As queen, Arabella had seen too many winters, too many betrayals, to tremble at a threat unproven.
Captain Irina stepped closer. "Do you intend to answer it?"
Arabella didn't answer immediately. Instead, she walked to the window, letting her gaze sweep the horizon. In the distance, the hills of the Autumn Court curled like old parchment, dotted with ancient forests now touched with the ashen hue of late season rot. The land was tired and it remembered too much.
"They offer troops, protection and unity." She said the words slowly, then turned. "But it also means exposing ourselves. Allowing their scryers into our borders. Letting Summer and Winter court magic touch what we have kept sealed for generations."
Irina nodded once. "It's a risk."
Arabella's gloved hand tightened around the letter. "So is staying silent."
She walked back to her desk, placed the scroll in a small iron box, and locked it. Then she turned to Irina, her eyes sharper now, her voice lower.
