The draft called Lyra’s mastery restored.
She crossed out that part.
Gareth read the correction upside down from the other side of her guest-room table.
“You held the passage when it mattered. People saw it.”
“They didn’t see my old combat form return.”
“Fine. Sustained courage, then.”
He replaced the phrase and continued reading.
The account described the returning heir standing firm while the household faltered, her exceptional power preserving a route through danger. After the hearing, the letter and the long public comparison with Celia, the words felt almost warm against her skin.
