David did not argue with the map.
He stood in the quiet meeting point long enough to watch the White Spire forces finish securing the eastern sectors and the Brotherhood banners take firm hold along the river approaches. Then he looked at Atlas and Eli.
"I need to go back."
Eli's expression sharpened. "To the palace."
"Yes. There are still seals that answer only to the bloodline. Contingency archives. Private locks that the factions cannot open without me. If I leave them, someone else will eventually force them. I will not hand the last clean records to whatever replaces the seat."
Atlas studied him. The restrained power under his sternum registered the decision as both practical and dangerous. "The palace is no longer yours. The people who declared the reign over will not treat a returning emperor as an administrative errand."
