Reply from Her Majesty, Silvania of Willfrost, to the missive from young Dyan, Edictus's apprentice
To Dyan, Edictus's apprentice and servant of the Realm,
I received your letter with both sorrow and relief. Sorrow for the unjust abandonment your young heart has had to endure, and relief to know you are still alive. I should not have learned of your situation through a letter, and yet, it was so. You have lived what no boy your age should have to live, and that pains me more than these words can express.
When the combat ceased and the chants for victory began, I knew a silent debt remained. It was you who, without anyone's order, defended the line in the darkest moment of the battle. It was you, a boy without name or rank, who kept your comrades standing when even seasoned men faltered.
I have not forgotten it. I will not forget it.
I tried to go to you. Not once, but twice. Both times I was denied, under the excuse that a queen cannot risk herself for an apprentice. Not even Edictus, your master, lifted a hand for you. That made it clear to me how alone a will can be, even on a throne.
I cannot turn back time or change what happened, but I can give you a promise: you will not be alone again.
You will return to court. There you will have a roof, warm food, and a place to study and grow. Not out of pity, but because you deserve it. Because in you, despite everything, there is something that has not broken, and that—Dyan—is what gives me hope.
That Vereon has brought you back is, perhaps, his way of reminding us that there is still much to repair.
With respect,
Silvania of Willfrost Queen of the Everwinters