"War?" Rykio asked. He rolled his head back, staring up at the vaulted stone ceiling with a blank, bewildered gaze, as if wondering whether he had somehow slept through a council meeting. "More than a sweet bride, it seems War is our overbearing mother-in-law, the way she constantly nags at us, never leaving us in peace. Didn't we literally just end it? And you already want to drag us into another?"
"What I want is useless compared to what we have to do," Alpheo replied, his voice flat and hard as a paving stone. He looked around the table, his hazel eyes locking onto each of his captains in turn. "And besides, the war is not over. It has only just started."
"Aye, you spoke of it with our dear Kakunian during the feast, didn't you?" Jarza muttered, his thick arms crossing over his chest. The massive legate made no effort to hide his deep-seated displeasure for Merelao; even if his words remained technically polite, his tone was dripping with venom.
