The formal notification arrived at the estate two days after the audience.
It was delivered by a royal courier in the duchy's official mail, which meant it had been processed through the administrative office rather than sent through the private channels that indicated informality or urgency. That was itself information. The King had taken two days and processed the notification formally, which meant the decision had been considered rather than reactive and that the form of the delivery was intentional.
Darius read it in the study. I read it beside him.
The Dowager Duchess Gwendolyn's petition was dismissed on its merits. The marriage contract between Duke Darius of Blackwood and Lord Damien Valecrest was confirmed as valid and in full compliance with its registered terms. The procedural irregularity cited in the Church's administrative review had been corrected and the review was formally closed. The duchy's household authority was confirmed as vested in its current arrangement.
