The meeting took place in a residual-sealed chamber beneath the old river customs house. No banners hung on the walls. No formal escort waited outside. The White Spire sent two people: the same envoy who had delivered the ten-day ultimatum to David's council, and a residual archivist whose name did not appear on any public roll.
The Knights Brotherhood sent three: a marshal from the Iron Spire league, a captain of the Old Bridge compact, and a quiet woman who carried no rank but whose residual signature marked her as the one who actually spoke for the eastern river cities.
They did not waste time on the numbers. Everyone in the room had already seen them.
The White Spire envoy set a thin crystal slate on the table. The grain diversions, barge route changes, and early muster anomalies glowed in clean columns that left no room for argument.
