"So they are known to you, yet you didn’t name them with any real significance?" he said, crossing his arms.

Naya shrugged, a tiny detail of something he said sat on the edge of her awareness. "The three lands used to be at odds with each other. There’s never been a chance to have a collective name until now."

"Explain."

Naya took a breath. "The Southern Isles keep to themselves and never used to engage at all with the other two. The Lox Empire and the Land of Eiros used to be enemies, even before my father took over.”

"Why?"

"It was a historic feud between the two lands. The people of the Lands of Eiros are very deceptive and the rulers were never honorable or honest. They used to steal people and treasures from the Eastern Lands for their own wealth."

Akoro’s face contorted in annoyance. "And they let them?"

"The Eiros rulers were powerful and very skilled in magic and the Eastern Lands had no unified army. When my father came into power, things worsened until war broke out.”

"How does this one hide?" He pointed to the Southern Isles.

"They use magic to manipulate what sailors can see when they are approaching."

"All of these lands are separated by water?" he asked. "Even though there are seas between the regions?”

"Yes. They are continents."

"Continent?"

Naya nodded. "It’s an enormous mass of land," she explained. "Usually it is too big for one entity to rule efficiently or effectively so it’s broken into smaller regions or countries."

"And yet each of these are ruled by one entity," he said. "Is that right?"

Naya nodded. “They are now. But it took a long while for them to get to that point, and it doesn't mean that there weren’t people who successfully fought or rebelled against being ruled. If you take over this continent…”

She let her voice trail off, aware that she was offering advice he didn’t ask for.

Akoro tilted his head, a brow arched. “Yes?”

“It is challenging to rule land this size,” she said, “especially by force. A lot of your resources will be needed just to keep your people alive.”

He made another noise at the back of his throat, looking between the landmasses.

“Are you…” Naya tried to formulate her question without making it a question. “One of the other lands might be easier to conquer than mine.” She hated even saying it, but she had a responsibility to explore all opportunities to protect her Land above the others. “The Lands of Eiros in particular have a history of more turmoil⁠—“

“No. I want yours.”

“It will be harder to conquer.”

“Good.” Akoro turned to her. “I must conquer a strong land for my people. And yours is the strongest.”

Naya blinked, surprised that he’d answered and with such conviction. What could she say to that?

He rounded the table, his gaze hardening on her.

"I want to know more about your father's military strategies," he said. “His ‘techniques,’ as you call them.”

Naya hummed out her response, trying not to smile. So his pride was still bruised.

"How did your father conquer those Lands? It’s too big for him to have taken it at once, especially with such a small army at the beginning. So how was he able to defeat the previous king without getting destroyed in the process?"

"He recruited many Alphas to join his army," Naya said, looking over at the Lox Empire map. "They came from all over the Lands. Many convinced members of their families and friends, acquaintances, people from their districts and home villages that my father would be a better leader and that he would unite the regions, and return the Land to what it should have been if Omegas had been treated well. There was always someone who was supportive of what he was trying to do in every city and village.”

Akoro grunted. No doubt, that wasn't what he wanted to hear. "So that means he had a strategy."

Naya finally glanced up at him. "He did."

He handed her one of the strange quill-like wooden writing instruments and pointed to a wooden slab on the corner of the table. "Tell me what he did. You can write on this tablet." He pressed the quill into the slab and swished his wrist. The tip left a dark mark on it. He held it out again to Naya. “Write it down.”

Naya frowned at him, taking it slowly. That meant they could read and write in the Common Tongue. “I just told you. He appealed to what his people needed, especially Alphas. It’s not very complicated to write down.”

“How did he organize them? How and when did they strike?”

“He traveled around the Lands to speak to Alphas, and then set up training camps. It went from there.”

Akoro lifted his head, looking down at her through narrow, cold eyes. He was clearly inconvenienced by her answer, but that was the truth. If he wanted more detail, he needed to ask for specifics.

Akoro exhaled and leaned on the table, his large hands spreading wide. “Maybe the King of Ashens wasn't a real threat,” he said watching her. “Maybe his army was unskilled, and maybe he wasn't present across the entire Lands like your father’s army is. You already told me it is difficult to unite these Lands, maybe the King of Ashens hadn't done it in any significant way that would have made it difficult for your father."

Heat crept up Naya’s neck and she glared back at him. "The King of Ashens had the Lands in an iron grip. He had thousands upon thousands of men dedicated to him, not just soldiers, but merchants and spies, wealthy Alphas he had placed strategically across the countries to give him information. He would kill anyone who was even a potential threat, and not in an honorable way, but through poison and strange accidents and disappearances. He had Talent-crafters who tortured people for fun. Nothing escaped his notice. My father had to train a whole army and plan his siege using secrecy, careful misdirection, and the trust of his men, under the watchful eye of a cruel man who valued knowledge and information. He spied on everyone across the Known Lands. Knowledge was his power."

Suddenly, she realized what she’d said and her stomach dropped. That’s exactly what Akoro was doing, gathering knowledge and power, beyond what he would have on the battlefield.

"But did the king have any soldiers?" he asked.

Naya swallowed, unable to get the bitterness from her throat. She knew she was there to give him information but there was a bigger picture. It wasn't just about brute force, which was her father's preferred way, it was also about understanding how the people would react. Akoro had already been spying on them, gathering information about everything that they could see and hear from the outside. But she was their real tool, to learn how the culture worked, understand the people and what they might do in a panic, if there would be any other resistance to their siege. She was the key to bringing down her own empire. “What do you mean?” she asked, weakly.

"I want to know if the King of Ashens had trained soldiers? Or poorly trained Alphas who were overcome by your father’s equally weak army.”

"The Lox were never poorly trained,” she said, a little too sharply. "Their training was meticulously conducted over years."

Akoro straightened, curiosity in his eyes. “Your father spent years planning this overthrow?”

"Yes. And the King of Ashens had many skilled soldiers. They weren’t trained in the type of combat my father had been trained in, but strong men with good skill and rigorous training. They were still defeated."

Akoro lifted his chin, his dark eyes roaming over her defensive stance, the corner of his mouth curling up. “You are proud of your Lox.”