Six months after the Covenant challenge, Thornfield experienced peace, something it hadn't experienced in decades.
There were no immediate threats gathering on borders, no assassination attempts or diplomatic failures, no prophecies or betrayals.
Lyanna immersed herself in governance with the same determination she had previously devoted to survival. She set up formal systems for vampire-human cooperation with legal standing and support.
The work was complicated, often frustrating, and sometimes infuriating. Centuries of distrust didn't vanish just because two rulers had defeated a conspiracy and won a ritual combat.
Lyanna discovered she had a genuine talent for this work. She could come up with solutions that satisfied both sides. She understood what people truly needed.
She became known throughout vampire and human territories, not as Azrael's bride but as a powerful queen. Someone whose words mattered, and someone who delivered results.
