Truths and Lies

Isla reels from the vault’s rejection, sensing power call to her yet bar her entry. Oro, keeping distance but clearly tethered to her, decides the vault likely admits only a mastered Wildling ruler. He offers to train Isla, citing his mastery of other realms and his prior use of her power to save her.

Haunted by a vision from the Place of Mirrors—Grim amid shadows, corpses, and looming war—Isla confides in Oro. Oro believes Grim would wage war to claim Isla, intensifying the stakes beyond the vault. Isla, exhausted and resistant, argues to focus on Wildlings, but Oro insists she must train now.

Oro warns that Isla’s newly acquired Starling power, taken via the bondmaker when Aurora died, will not stay dormant and could overtake her if untrained. Isla’s attempts to use it have failed, but Oro maintains urgency: mastering control is essential for survival and strategy.

Despite reluctance, Isla agrees to train, half-truths exposed by Oro’s truth-sensing flair. Their bond deepens as Isla probes how his ability feels when she lies, guilt surfacing over past deceptions during the Centennial.

Intimacy rises when Isla initiates a kiss, seeking distraction from fear and responsibility. Oro stops, prioritizing her rest and the realm’s needs, and sets the plan: attend a dinner with representatives to address post-curse fallout, then begin training.