The morning sun reflected off the pristine snowdrifts with a brilliant, blinding light, transforming the valley into a quiet expanse of silver and crystal. Outside, the cold was motionless and absolute, snapping through the crisp air like fine porcelain. Inside the main hall, the air remained deeply warm, thick with the comforting scent of burning oak and dry cedar shavings.
The long, grueling arcs of political statecraft, regional treaties, and structural reform had reached their true, living conclusion. The Neutral Alliance was no longer a fragile concept requiring my constant oversight at the bench; it was a mature, self-sustaining entity that operated with quiet, institutional precision across every province.
I stood by the broad timber workbench near the hearth, carefully applying a
