The longer they stayed in Austmark, the more Lucian was convinced the Queen wasn't answering him on purpose.
Crow-mail remained empty, and even the keeper, a stout woman with streaks of ink on her fingers, considered sending him a letter herself just so he could receive something.
"Maybe come back a week from now?" She suggested as she shuffled a few scrolls.
"Sometimes the crows like delivering things together."
Lucian stared at her. Not in an annoyed way, but in a "I'm really tired of this" way. It was the mental exhaustion that lived under his skin and made him want to flay himself.
"Probably. But… do you believe a non-answer is also an answer?"
The keeper leaned in on the wooden counter, her voice softening. "Yes. It might not be the choice you want, but it is a choice. Maybe you need some distance from this, lad. It'll look clearer once you're out of the shadow of it."
