The ruling arrived on a Thursday.
Not at the expected hour — not mid-morning through the formal diplomatic channel, not with the advance notification that panel rulings typically carried. It arrived at dawn, delivered by a panel courier who had ridden through the night, which meant Maren Ash had finished deliberations a full day ahead of schedule and had sent it immediately rather than waiting for the conventional delivery window.
That told me something.
I was already at the map table when Cael brought it in — sealed with the arbitration panel's formal stamp, addressed to both parties simultaneously as procedure required. He set it in front of me without comment. Looked at me once. Left to give me the room.
I looked at the seal for a moment.
Then I broke it and read.
The ruling was f
