I did not return to the hall.
There was nothing left there that required my attention, and nothing that would move forward in open view. What needed to be done would not survive conversation in crowded spaces.
This required clarity, and clarity required control.
The room had been prepared earlier, not hidden, but removed enough that interruptions would not be mistaken for accidents. I did not sit. I did not need to.
They arrived together.
Seraphina entered first, as expected. Liora followed without hesitation, and Evelyne closed the distance between them a moment later. None of them spoke immediately, which told me enough.
They understood this was no longer a discussion.
"We are not waiting," I said.
Evelyne did not look surprised. "Then it begins now."
"It already has."
Liora's attention shifted slightly. "Then we move without acknowledgment."
"Yes."
"That removes restraint," she replied.
"It removes delay."
Evelyne's gaze sharpened. "It also removes protection."
