Lady Eir. Athax did not resist her.
That was the first thing she noticed.
Cities like this - layered in stone, steeped in power, shaped by generations of rulers who understood both authority and threat - were not meant to open easily. Their systems were built with intention. Their rhythms are established through repetition and control. Every corridor, every chamber, every rotation of guard and servant existed because someone had decided it should.
And yet, it yielded.
Not all at once, but in increments small enough to pass unnoticed.
Eir did not push.
She allowed it to happen.
She began where she belonged. Among the council.
Her presence there required no justification. She had always stood within that circle, her voice measured, her contributions precise. She understood the structure of the court, the expectations placed upon her, the weight her name carried within the South.
She used that.
Carefully.
