Lyanna thought about the Greyhaven offer for two days before showing it to Roland.
"They want to hire ." She said, handing him the letter. "Not as queen, but as... I don’t even know what to call it. A cooperation consultant? An expert on vampire-human integration?"
Roland read the letter with full focus.
"This is huge." He said. "If you accept this, you’ll be independent from Thornfield. You’ll be building a career, an identity without being Azrael’s wife."
"I know." Lyanna replied. "That’s why I’m not able to make a decision yet. Once I say yes, once I start doing this work professionally, I’d be giving up my queenly duties."
"What do you want?"
"I don’t know." Lyanna replied, frustated. "I still have hope that Azrael will beco the partner I want him to be. But then I think it is just my fantasy. He can’t change."
"But I think building an independent life might be necessary, regardless of whether you go back or not."
"How?"
"If you do return to Thornfield, you need to return as soone strong instead of soone who had nowhere else to go, nothing else to do. An independent career gives you that option."
Lyanna hadn’t thought about that. She looked at the letter again. Greyhaven needed help, and she knew she could help them.
Isn’t this more important than my anxiety about what accepting this work might an for my marriage?
"I’m going to say yes." She said. "Not because I’ve given up on my marriage, but because people need help and I can help them. I need to know I have value beyond being soone’s wife."
"Great!" Roland said. "When are you planning to go?"
"Soon." Lyanna said. "The situation seems urgent. I should leave within a week."
"I’ll co with you." Roland offered. "Only if you’d like to."
"I’d like that very much."
That evening, she wrote her response to Greyhaven.
To the Greyhaven Council,
Thank you for your letter and your request for help. I would be honoured to help your territory in developing cooperation between your vampire and human populations.
I can visit within the week and stay as long as necessary. While I appreciate your offer of compensation, my primary goal is to prevent violence and help your communities cooperate.
Please send word of a convenient ti for my arrival, and I’ll make arrangents to travel to Greyhaven.
I look forward to working with you.
Respectfully,
Lyanna
Greyhaven’s response ca two days later. They requested Lyanna to co as soon as possible as the situation was urgent. Lyanna imdiately started packing her belongings.
"Your Majesty, are you sure about this?" Clara asked. "You’re travelling to an unfamiliar territory where tensions are high."
"I’m sure." Lyanna replied. "This is the work I care about, Clara. I can’t do this from Valdris. I have to be physically present there."
"But you’re not working as queen anymore." Clara said. "You don’t have the authority or the protection that title provided. If sothing goes wrong at Greyhaven, you’ll be alone, without an army behind you."
"I’m a vampire." Lyanna smiled. "I’m not exactly helpless."
"But you’re still young." Clara replied. "You don’t have experience in handling dangerous situations. Your Majesty, I’m worried that you’re rushing into sothing that could be very dangerous."
Lyanna sat down on the bed and thought about Clara’s concerns.
"You’re right." Lyanna said. "But Clara, I have sothing else. I understand both sides, and maybe that is more valuable than years of experience."
"But at Thornfield, you were protected. If extremists on either side see you as a threat..."
"Then I’ll deal with it." Lyanna replied. "Clara, I can’t live my life in fear of what might happen. I won’t let fear stop from doing what’s right."
"Then I’m coming with you." Clara said. "Okay?"
Lyanna smiled.
"Okay. Thank you for worrying about and for supporting even when you think I’m making risky choices."
"Soone has to keep you alive." Clara replied. "His Majesty isn’t here to do it, so the responsibility is mine."
The ntion of Azrael created an awkward pause.
"Do you think I should tell him? That I’m doing this work?"
"Do you want him to know?"
"I’m not sure." Lyanna replied.
"Then don’t tell him." Clara replied. "You asked him for space. Telling him about your work will open communication."
"You’re right. I guess now isn’t the right ti."
The night before leaving for Greyhaven, Lyanna couldn’t sleep. She thought about how much things had changed in just two weeks.
Two weeks ago, she had been at Thornfield, fighting for basic respect. But now, at Valdris, she was building an independent career. In two weeks, she had gone from feeling worthless to feeling valuable.
A part of her still hoped that her marriage could be saved. But another part wondered if she was clinging to the idea of the marriage only because of her love for Azrael, not because it was actually worth saving, given how toxic the relationship had beco.
The next morning, as Lyanna prepared to leave for Greyhaven, a letter arrived from Thornfield. It was from Azrael.
She stared at it, recognizing his handwriting on the envelope. She debated whether to read it or burn it unopened. Clara was standing nearby, watching her.
"Do you want to read it?"
"To be honest, yes. I want to know what he has to say. But I’m also afraid that reading it will pull back into his life. It will make doubt my choices or feel guilty for building this new life."
"You can always read it later." Clara suggested. "After you’ve done this work and proven to yourself that you can be successful without him."
Lyanna nodded and put the letter into her bag.
"I’ll read it later. After I’m strong enough to hear whatever he has to say without being swayed."
After an hour Lyanna, Clara, Roland, and two ard guards, rode away from Valdris. But Lyanna’s mind was still stuck on Azrael’s letter in her bag.
What did it say? Was it an apology? A plea for to return? Anger at my absence? An acknowledgent that our marriage was over?
No matter how desperately she wanted to read that letter. She didn’t give in to the temptation to read it imdiately.
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