Heskar gestured to his guards. “Search the table.”
They moved through the records.
Elric had already placed the least useful pages on top. Old devotional summaries. Architectural extracts without direct references. Copies of chapel expenses that hinted but did not prove. The guards gathered them under Heskar’s eye.
One guard reached for Isolde’s remaining letters.
Sabine’s hand tightened.
Elara saw.
“Those are personal bride effects under active crown review,” she said. “You may list them. You may not remove them without my seal.”
Heskar looked at her for a long moment.
Then he nodded to the guard, who stepped back.
It was not victory.
It was delay.
Heskar gathered the seized materials. “Lady Sabine, you are to surrender any unauthorized bride material in your possession. Further concealment may be treated as interference with sacred process. Temple review will follow.”
“I understand.”
“No,” Heskar said. “I do not believe you do.”
His gaze dropped briefly to her bodice.
Sabine felt the hidden letter like a brand against her ribs.
Then Heskar turned and left with the guards.
The outer door closed.
No one moved until the footsteps faded fully.
Then Lysa locked the door.
Elara exhaled through her nose. “They know you are close.”
“The search itself is proof,” Elric said. “Someone knew exactly what category of evidence we had.”
“Serast,” Lysa said.
“Or Maelor,” Elara replied. “Or Ilyra. Or all three in separate rooms pretending not to coordinate.”
Sabine touched the hidden letter through her gown.
The paper had warmed against her body.
“Isolde wrote that the Tenth Vow strips will and calls it queenship,” she said. “That the chamber punishes resistance. That blood activation seals the binding or destroys the bride if she refuses at the wrong moment.”
“And you kept that page,” Elara said.
“Yes.”
“Hidden on your body.”
