The letter, which bore the distinctive crest of House Aerenthal—once one of the most prestigious bloodlines before the rebellion erased them from memory—arrived wrapped in deep blue velvet and sealed with crimson wax.
After a long moment of staring, Susanna touched it.
While she was busy sweeping the eastern corridor of Silverwind Keep, a courier wearing old sigils and traveling cloaks silently pressed the package into her hand. He had disappeared into the forest by the time she turned to ask him a question.
She broke the seal with shaking hands.
*To Susanna Aerenthal, Lady
I've passed, if you're reading this. As the last in the elder line, my name is Lady Brienne. House Aerenthal's blood is still present in your veins, albeit hidden. As a child, you were taken away during the rebellion that cost us our name. I've kept a distance and used covert guardians to make sure you're safe. However, the shadows' time is over.
The Falcon Crest, your ancestral token, is enclosed. Your blood will be its only source of authority. You can either use it to recover your right or let it expire without a word. But be aware that the world becomes darker. The aristocrats we used to know are broken. Your name has the power to either mend what was damaged or to bring you to ruin.
Make a sensible decision, Aerenthal's daughter.
Inside, the pendant shone blue and silver, cold in her hand but warm against her skin.
Susanna staggered back, breath caught between revelation and incredulity.
She was more than a maid. Not an orphan forgotten. She belonged to a noble family that was believed to be extinct.
She visited Serafina that evening while the moon was shining.
The smell of dew and earth permeated the air as they sat under the old pine by the training yard.
Susanna mumbled, "I have something to tell you." "But you have to swear that you won't talk until I'm done."
Serafina observed her with composed fortitude. "You have my word."
The pendant, the letter, and the bloodline she was unaware she possessed were all revealed to her by Susanna.
There was silence between them when she was done.
Serafina spoke in a quiet, amazed tone. Susanna, you're doing more than just getting by. You were destined to be a leader.
"But what if I become a target because I claim it?" Susanna's voice broke as she asked. "What if it endangers him?" Her gaze strayed to the tower in the distance where Thomas lived.
Her hand was taken by Serafina. "You are not cursed by your blood. It gives you power. You have to choose your legacy and your desired future. It's not necessary for you to walk it alone.
Susanna held the Falcon Crest near her heart in the dark. She felt a sense of purpose and anchoring for the first time.
She had spent years in hiding.
However, the winds were changing now.
House Aerenthal would then rise once more.