Selene sat at the heart of the Verdant Nexus, golden eyes scanning the map before her.
She did not need spies to know what was coming.
She did not need to eavesdrop on secret meetings or intercept coded messages.
Because she understood power.
And power always created fear.
She had known, from the moment the Court of Balance was formed, that the lesser Dominions would not sit idle.
That they would see her as a threat.
That they would move against her.
The only question had been when.
And now, she had her answer.
---
Foxes entered the chamber without preamble, a slow grin stretching across his face.
“Well,” he murmured, lounging against one of the carved pillars, his tails flicking lazily. “It looks like they finally decided to stop talking and start plotting.”
Selene lifted an eyebrow.
“And?”
Foxes chuckled. “Seven Lords. The usual suspects. The ones who want to see you bleed but don’t want to risk dying in the process.”
Selene leaned back. “A pressure campaign, then.”
Foxes nodded. “They think they’re clever. They won’t come for you directly, of course. Too risky. They’ll start at the edges, picking off your vassals, cutting at your supply lines.”
Selene was not surprised.
A direct war was too dangerous for them.
So instead, they would try to bleed her dry.
It was an intelligent strategy.
It was also doomed to fail.
---
The chamber was quiet, save for the crackling of enchanted torches that lined the walls.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Selene’s vassals were already gathered.
Blackwell sat rigid at the table, his expression dark. He had likely guessed what was coming even before Foxes spoke.
Estara leaned forward, studying the map, her calculating gaze flickering with understanding.
Vargis looked tense but did not speak.
Hadrian and Selvaris, her newest vassals, watched her with careful intensity.
They were waiting for her reaction.
They were waiting to see if she would flinch.
She didn’t.
---
Strategy’s voice was calm.
“They will come for Blackwell first.”
Blackwell exhaled sharply. “Of course they will.”
He was the weak link.
Not because of his strength, but because of his history.
Once, he had been a Lord.
Once, he had stood alone.
Now, he was part of Selene’s empire.
And that meant his loyalty was a target.
---
Selene turned toward him.
“Do you intend to break?”
Blackwell’s jaw clenched.
“No.”
His response was immediate.
Absolute.
Selene nodded.
“Good.”
A pause.
Then she continued.
“Then we will not waste time defending you.”
The room stilled.
Blackwell frowned. “What?”
Selene leaned forward slightly.
“If they believe you are the weakest link, they will commit to the attack.”
She traced a slow finger across the map.
“They will push toward your lands, expecting resistance.”
Her golden gaze lifted.
“And we will let them.”
A flicker of understanding flashed through Estara’s expression.
“You’re not planning to hold the territory.”
Selene smiled.
“We are planning to trap them in it.”
---
The silence in the room was thick.
Then, Foxes laughed.
“Oh, that’s cruel,” he murmured. “I love it.”
Strategy exhaled approvingly.
“If we allow them to push forward without resistance, they will overextend.”
Selene nodded.
“We will let them take what they think they want.”
She gestured toward Blackwell.
“Your forces will retreat at the right time. You will make it look as if you are falling back.”
Blackwell scowled. “And let them take my lands?”
Selene’s eyes gleamed.
“For a moment.”
A pause.
Then her voice was soft.
“And then, we will take everything from them.”
---
It was a simple strategy.
A false weakness.
A baited advance.
And then—
The snap of a closing trap.
Selene had seen it before.
Ambitious rulers always thought territory was the key to power.
But territory meant nothing if it could not be held.
Let them take Blackwell’s lands.
Let them push deep.
Let them believe they were winning.
And when they were too far to retreat—
She would break them.
Not just their forces.
Not just their territories.
But their entire Dominions.
---
The plan was set.
And now, the game would begin.
Selene’s voice was steady.
“They will think they are playing me.”
She smiled faintly.
“But they have already lost.”
---
The meeting ended.
Blackwell left first, still clearly displeased but understanding the necessity.
Hadrian and Selvaris watched her longer, their eyes unreadable, before finally departing.
Strategy had already begun coordinating movements.
Estara exhaled softly before leaving.
Only Foxes remained, watching her with an amused expression.
“They’re going to think they’re winning.”
Selene smiled.
“For a little while.”
Foxes chuckled.
“You enjoy this, don’t you?”
Selene did not answer.
Because he already knew the truth.
She enjoyed watching inevitability unfold.
And soon—
The lesser Dominions would understand what that truly meant.
