"I need time to consider this," Elara said finally.
"You don't have time. Port Crestfall is under siege. My mercenaries can save it, but only if I give the order tonight. After dawn, it's too late."
"So this is coercion. Accept alliance or lose my city."
"This is reality. You need help. I'm offering it. The price is alliance. Take it or leave it."
Elara calculated rapidly.
Option 1: Accept Sera's alliance, save Port Crestfall, gain powerful ally but risk eventual betrayal.
Option 2: Refuse alliance, rely on beast knights and Duke Romian's forces, higher risk of losing Port Crestfall.
Option 3: Accept alliance temporarily, use Sera's resources, then reassess commitment later.
Options one and three were similar. Both involved working with Sera in the short term.
The question was whether she could trust Sera enough to formalize it.
Helena's lie detection would help, but Helena wasn't here.
