The war room beneath the Royal Palace was once a wine cellar—now stripped of barrels and turned into a sanctum of maps, intelligence reports, and strategic theory. Electric lights buzzed faintly overhead, illuminating a vast central table, where a large map of Europe was pinned in place with brass weights. Red and blue lines cut across borders. Tiny wooden blocks marked divisions, fleets, and supply lines.
Prince Lancelot stood at the head of the table, his sleeves rolled, coat unbuttoned, revealing the black waistcoat beneath. A steaming cup of tea sat untouched beside him.
Around the table stood Aragon's senior military leadership.
