The morning of the inspection began before dawn.
Mist still clung to the road when the first trumpet sounded from the east ridge. A line of Crown carriages rolled toward the gates—polished, proper, and far too early for anyone's liking.
"Of course they'd arrive at breakfast," Marla muttered, tying her apron tighter. "Nothing frightens an inspector more than an empty stomach."
Eira poured tea with the serenity of a monk. "Better that than arriving at midnight. We've had worse."
Mira stood by the ward posts, palms pressed against the stones. "All runes charged, all barriers clean," she reported. "If they find one smudge on these wards, I'll eat my ledger."
Marla grinned. "You'd need sauce for that."
Joshua appeared with his new apprentice, Jericho, both ink-stained but wide-eyed. "Storehouse ledgers are ready, receipts sorted by date, and both scales balanced to the ounce. We even swept under the crates."
