Chapter 139: THE FIVE CROWNS ARE SUMMONED

DIANA’S POV

By the following morning, Government Terrace contained enough evidence to

start three wars and no proof sufficient to accuse one kingdom of beginning any

of them.

Diana considered that progress, though Daric clearly did not.

"It would be more convenient if criminals signed their work."

Tavia looked over the route map.

"They usually prefer remaining employed."

Julius Renn stood at the far end of the table with two technical cases

containing cut samples from the altered wardstone. He had refused to move the

original compromised block unless later examination required it. The evidence

was too important to risk unnecessarily.

The cases held controlled samples, extended-load test records, instrument

logs, artificer certification, and witnessed copies of the Valence receiving

manifests.

Even magic required paperwork, which Diana appreciated.

The larger problem covered three tables: what Blackharrow knew, what it

could prove, and what it intended to tell everyone else.

Daric tapped the first table.

"Northline."

Raigoro shook his head.

"Not in the opening packet."

"The route crosses Crown territory," Daric said. "Which is

why they may eventually need it."

"Eventually."

Tavia pointed toward the marked Broken Ward junction.

"This stays here too."

"Yes."

Julius looked toward Raigoro.

"They will ask why we believe the altered stone matters beyond one

shipment."

"We give them the load failure."

Julius considered the answer.

"Enough to demonstrate strategic risk without showing the exact

tolerance of active Blackharrow ward lines?"

"Yes."

The Five Crowns needed evidence, but they did not need a map showing

exactly which Blackharrow defenses had nearly failed or how.

Raigoro turned toward treaty counsel.

"What are they entitled to before the first session?"

The lawyer listed the altered-stone test summary, the chain showing the

shipment crossed sovereign systems, broad categories of contractor

irregularity, and enough information to explain why the Five Crowns had been

asked to preserve relevant records.

"Asked by whom?" Raigoro said.

"Each other, at this point."

The Crowns had requested the forum, and Blackharrow could use it to make

requests of its own.

"And what do we ask for?"

Treaty counsel turned the next page.

"First, continued Crown commitments to the Ashen defense under

existing treaty obligations, with clearer delivery verification."

"Necessary."

Tavia added, "Especially transport. A promise of medicine is useless

if nobody verifies where it stopped."

Third Watch entered the room without anyone naming it. Diana kept her

attention on the documents.

"Second," the lawyer continued, "immediate preservation

notices for records involving specifically identified strategic contractors and

shipments."

Daric said, "Before another warehouse catches fire."

Everyone knew which warehouse he meant.

"Third, a shared technical review of the altered wardstone."

Julius leaned toward the test summary.

"Shared how?"

"We could request Crown observers."

"Observers are useful if the goal is having more people watch me

work."

Tavia looked toward him.

"Do you have another goal?"

"Yes. Asteva has controlled magical-analysis equipment we do not

maintain at Blackharrow because most of our ward infrastructure is built for

field durability, not laboratory isolation. If they want independent

verification, have them send qualified specialists with equipment capable of

reproducing the internal-treatment analysis."

Daric asked, "To Blackharrow?"

"Yes."

"Do you want Astevan magical specialists walking through our

defenses?"

Julius looked offended.

"I want them in a controlled technical site examining the samples we

choose to release under joint custody."

Diana approved of the distinction.

Raigoro told counsel to add it.

Asteva could test Blackharrow’s conclusion without gaining access to

active defenses or the original compromised block. Agreement would strengthen

the finding. Disagreement would matter too.

Raigoro asked, "Fourth?"

"Emergency investigative authority," treaty counsel said.

The authority still required limits, but it would reach farther than

anything the Five Crowns had previously granted the Warden outside immediate

battlefield conditions. Current procedure could take days or weeks when another

Crown contested access.

"Enough time to burn records," Daric said.

"Or move goods," Tavia added.

Julius glanced toward the wardstone sample.

"Or alter another batch."

Treaty counsel nodded.

"Blackharrow can ask for a narrowly defined emergency

mechanism."

Raigoro began setting the limits.

"No unilateral permanent access. Specific categories. Written

grounds. Host Crown notification. Review afterward."

The lawyer considered the final point.

"Review will probably be necessary if we expect Belland and Merovia

to agree."

"Draft it that way."

Diana watched Raigoro while treaty counsel revised the language he had

just narrowed.

Months ago, she might have watched the Grand Duke negotiate authority and

thought only that he was dangerous enough to require limits. Now he was

establishing those limits himself, and Diana found that inconveniently

attractive.

Raigoro caught her looking. His brief amusement sent Diana back to the

treaty draft.

Daric glanced between them.

Diana concentrated very hard on the document until he returned to the

evidence.

She agreed with the limits Raigoro had imposed. Authority that crossed

borders needed rules, especially because whoever inherited that authority later

might exercise it differently.

Severin had made versions of that argument before.

Diana disliked admitting he had occasionally been correct.

She turned toward the third table, where one of Daric’s clerks had

prepared two document stacks labeled OPEN SESSION and RESTRICTED IF REQUIRED.

The first held the altered-stone findings, treaty-support failures

already known across Crown channels, and a general contractor-routing summary.

The second held Northline, the internal Broken Ward connection, exact

junction weaknesses, the missing route copy, the warehouse-fire sequence, and

details of the corrupted-creature handling evidence. Any of those could become

useful to the wrong person if Blackharrow circulated them too casually.

Blackharrow still could not tell where the interference originated. It

might run through a Crown office, a private contractor, an internal Blackharrow

channel, or a network crossing several of them. Wider circulation created its

own risk while those possibilities remained unresolved.

The Crowns needed enough evidence to evaluate the danger and protect the

Gate.

They did not need every lead Blackharrow was still trying to protect.

Diana wrote:

GOOD.

Daric read the slate.

"I am relieved we meet your standard."

Tavia said, "You should be."

Daric ignored her.

The council continued until the formal summons was ready. It stated that

the Five Crowns had requested joint consideration of the Ashen defense,

strategic ward materials, cross-border treaty support, and related logistics.

Blackharrow, as Warden of the Ashen Gate, would convene the forum under

existing Concord procedure.

The document invented no crisis, declared no Crown guilty, and claimed no

answer Blackharrow could not prove.

Diana watched Raigoro press the Warden seal beneath the five

acknowledgments. A thin silver line moved through the treated page to confirm

it before fading.

Ancient magic supporting modern paperwork, and nobody stopped to admire

it.

By noon, the formal summons had entered the relay network.