Crash

The past has determined our present, but we control the future.Karima's women occupy the palace and force a spectacle: a wedding, an abdication, a crown passed under cameras. Iridessa endures-choosing quiet bargains over bravado, shielding the royal family with poise and small, deliberate concessions. She cannot outmuscle the invaders, so she outlasts them: reading a room, buying minutes, trusting the steady hands around her-Elijah's calm, Queen Adley's iron composure, King Jacob's layered diplomacy, Miss Maya's discretion, Lacey's reliability at sea, Lucas's grit, Cameron's horse-sense.

The city teeters on a velvet siege. Iridessa won't shatter it with a single grand strike; she will hold, wait, and place her faith in the people who've earned it. Because she is certain of one thing: she loves Elijah-and love, kept patient, can carry a kingdom.