had not fo

hall of Trelling House and felt the weight of generations pressing in around her. Every creak of old

f books and the ornate wallpaper now faded to ash-gray. He said little as she paced, her boots trailing g

o decide tonight,

l it in her bones, humming

" she said. "Wher

ey gather there every ten years, always under the same pretense-'astral gui

tain they'll na

ing groomed in secret. She'll wear a forged sigil, recite a fal

the window. "And no

oo many hands are bloodstained by what was done to Hou

etween the careful words. "And what

esit

meared across every court ledger in the realm. And I watched your mother die defending something more th

hadows playing along

ot by the people who would see the world b

e key, Seraphina. Not just to justice-for your family

comes

," he said. "The false he

, steadying herself.

. You must become Seraphina Trelling again-not Faye Whitlow. Not a

like a summon

had spent a decade burying her past-but the past had clawed its way bac

tart here,

ed a brow

e said. "And if I'm to rise,

ing, she rose

in amber and rose. Seraphina found herself in the old music room, hands brushing ove

n things h

gone, looted or lost, but a few remained. She claimed a short sword, ba

ot for show-but because power meant

though she cleared rooms, swept ash from the hearths, re-hung what few p

ewed lineages, studied current alliances and power blocs. Seraphina trained until her muscles burned and her l

h day, word

had spotted a fire burn

w a woman with violet e

dges of court gossip, a name ret

them to us,

ome," Serap

messenger came

embling hand was a scroll sealed in crimson wax. Not

a broke

who walks the ruin

ground you

, or be bu

be no seco

was nothing bu

ael growled.

is

, and a high priestess of the Old Faith. She's been angling for powe

ead the mes

s afr

ong look. "You think

I were nothing, she wouldn't

ht brought th

ous. It turned the broken stained glass windows into rubies, the

the west balcony, his c

by midnight," he said. "They'll cr

ree riders waited below, each clad in di

y ca

y Nyla of the Lower Marches. And Com

alis

t they are... curiou

drew in

e them somethin

the banners re-hung. The raven of Tre

able, no throne behind her-only the

y one, their steps cautious, eye

ey lis

ny or divine right, but of j