Floating Feast

Isla arrives at the royal feast armored in a red, metal-woven dress, enduring nobles’ scrutiny while noting Oro’s watchful intensity. Skylings Azul, Bronte, and Sturm join; a young Starling, Maren, arrives alone, signaling Starling vulnerability. Isla battles anxiety and a fleeting echo of Grim’s words but steadies herself.

A flamboyant Sunling drink and inventive Skyling and Starling courses break the ice before a cruel Moonling dish arrives. Soren, not Cleo, intrudes, and Oro frees the fish, ending the meal and shifting to policy. Soren declares Moonling has severed its Mainland bridge and amassed ships; Skylings plan to let citizens choose their homeland.

Azul reports island-wide whispers of rebellion. Oro announces tours of isles and newlands and quietly readies the Sunling legion, citing a likely Nightshade offensive after the curses’ end. The room acknowledges the renewed threat and the need for unity.

Soren then interrogates Isla about Wildling numbers, training, housing, and birth rates. Isla cannot answer, exposing her inexperience and shaking her confidence. Oro cuts the attack short, defending Isla’s status as a ruler and redirecting Soren’s hostility.

Maren speaks for Starling, recounting centuries of exploitation and ruin, and asks for a ruler. Debate erupts over whether Isla can lead two realms; concerns about consolidating power clash with acknowledgment of Isla’s Starling abilities and role in saving them. Despite doubts, Isla chooses to accept, pledging to be coronated as Starling ruler.