The messenger arrived at dawn, cloaked in azure silks and bearing a sealed letter with the sigil of Cassian Vale — a silver coin pierced by a dagger.
Lee Sung stood at the balcony of Solspire's half-rebuilt keep, overlooking the city's slow but steady rebirth. Market stalls were being erected along the cracked streets, soldiers trained in the square, and builders labored to restore the ancient walls.
Solspire lived again — but it was still fragile, like a wounded beast snarling at the edges of a greater forest.
He broke the seal.
The letter was short, and Cassian's words, as ever, dripped with subtle menace beneath their politeness:
> "To His Majesty Lee Sung of Solspire,
The Azure League recognizes the sovereignty of your city and offers a trade pact of mutual prosperity. In exchange for access to your mines and exclusive rights to purchase your artifacts, the League shall supply you with grain, weapons, and shipwrights to rebuild your fleets.
Naturally, no dealings with rival nations, particularly the Crimson Blades or the Free Cities, shall be permitted while our accord stands.
May fortune and wisdom guide you.
Cassian Vale, Magister of Saphir."
Lee Sung crushed the letter slowly in his fist.
It was exactly as he expected: an offer disguised as an ultimatum.
Accept, and Solspire would grow stronger — but chained to the League's coffers.
Refuse, and Solspire would stand alone, vulnerable to famine, siege, or worse.
He turned toward his council. They were waiting silently: Ysrael, Commander Dalia of the Blackguard, and Minister Varin, the master of Solspire's rebuilt treasury.
"Well?" Lee Sung said. His voice was calm, but beneath it lay a sharpened edge.
Varin was the first to speak, clearing his throat nervously.
"We need what they offer, my lord. Our granaries are nearly empty, our iron stores are depleted, and we have no shipbuilders of our own. Without this trade... Solspire will not survive the winter."
Ysrael crossed his arms, frowning.
"And if we agree, we become little better than a vassal. Cassian will bleed us slowly, turning Solspire into an outpost of the Azure League."
Commander Dalia, ever blunt, said simply:
"Better a vassal than a corpse."
Lee Sung said nothing for a long moment.
In the flickering torchlight, the shadows around him seemed to writhe and dance, reflecting the battle raging inside his mind.
He had sworn to rebuild Solspire into something worthy of Akane's sacrifice. He had sworn to forge an empire, not become a pawn in someone else's.
He would not submit.
But he would not let his people starve either.
"Prepare my reply," Lee Sung said at last. "We accept the trade pact — on our terms."
His council exchanged wary glances.
"And what terms shall we propose?" Varin asked carefully.
Lee Sung's smile was cold and ruthless.
"We shall offer access to one of our lesser mines — the copper fields near the Ember Hills. They can purchase minor artifacts, the ones too unstable or weak to serve our purposes. In exchange, we demand grain, weaponry, and ten shipwrights by the end of the month."
"And if they refuse?" Ysrael asked.
Lee Sung's eyes glinted.
"Then we show them that Solspire may be small, but it is not weak. If Cassian Vale sends merchants, we welcome them with open arms. If he sends soldiers disguised as guards, we slaughter them to the last man and send their heads back in gilded boxes."
There was a long silence.
Then, slowly, Ysrael smiled.
"It will be done, my king."
---
Later that night – In Solspire's dungeons
Lee Sung walked alone through the cold, damp corridors.
In one of the cells knelt a young man — a clerk from the outer districts who had been caught secretly passing information to agents of Tenebrous.
He had pleaded for mercy, weeping that he had been forced, that he meant no harm.
Lee Sung stood before him now, silent.
"My lord, please, I swear loyalty! I was weak, but I can still serve you!"
Lee Sung regarded him coldly.
"Weakness," he said softly, "is betrayal waiting to happen."
Without a word, he turned and nodded to the Blackguard officer standing nearby. The officer drew a long, curved knife.
The clerk's screams echoed through the stone halls, but Lee Sung did not look back.
This was the price of survival.
Trust was a luxury Solspire could no longer afford.
---
In the Azure League – Saphir
Cassian Vale read the reply from Solspire with narrowed eyes.
"Ambitious little king," he murmured. "He plays the game better than I expected."
He poured himself a glass of dark wine and considered his options.
For now, he would accept Lee Sung's terms. Let the boy believe he had won a victory.
But in time, Cassian thought, he would remind Solspire — and its upstart ruler — that even the brightest fire could be smothered under enough gold.