The order arrived at Lancaster Mansion later that same afternoon, sealed with the officially stamped war notice, and Caelestis read it in silence before setting it down on his desk with the grim, resigned expression of a man who'd known this was coming from the moment the news of the rebellion in Zhipher broke. He sat with it a long while, staring at nothing in particular, before finally rising and making his way toward his own rooms, already mentally cataloging what needed doing before dawn.
Eleanore found him packing that evening, methodical and efficient in the way he did everything, though his hands paused more than once over items that clearly carried more weight than their practical use suggested, a worn letter, a small carved token she didn't recognize, set aside and then reconsidered twice before finally going into the bag.
"When do you leave?" she asked from the doorway.
"Dawn," he said, not turning around. "They want commanders at the eastern line within the week."
