“Unfreezing her heart?  A bold request...and one that will have far-reaching results,” the knight murmured softly, turning the idea over in her head.  “It might be worth seeing if we can find it first -- though I wonder if Falk would even consider bartering for the information, with how he feels about you and Spring.”  She sighed.  “If her heart is no longer frozen, I am not sure how Queen Arys will handle Summer.  It may be there is an opportunity to strengthen our relationship to Winter there, though at the cost of our bonds to Summer.  Still as you say, a stronger Summer would be of great benefit -- though hardly a guarantee.”  Sini too remembered that conversation of inciting a shift in the leadership of Summer, but she was not sure she thought the benefit to outweigh the risks.  She would have to think on whether that remained her opinion, with Falk’s new efforts.

The Archon requested she join him to receive Winter’s emissary, and she dipped her head in acknowledgement.  She accompanied him to the Great Hall and took her place to one side of the dais, flaring her wings for a moment to fix how they fell at her back before going still.  The Queen of Winter had sent a goblin, but what a wretched creature!  He was small, frightened, doubtless low-ranking -- unless he was a singularly skilled actor, and Sini did not get that impression from his behavior.  She couldn’t be sure what Pearl’s sing-song rhyme meant, save perhaps the death of the emissary -- and that would bode ill for Spring, should it happen in the Archon’s lands.  Still, she saw a sharp mind behind his fear.  Doubtless he would report as much as he could back to Arys of the workings of Spring’s court, and he might learn much.  His words brought confirmation -- one that seemed useless, but was clever and focused on learning: a dangerous combination.  The would have to tread softly around him, but there was potential as well.  If the goblin could be swayed to support Spring he might be useful, though it was far too early to know if that was likely.

Still, Sini could appreciate intelligence, be it friend or foe.  She would have liked to get to know the new arrival personally, but it seemed Nyx had an assignment for her that would take her far from home.  He wished her to serve the Queen of Winter as an advisor for a time.  “I am honored by the trust you place in me, m’lord,” she said, inclining her head, taking his words as permission to join the conversation.  Now she stepped forward, moving towards the goblin until she loomed over him, her armor gleaming in the light that filtered down from above.  Still, the smile she gave him was sincere enough.  The sylph was pleased by this turn of events for her own reasons, as well as those that were due to her loyalty to Spring.  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Grexx,” she told him.  “You may call me Ara.  I hope we shall both serve each other’s courts to the satisfaction of our host rulers.”

[@Belle][@Prince of Seraphs]