Dark Parasyte

The last stars of the night hadn’t yet faded when the world began to shift under the weight of a single message. From Raven’s Nest, word traveled faster than any storm. The Aurelian Dominion and Umbral Synod envoys wasted no time. By dawn, encrypted missives streaked through magical veins like arrowheads toward their respective capitals, sizzling with the heat of urgency. But they were not the only ones to act.

Somewhere between dread, guilt, and embarrassment, Valyne counted down the seconds until daylight with the solemnity of a woman awaiting execution. Sleep had abandoned her long before the moon’s descent. The echoes of her own voice, loud and unfiltered, announcing Corvin’s ascension to Planarch rank in front of a high elven envoy, repeated in her mind like a looped punishment spell. Even Kaelyn, sweet and hopelessly tactless Kaelyn, had sent her own dispatch to Goldhaven after the dinner. Valyne could only pray to the Dark Mother that she had used proper discretion.

But Kaelyn being Kaelyn...

Her past reports to Duchess Yvanna had included such gems as:

"The ravens are fluffier than usual. Mating season? I shall observe further."

"Valyne yelled at a maid today. This may indicate emotional instability. Or romantic denial. Possibly both."

"Today’s lesson: space threads. Corvin’s thread is much longer and straighter than mine. I must practice harder."

So, when a new parchment arrived that morning at Goldhaven, Yvanna didn’t even look up from her tea. She lazily cracked the seal, expecting more raven related nonsense or fabric commentary.

Instead, she read:

"Duke Corvin Blackmoor has ascended to Planarch Rank. Confirmed by Aether density. Both envoys from Synod and Dominion acknowledged it. I saw it with my own eyes. Requesting confirmation of diplomatic stance. - Kaelyn"

Yvanna blinked.

Then she blinked again.