The guest lattice opened into a living palace whose bark walls carried pale veins, then narrowed around Didi before anyone reached the prepared rooms.
Didi stopped with one hand near her chest, while the Sovereign's Brand warmed beneath her glove and three root arches curled across the corridor.
Hajin watched the palace accept every weapon before it shifted around Didi and thought, 'It isn't afraid of blades,' resting his hand on the socket case, 'but of what her blood might open.'
Eirwen raised one hand, and her twelve Shards settled above her shoulders as she said, "Nobody advances until the lattice explains this change, because a moving welcome is a negotiation."
The senior clerk held the inventory against her chest and replied, "The lattice recognizes royal frequency inside the group, so the inner rooms can't host an unverified authority."
