Eira simply nodded acknowledgement to Cardonis when he voiced his concerns. She was aware of how he felt about her decision not to allow any guards into the chambers. It was, perhaps, a risk, but it was a calculated one. All those present, herself included, were more than capable of handling themselves. Of course, if their was a traitor amongst them, this would pose a problem for that same reason, but more than likely they would not be foolish enough to try anything, and if they did they would be out numbered. Besides, there was a greater risk, as far as she was concerned, of those rogues and hired guards turning against them than one of their own, so it was a risk she was more than willing to take.<br/><br/>Once seated, Eira nodded to those rulers that greeted her as they entered, watching quietly as many continued to interact amongst themselves as they waited for those that had yet to arrive. Once the rulers of Hydrus and Pyralis arrived and addressed her, Eria waited a moment before she responded to the question.<span style="color: #40BFFF">"Of course."</span>she replied simply to the first statement. She was far from frivolous or whimsical, so the idea of her doing anything on a hunch or speculation was highly unlikely.<span style="color: #40BFFF">"As you know, I have guards posted along the borders between my kingdom and that of Ciardah. Yesterday I was informed by one of my most trusted guards that they had recently investigated some unusual activity in the region. Upon this inspection they found dark forces mounting in the ruins. There has been a large influx of dark creatures, most of which are creations of Dardanos, many of which are nearly  impossible to kill, flooding into the ruins. He is building an army."</span>she explained in a matter-of-fact manner.<span style="color: #00BFFF">"Beyond this, I have my own ways of investigating such things."</span>she fingered the small mirror that hung around her neck, currently spelled to block its twin from using it as a looking glass.<br/><br/><span style="color: #40BFFF">"I can feel the darkness growing. It has been growing for some time, but this time it's different. It's growing rapidly, as is the power of Dardanos."</span>she paused and looked around the room at each member of the council. "The question now isn't whether or not the darkness is growing, or whether we will soon be faced with war. These things are certain. The question now is how we plan to fight it, how we plan to keep our people safe." She paused again and contemplated this.<span style="color: #40BFFF">"If legend is true and the prophecies are to be believed, I am meant to face Dardanos. We would be foolish, however, to believe that this war will be so simple as to be fought and won with a single battle. He built this army for a purpose, he will not so easily cede his victory. We must expect that he will attack us on all fronts. This is a bold move for him, he would not make such a move without a plan. We must all prepare for what is to come, not just as individual kingdoms, but as a whole."</span>she went on in a calm manner, but her words held a serious, almost grave undertone to them.<br/><br/><span style="color: #40BFFF">"So now I ask, how do you suggest we handle this? What measures would you have us take? How do we defeat an immortal enemy with but one weakness, backed by an army of dark minions that are nearly impossible to kill?"</span>It was a general question, asked to the council as a whole, welcoming any ruler to voice their opinions on the matter. After this she fell silent to allow the others to speak up, to allow discussion amongst everyone, as well as to allow them to ask more questions of her, if necessary.<br/><br/>The question was not meant to be posed as an impossible situation. It was not. Nothing was ever impossible. Dardanos was not the only immortal amongst them, nor was he truly immortal, no one was. He had a weakness and the key lied with her. It was a weapon forged by the original snow queen, the first among them to gain immortality. The only problem was that she didn't have it. The weapon had been hidden before the conclusion of the great war, and the location was lost with the snow queen. His minions, particularly the wraiths, were neither living nor dead, making killing them a bit tricky. They could be killed, or at least banished, with magic, but they could do a lot of damage to those who were mortal and who did not practice magic. This war would not be an easy one. It would be hard fought and hard won, but she knew that they could not and would not give up. They would fight until the bitter end to protect this world and its people. Every snow queen before her had fallen to Dardanos and she had no intention of suffering the same fate. She could not fail. The fate of the world depended on her success, as well as the success of all those that fought to protect them.