"Ah... I'm exhausted..." Elena groaned, flopping onto her back on a large sofa in one of the palace's many living rooms.
Soft light streamed through the tall windows, bathing the space in a warm golden glow and offering a spectacular view of the immense inner garden.
She was completely drained.
Sixty thousand people in a single morning, almost all of them terrified and starving.
Drawing on her experience as a former ruler, Elena had taken control of the situation, aided by Ethan's other wives and the army's First Legion—five thousand men in total.
Goldenveil's army, extremely professional and well-trained, managed to bring the crowd under control with impressive speed. Even so, the task had been a living hell.
They had to record the name of every citizen, count the children, reunite families, and assign housing to everyone.
Seven hours of nonstop work followed, the officers under her command registering and settling each of the new arrivals into their homes.
