The declaration did not produce silence.
It produced mobilization.
By morning the noble compounds that had issued formal refusals the night before were no longer content with statements. Private armsmen who had stood on rooftops through the dark hours now formed ranks in the inner courts.
House Kess and House Renn sent joint riders through the eastern and southern districts carrying the old imperial colors—banners that had not flown in open streets for years. Lesser houses that had hesitated through the night chose sides before midday.
The message was blunt and uniform: the White Spire's claim was rejected, the bloodline had not authorized any transfer of the seat, and any tower that enforced the new seals by force would be met with force.
The Brotherhood's response fractured in real time.
