Lily turned to the council.
"I have listened," she said softly.
Her voice was not loud, yet it carried effortlessly through the room, reaching every corner without strain.
"I have heard the concerns of the council… and the doubts that have been raised."
Her eyes moved across them, lingering just long enough on each face to make them aware they were being seen.
"About the Queen."
A pause followed, then Lily continued.
"The mate bond is not a matter of opinion," she said. "It is not chosen by council, nor influenced by politics."
Her gaze settled briefly on Eirik.
"It is determined by fate. For generations," she went on, "Eldfrost has been guided by that very force. Not by assumption. Not by preference. But by what has already been decided beyond us."
Her tone remained even.
"The Saints did not give their lives so that we may question the order they helped preserve."
A subtle shift passed through the room. That was not a statement to take lightly.
