Exiting out of her room with Vera not far behind her, Sofia observed with interest how her soldiers were acting and what their mood was.
They weren't being led by a seasoned general with years of experience, but by her—the young heir to the throne, unproven and recently reinstated. She hadn't yet built a reputation, so part of her expected their morale to be just as low as when she first entered the city and took command.
Even gaining that command was no small feat. She'd had to convince the council to hand her control over a portion of the empire's already stretched-thin forces.
She knew the request she had made had been unreasonable, and as expected, most of the members of the council were against the idea, with the exception of Bragan, who seemed keen on the idea—most likely because of their similar age. But one person wasn't able to sway their opinion… or at least Sofia thought, until Elysia said that she would like to see Sofia's skills as well.
