The five Wardens returned to the capital one last time before the new borders settled into routine. They met Atlas in the same secure chamber they had used for every hard negotiation since the war ended.
The air felt different now. Less like petitioners asking for terms, more like men who already carried new titles and the weight that came with them. Eli sat in her usual place to Atlas's right. David stood near the wall, arms folded, watching the room the way he watched a supply line. No dukes were present. No one else needed to hear this.
The highland Warden spoke first. His voice was steady, the kind of voice that had kept mountain passes open through three hard winters.
"We have the grain schedules and the clinic rosters. The wizard companies are coming under order. There is one more matter we want settled before we leave."
Atlas waited. He did not fill the silence. He never did.
