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Vai notices. Her mouth moves, then she looks at Neimura and the brief warmth leaves her face.

I wait with her. She makes no attempt to fill the silence.

When Reivaka arrives, her silver leaves are wet at the tips and she has a pruning knife in one hand. She looks from Vai to Neimura, then at the seal in my fist.

“What have you done, Neimura?”

“He can explain tomorrow,” I say. “Find her somewhere warm.”

Reivaka puts away the knife. “Come with me.”

“I’d appreciate a door,” Vai says. “One that closes.”

“You’ll have one.”

Reivaka offers to take the bag. Vai shakes her head, and Reivaka accepts that without asking again.

Branches lift beside the road. Ferns bend back, clearing a path toward the Heartwood.

Reivaka looks down the newly opened way, then back at me.

“The east entrance? That leads to the old guest room. We haven’t used it in years.”

“Then see that it’s suitable.”

Reivaka steps onto the path, and Vai follows her into the trees. I watch until I can no longer see the pale, wet hem of Vai’s dress.

Beside me, Neimura begins, “The forest’s response suggests⁠—”

A vine drops in front of his face. He moves around it and finds me waiting.

“Explain why you bought her.”

“You won’t discuss who could take over the road if you were unable to manage it. Surevai is telling the council his court should be ready to do it.”

“I’m standing here.”

“You won’t even discuss what happens if you aren’t.”

I step toward him. He stays where he is, though the leaves at his temples fold tight.

Every marriage proposed by the neighboring courts would have cost the Ilden land or a voice in its government. Neimura helped me find those terms in the contracts. He knows why I refused them.

“A human wife brings no foreign court with her,” he says. “I thought you might listen to someone you wanted beside you.”

“So you decided she’d persuade me to keep her.”

“I hoped you would want her.”

The bark along my forearm splits against the pressure of my grip. I loosen my fingers before I damage the seal.

“You told her that I already did.”

Neimura lowers his head.

Beyond him, the road leads toward the outer groves. I have repaired its crossings after three great floods; the tolls bought grain for people whose gardens were buried under silt. I will not hand that income to Surevai. Neimura has made it harder to keep.

“You should have brought your fear to me.”