".
Karvan's jaw tightened. "The arrogance—"
"It is not arrogance," Wish said, surprising herself. "It is hope. Hope that the world can change. That people can be better than their ancestors. That love matters more than old hatred."
She looked around the chamber, meeting as many eyes as she could. "You keep talking about the war. About what happened thousands of years ago. But I am standing here now. Dew is standing here now. We are real people asking for the right to love each other without being criminals. And trust me—"
she paused, "—there are couples of Beast Kin and Fish Kin hiding right now, afraid to say a word in public because of a law that should have died with the war that created it. Is holding onto that worth more than letting them live honestly?"
Lord Ray shifted uncomfortably. "High Current Hyrin, while your words are moving, they do not address the practical concerns—"
