As the throngs filed into the coliseum, Peitha called me to her side to witness her speech. I arrived just as she paraded the beaten queen before the assembled masses. The rebellious leader spoke with conviction—that not only can Eparch and his loyalists be defeated but that unlike the present monarchy, she is willing show mercy to the vanquished. "Children of Nayos," she began, before calling attention to the defeated Queen Labris and Eparch's weakened army. The Midnight King must've sensed the power of Peitha's position—felt her threat through the Veil and how she was turning the Kryptis against him. In that moment, a rift formed, and Eparch's calm, powerful voice filled the coliseum. The king—an ancient, massive beast—stepped through, drawing all eyes to his terrifying form. Eparch hardly acknowledged Peitha's existence, asking the gathered crowd to speak if his upstart niece had truly won their trust. The arena fell silent. Eparch then turned his attention to the upstart rebel leader and his captive queen. Calm to this point, I could now hear the tightly restrained fury in his words. He made a single offer of negotiation: release Labris, and Tyria would be spared. Peitha would be allowed to live there in exile. Whether Peitha believed this offer to be in good faith is still unclear. What is clear is that Labris believed it. Even in her weakened state, she would not allow Peitha to use her as leverage to undermine all that she and Eparch had built. The defiant queen sacrificed herself to her beloved king's cause, forcing the last of her essence into him as the rest of us looked on in horror. The crowd erupted in chaos—some declaring allegiance to Peitha, some to Eparch. The rest fled in terror. Even the king was stunned by his queen's martyrdom. Roaring in fury, he vowed to devour all who opposed him and challenged any who stood with Peitha to bring the fight to him in the citadel of Zakiros. Peitha's scheme to inspire an army and overthrow the king was thrown into disarray. We were left with no choice but to fall back, regroup, and take stock of the aftermath of a disastrous day. Will Peitha's ragtag army be enough to invade Eparch's fortified citadel and challenge him in his full fury? Can we count on the Astral Ward? It remains to be seen whether the rebel upstart can overcome this misstep. I will help to the best of my ability, but I don't know if it will be enough to carry Peitha to victory.