The flying messenger arrived at midday, wings of pale bone and dark glass cutting across the reflective sky.
It landed at the edge of the private camp and delivered its sealed packet directly to Lady Sable. She read the contents once, face unchanging, then passed the message to Elizabeth and to me without comment. The formal language of Azure Phoenix was the same as it had always been, but the meaning underneath it was new.
Aristarkh of the former Targaryan line and every person currently travelling with him were declared permanent enemies of the clan. A full fleet was already under preparation at the primary shipyards. Its destination was the Shattered Coast and the Bone City beyond it. No terms of surrender were offered. No distinction was made between those who had fought the clan directly and those who had simply refused to abandon the people who had.
Lady Sable folded the message and looked at Lian and Mei.
