Chapter 94: The Silent Inquiry
The peace that followed the storm and the neutralization of the quartz was a deliberate construct, woven daily through small, conscious acts. It was not the old, ignorant peace of before the imperial messenger. It was a peace held in capable hands, examined for cracks, and diligently reinforced. Winter's grip tightened, sealing the cove in a bubble of grey sea, keening wind, and the intimate, firelit world of the two cottages.
