"Bring the divided book," Queen Elena commanded, her voice cutting through the tense silence that had fallen over the room. Her eyes remained fixed on Commander Maria, who nodded once before departing swiftly.
Lyra watched the Thornvale queen carefully, noting the subtle shift in her demeanor. There was something in Elena's expression—a tightness around her eyes, a tension in her jaw—that suggested she knew more than she had previously revealed.
'She recognized the name of this realm immediately,' Lyra thought. 'What else does she know that she hasn't shared?'
Commander Maria returned moments later, carrying the ancient tome wrapped in protective cloth. She placed it reverently on the table before Elena, who unwrapped it with careful hands.
"The Fea realm," Elena began, her fingers tracing the weathered edges of the torn book, "is mentioned in our oldest texts. Not as a physical place that can be found on any map, but as a space between spaces."
