During mass in San Michon Cathedral, Abbot Khalid presided over Gabriel de León’s oath-taking to become a Silversaint. Empress Isabella, attended by a large retinue, was present, heightening the moment’s import. Gabriel pledged himself to the Order, renouncing family and worldly ties, and Khalid named him Brother of the Hunt.

Before Gabriel could rise, Empress Isabella halted the rite and personally stepped forward. Declaring that valor must be repaid, she drew her sword and knighted Gabriel as Chevalier of Elidaen, naming him defender of the empire and keeper of the faith. The congregation erupted in acclaim; Gabriel noted approval from Khalid, Talon, even Greyhand, and traded glances with Astrid Rennier in the choir loft.

A feast followed in the refectory, where Gabriel toasted the fallen and absent, including Prioress Charlotte, Keeper Logan, several named dead, and Aaron de Coste and Baptiste Sa-Ismael as “brothers lost.” The mood shifted when imperial guards arrived to summon him to the Great Library for an audience with Isabella. There, surrounded by soldiers and counselors including Khalid, Seraph Talon, Forgemaster Argyle, and Greyhand, Isabella questioned Gabriel about how he discerned Laure Voss’s stratagem at the Twins.

Gabriel recounted the events leading to the battle, omitting only details about Chloe and Astrid. Isabella then pressed her Sūdhaemi officer, Nassar, about failures of intelligence and revealed the larger crisis: other vampire bloodlines—Dyvok, Ilon, and Chastain—had begun their own offensives. Wooden markers on the empire map showed threats on multiple fronts, and Isabella stated they did not know whom to trust.

When Isabella dismissed the assembly to speak with Gabriel alone, he sensed a subtle mental touch. The Empress encouraged his boldness and invited his petition. Gabriel asked clemency for Astrid Rennier, arguing she had not yet vowed to the Silver Sorority, had fought bravely at the Twins, and did not belong in exile at San Michon. Isabella showed clear displeasure, disparaging Astrid’s mother and warning that Astrid was manipulative, then demanded what Gabriel would give in return; he offered loyalty, which she noted he already owed.

Despite her misgivings, Isabella concluded that providence seemed to favor Gabriel and granted his request to end Astrid’s exile. She cautioned that her mercy had limits and that Gabriel should not grow comfortable; she would call on him soon as threats multiplied across the realm. Gabriel kissed her hand and withdrew, accepting both the boon for Astrid and the implicit obligations of his new station.