"True dominion is gentled by those who dare disagree."
—Old Drake Proverb, etched in the Starfall council chamber
The sun rose into a pale, cloud-streaked sky, the light slicing through the windows of the Starfall estate, painting everything in tones of molten gold and soft gray. For the first time in weeks, the estate felt as alive as a beating heart. Servants moved briskly but with the subtle ease that came from assurance—something in the air had shifted, a certain tension drawn out and reborn as anticipation. The night before had revolved around fireside discussion, the forging of new agreements. Now, morning brought the first true test: living by those words.
