The Price of Pride: A Naissus Legend 3

In the merchant duchy of Westport, power is measured not in scars or scripture, but in coin, guilds, and the favor of its silver-tongued Duke. To this city of silk and trade ride Brothers Pawel and Ivan, charged with securing the Order's first foothold on the western shore. But beneath Nieuwbrugg's painted facades and perfumed feasts, old quarrels fester. Pride runs deeper than loyalty, and feuds older than memory threaten to turn the Duke's fragile balance into blood. Pawel, hardened by years of doubt, sees vanity where others speak of honor. Ivan, steadfast in faith, believes mercy can still turn wrath aside. Together they must walk a road where every word is a bargain, every gesture a weapon, and every alliance a snare. What begins as a mission of diplomacy soon reveals itself as a struggle against the oldest curse of all... pride. And in Naissus, pride does not fade quietly.