't meet his gaze immediately. "I don't want to talk right now."
Kael stepped inside, closing the flap behind him. He didn't press her, instead lowering himself onto the bench beside her. For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Kael broke the silence. "I'm sorry."
Elira raised her eyes to him. "Sorry?"
"For Corin's betrayal," Kael said, his voice uncharacteristically somber. "I know you trusted him, and I know this isn't easy for you."
She swallowed hard, the pain raw in her throat. "What does it matter now? I don't even know who he is anymore."
Kael's gaze softened. "You're still the leader. You still have the army. Corin's mistakes don't change that."
Elira clenched her fists, the knuckles turning white. "I can't lead them knowing that one of my own is a traitor. I can't trust anyone."
"The army trusts you," Kael replied, his voice steady. "They trust you because you've shown them what it means to fight with honor. They don't need to know about Corin. They need to know that you're still standing. That you won."
Elira looked down at her hands, the weight of the sword she had wielded earlier in the day still echoing in her palms. The blood of her enemies—of her soldiers—stained her mind, and now, the betrayal of someone she had loved as a brother threatened to undo it all.
"Kael, what if I'm not enough?" she asked quietly, the question so soft it was barely a whisper. "What if I'm not strong enough to lead them through this?"
Kael's gaze was unwavering, a steady presence in her storm. "You've already led them through more than anyone expected. You've shown them that you are stronger than they ever thought. Don't let this one thing make you doubt everything you've done."
Elira closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her mind was a battlefield of its own, the ghosts of what had been, and what could have been, haunting her thoughts. She had been so sure—so sure that Corin was the one person she could rely on. And now? Now the foundation of everything she had built felt cracked, unstable. She had to be strong, but strength alone wouldn't be enough.
"How can I forgive him?" she asked, the words tasting bitter.
"You don't have to forgive him right away," Kael said quietly. "But you will have to decide what happens next. Do you cast him out and risk weakening your army further? Or do you give him the chance to explain himself?"
Elira took another breath, trying to center herself. She had always been a warrior, not just in battle, but in life. And warriors, in her experience, didn't have the luxury of dwelling on their emotions for too long.
"I'll talk to him," she said finally, her voice harder now, tempered with resolve. "I'll give him a chance. But he doesn't get to decide what happens to the army. That's still my choice."
Kael nodded, respect in his eyes. "And the army will follow you. Just as they always have."
The next day, Elira found herself standing in front of Corin's tent. Her heart felt heavy, but the weight of command rested firmly on her shoulders. There was no more time for hesitation. She needed answers, and she needed them now.
She stepped inside, the air inside his tent thick with tension. Corin was sitting on a stool, his head lowered. He looked up when she entered, but there was no surprise in his eyes—only a weary resignation.
"Elira," he said softly. "I'm sorry."
"No." Elira's voice was sharp. "Sorry isn't enough. You've betrayed us all, Corin. You've put everyone at risk. I put my faith in you."
"I never wanted this to happen," Corin said, standing slowly, his hands outstretched in a gesture of pleading. "I didn't want to betray you. But they… they threatened everything I care about."
"Elira, I was trying to protect my family. Duras promised me they wouldn't hurt them if I helped them." His voice broke, but Elira refused to soften.
"You should have come to me," she said coldly. "We could have found another way. But instead, you chose to betray the very people who've been fighting alongside you."
"I didn't have a choice!" Corin's voice cracked, but Elira remained unmoved.
"I gave you a choice, Corin. I trusted you. You were supposed to be the one I could count on."
"I never wanted to hurt you," Corin whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I swear to you, I never wanted to hurt you."
Elira took a step back, feeling the walls around her heart harden once again. "I don't know what to believe anymore," she said quietly. "But the army needs me. They need a leader. And I need to know I can trust you."
Corin dropped his gaze. "I understand. If you choose to cast me out, I won't fight you. But I'll do whatever it takes to make things right."
Elira studied him for a long moment, her mind racing. His words, his sorrow, they cut through her. But the truth was, she didn't know if she could ever trust him again.
But as Kael had said, she didn't have the luxury of doubt.
"Elira," Corin whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Please. I will prove myself to you."
Elira took one last long look at him before she turned and walked away, her heart heavy with a decision that would change everything.