That cowardly, selfish father who clung to life and feared death! Katerina knew him far too well.
Facing the full might of the Sauron and their ferocious, must-win assault, could he truly hold?
What if... what if, just like last time, the moment he faced the slightest pressure, he... No, this time it was a true catastrophe crashing down over their heads! Would he... to survive, to preserve that pitiful scrap of wealth and rank, simply open the gates and surrender?
The thought was like a venomous snake, biting into Katerina's heart in an instant, leaving her almost unable to stand.
If Eagle's Nest Fortress surrendered without a fight, what would that mean?
It would mean the Sauron army would obtain, without so much as blowing off dust, a super-fortress stocked with enough provisions and weapons to sustain tens of thousands of troops through the winter! It would mean the Royal Capital's northern gate would be flung completely open! It would mean the Sauron would gain tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers and immeasurable baggage and supplies! Even more, it would mean the spine of the Goldflower Kingdom would be utterly snapped in that moment! The fall of the nation and the extermination of its people would be right before their eyes!
"Silence!!!" the chamberlain's shrill, trembling voice barely pressed down the clamor in the hall.
Katerina forced herself to draw a deep breath, her nails digging deeply into her palm, using the pain to call back her reason.
She slowly sat back on the throne, but her ramrod-straight spine and taut jawline betrayed the stormy waves raging inside her.
Her gaze swept over the officials below, all silent as cicadas in winter. Her voice was hoarse, yet it carried an unquestionable decisiveness. "Eagle's Nest is surrounded, and the situation