The following day...
Figures surrounded Max as he sat upon the throne, his expression dark and solemn while heated murmurs spread throughout the chamber. The heads of the dragon families stood closest to him, while the representatives of the newly integrated elven territories gathered farther away, their separation making it clear that neither side had truly accepted the other as part of the same kingdom.
Panic could be heard beneath their anger. Some demanded that every soldier in Voidstar be gathered inside Blackspire, while others argued that abandoning the outer settlements would leave their food, roads and territories open to the enemy. The elves had already lost most of their military strength during Max's conquest, and the surviving dragon forces had been weakened by one war after another.
