The letter arrived at dawn.
Aegis recognized the seal immediately. House Harbell. The wax was applied sloppily, like whoever sealed it had been shaking.
[Oh this might be fun.]
She broke it open.
Lady Starcaller,
I need to see you immediately. It's urgent.
Lord Harbell
No pleasantries. No formal address. Just raw desperation bleeding through every word.
[Well. That didn't take long.]
She sent a reply and was at his estate by noon.
Harbell Manor was... sad.
Oh, it was grand enough from the outside. Three stories of pale stone, manicured gardens, the whole noble aesthetic. But Aegis could see the cracks.
The gardens were overgrown in places, like the staff couldn't keep up. The stone facade had chips that hadn't been repaired. And when a servant led her inside, she noticed the furniture. Good quality, but old. Decades old. The kind of pieces you kept because you couldn't afford to replace them.
[He's been hemorrhaging money for years.]
