Chapter 30 · Frontier Lord - Chapter 30: Her Father's Seal

The writ was still burning in Ava's pocket.

She could feel the edge of the folded parchment through the wool, sharp enough to cut. Rain had shoved it at her the second they'd cleared the wall—Klaus's royal document, stamped with her father's seal, still warm from the messenger's glove. She hadn't opened it. Didn't need to. The fact that Klaus had it at all meant her father had signed off on whatever was coming next.

She pushed through the hall door. Sera was already there, crouched beside the grain vault with a candle stub and a iron pry bar, hair tied back in a messy knot. The girl looked up, eyes wide.

"He's got a writ," Ava said.

Sera went very still. "Your father's?"

"Yeah."

"What's it say?"

Ava pulled it out, unfolded it with two fingers. The ink was fresh. The words were worse.

*By order of Lord Castor Windstone, landholder rights to Windstone Hollow and associated bloodline assets are hereby transferred pending review of heir compliance with contractual marriage obligation. Refusal constitutes forfeiture.