Chapter 7 - THE UNBINDING
The transition did not happen overnight, but when the iron gates of Newport finally opened to the modern world three weeks later, the Blackwood estate was unrecognizable.
The high-security secrecy and paranoid isolationism of the old regime were dismantled brick by brick. International journalists, environmental scientists, and federal representatives arrived not with hostility, but with awed disbelief as the majestic creatures integrated peacefully into the vast protected wilderness surrounding the ancestral preserves.
Inside the Grand Hall of Embers, the atmosphere of cold judgment had vanished.
Olivia sat not on the ancient throne—which King Adrian had permanently retired to the historical museum wing—but at the long oak table where the council once plotted in shadows. Now, the table was surrounded by a new generation of leaders: young scholars, reform-minded family members, and wardens who understood that tradition was meant to guide the future, not imprison it.
Master Rowan walked in, carrying a heavy stack of newly drafted charter documents. He set them before Olivia with a faint, approving smile.
"The eastern sanctuaries in Massachusetts and Virginia have confirmed full compliance," Rowan reported. "The regional wardens have stepped down, and the modern oversight committees are in place."
Olivia signed the final parchment with a silver-nibbed pen, the golden veins on her wrist glowing softly against the paper. "And Marcus?"
"Sentenced to internal exile at the remote Hudson Valley estate," Rowan said dryly. "He spends most of his time complaining about the lack of modern cell reception."
Olivia couldn't help a small smile. "Good."
Vesper fluttered down from the rafters, landing gracefully on the back of her chair and nudging her cheek with its smooth silver snout.
May you like
The northern ranges are quiet, Vesper murmured directly into her mind. The young ones are resting.
Olivia reached up, scratching gently beneath the hatchling's chin. "Tell them they are safe here. Always."
