The warmth of Archbishop Matthias's words lingered in the air as I stood before the panel, the weight of their judgement settling around me like a mantle. Approved. Cleared. Free to go. The words were a balm, a release, a door finally opening after weeks of suffocating uncertainty.
But as I moved to leave, as Sir Edric's hand touched my elbow to guide me away, Archbishop Matthias raised his hand.
"There is more, Lady Thorne."
I stopped. Turned. Faced the panel once more. The warmth in the archbishop's eyes had not faded, but it was now tempered with something else—regret, perhaps, or the weight of a compromise he had been forced to accept.
"The panel's finding is clear. Your power bears no taint of heresy. But the Church, as an institution, has responsibilities that extend beyond this single assessment." He glanced at Voss, whose thin lips curved into the faintest smile of satisfaction. "There are conditions."
