Kai sat comfortably on the frost-covered bone throne the next morning.
He rested his chin on his knuckles, listening quietly to the endless reports from his brand new advisors.
The sprawling desert city was actually stabilizing much faster than he had originally expected.
Freed slaves were already being organized into paid labor crews to repair the heavily damaged lower districts.
Massive public food stores and underground water reservoirs were being secured tightly under Yena's direct supervision.
The surviving noble houses had mostly bent the knee to the Winter King out of sheer terror.
However, Kai knew perfectly well that a few corrupt families were already plotting in secret behind closed doors.
He let them plot, knowing that crushing a rebellion later would only cement his absolute authority even further.
Yena stood rigidly at his right side, her arms crossed firmly over her new hardened leather armor.
