A quiet kind of care showed up, though Sage would never admit it. Hours slipped by filled with getting ready.
Hours folded into one another as Kieran stood by the war table, shaping files on those he meant to face. Not far off, Dorian did the same, stacking facts like stones in a wall. Preparation for Alpha Yara wore many layers - diplomatic forms sat beside notes on gifts, records of coastal politics tangled with thoughts on her likes and dislikes. His work moved with care, each detail placed just so. Over there, proof of Council rot gathered in bundles, built sharp and clean, pulled from sources checked twice, then three times. The way it fit together brought a slow approval from Kieran - one he would never speak aloud.
