Chapter 3: The Iron Treaty
The quill scratched against the parchment, the sound amplified by the heavy silence of the dungeon. I ignored the ache in my cramped fingers and the flickering of the candle. In my world, I had once spent seventy-two hours straight drafting a merger for a tech giant; writing a life-saving contract in a fantasy world felt strangely similar.
Grand Duke Cassian stood against the cell bars, his presence casting a long, intimidating shadow over my "desk." He didn't speak. He simply watched me with those piercing violet eyes, as if trying to decipher a code he had never seen before.
"Done," I whispered, blowing on the ink to dry it.
I handed the parchment through the bars. Cassian took it with two fingers, his gaze scanning the elegant, sharp handwriting.
"This is a formal petition for a 'Transfer of Custody and Legal Guardianship,'" I explained, standing up to stretch my stiff back. "By signing this, you aren't saying I'm innocent. You are simply stating that as a High Noble of the North, you are exercising your right to 'Invited Advocacy.' Essentially, you are taking me into your custody to ensure a fair trial, as my current holding conditions..." I waved a hand at the damp, rat-infested stone "constitute a violation of the Imperial Human Rights Charter of 382."
Cassian looked up from the paper, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "The Charter of 382? That's an ancient document used to protect livestock from being mistreated during transport."
"Exactly," I smirked. "And since the Emperor currently views me as 'property of the state' to be disposed of, the same protections apply. A lawyer's job is to use whatever tool is in the shed, Your Grace. Even if that tool is a law meant for cows."
Cassian let out a short, dry chuckle. It was a dark sound, but it wasn't unkind. "You really are a piece of work, Seraphina. But why should I sign this? Why should I risk the Emperor's ire for a woman who was, until two days ago, a vain socialite?"
"Because of the taxes," I said, my voice turning serious. "I saw the ledgers on your desk earlier. The North is struggling. You've had three failed harvests, yet your tribute to the Capital has increased by fifteen percent this year. Why?"
Cassian's expression hardened. The air in the room grew cold. "The Iron Treaty. My ancestors signed it a century ago. It dictates that the North must pay a fixed percentage of its potential yield, regardless of the actual harvest."
"A 'Potential Yield' clause," I nodded, pacing the small cell. "It's a classic predatory contract. The Emperor keeps you poor so you can't afford to rebel. But I found a flaw. In Section 14, Paragraph 3, it mentions that the tribute is based on 'Arable Land under the Protection of the Sun.' "
Cassian narrowed his eyes. "And?"
"And for the last three years, the Northern Border has been under a 'Permanent Frost' curse from the Ice Wastes, has it not? Magical interference is legally defined in the Imperial Code as an 'Eclipse Event.' If the land is under an Eclipse, it is no longer 'under the Protection of the Sun.' "
I stopped pacing and looked him dead in the eye.
"You've been overpaying for three years. If we file a retroactive claim, the Empire doesn't just owe you a lower tax rate they owe you a refund. A refund large enough to feed your entire territory for a decade."
The silence that followed was heavy. I could see the shock behind Cassian's cold mask. No one in this world looked at the law this way. They looked at it as a set of rules to be followed or broken. I looked at it as a game of chess where the pieces could be moved if you knew the right words.
"A refund," Cassian whispered.
"Sign the guardianship papers, Cassian," I pressured him. "Take me out of this hole. Give me a library, a clean dress, and ten days. I'll save my neck, and I'll save your people's gold. It's a win-win."
Without another word, Cassian leaned over the desk and signed the paper with a flourish.
"Jax!" he bellowed.
The guard from earlier appeared instantly, looking terrified.
"Open the cell," Cassian commanded. "The Lady Seraphina is no longer a prisoner of the State. She is a Ward of the House of Hel."
The iron door creaked open with a groan that felt like music to my ears. I walked out, my bare feet hitting the stone. I felt dizzy partly from hunger, and partly from the sudden realization that I had actually survived the first night.
"We leave for the Astra Estate first," Cassian said, grabbing my arm to steady me. "You need to pack. And you need to face your father."
"My father," I repeated. The memory of Duke Astra a cold, stern man who had looked at his daughter with nothing but disappointment flashed through my mind. "I look forward to it. I have a few words for him regarding 'Negligence of Parental Duty' and the 'Misappropriation of my Mother's Dowry.' "
Cassian stared at me as he led me up the stairs and out of the dungeon. "Is there anyone you don't intend to sue, Lady Seraphina?"
"Only those who pay their bills on time, Your Grace," I replied.
As we emerged from the underground prison, the morning sun hit my face. It was blindingly bright, a stark contrast to the darkness I had lived in for the past forty-eight hours. The palace courtyard was bustling with nobles and servants, all of whom stopped and stared as the "Monster of the North" walked out of the death cells with the "Villainess" on his arm.
Whispers broke out like wildfire.
"Is that Seraphina? Why isn't she in chains?"
"Look at her face... she doesn't look like she's been crying at all."
"Did the Grand Duke lose his mind?"
I kept my head high, my back straight. I was wearing a torn, dirty dress, but I carried myself like I was walking into the Supreme Court.
Suddenly, a familiar carriage pulled up. It bore the crest of the Astra family a golden hawk. The door opened, and a man stepped out. He was older, with silvering hair and a face that looked like it was carved from granite. Duke Astra.
He didn't look at me with relief. He looked at me with pure, unadulterated shame.
"Seraphina," he said, his voice like a whip. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you not in your cell awaiting your fate? Have you no shame left? To drag the Grand Duke into your mess..."
"Duke Astra," I interrupted, my voice projected so that the surrounding nobles could hear every word. "I am currently under the legal guardianship of House Hel. As per the 'Conflict of Interest' laws, you are no longer permitted to speak to me without my legal representative present."
The Duke froze. His face turned a deep shade of purple. "Your... legal representative? What nonsense is this?"
"I am my own representative," I said, stepping forward. "And while we're on the subject, I'd like to discuss the fact that you allowed your daughter to be imprisoned without a single inquiry into the evidence. That sounds like a 'Breach of Fiduciary Responsibility' to me. I'll be sending you a formal summons by noon."
The crowd gasped. A daughter suing her father was unheard of in this patriarchal empire.
"You... you ungrateful girl!" the Duke roared, raising his hand.
Before he could strike, Cassian's hand caught the Duke's wrist in mid-air. The sound of bones creaking was audible in the silent courtyard.
"Duke Astra," Cassian said, his voice dangerously low. "You are touching a Ward of my House. Unless you wish to settle this through a Duel of Honor, I suggest you step back."
The Duke recoiled, his eyes wide with fear. Cassian was the strongest swordsman in the Empire; a duel with him was a death sentence.
"Come," Cassian said to me, ignoring the stunned crowd. "We have work to do."
As we boarded the Grand Duke's carriage a magnificent black vehicle lined with velvet I caught a glimpse of a window in the upper floors of the palace. Standing there, watching us with a pale, angry face, was the Saintess, Isabella.
I blew her a kiss.
The trial hasn't even started yet, honey, I thought as the carriage doors closed. And I'm already winning the Discovery phase.
As the carriage began to move, I leaned back against the soft cushions. The reality of my situation finally settled in. I was out of the dungeon, but the war was just beginning. I had twenty-eight days left.
"Your Grace," I said, looking at Cassian, who was sitting across from me, still holding the contract I had written.
"Yes?"
"I'm going to need a lot of ink. And perhaps a very large library. We're not just going to win this case... we're going to rewrite the laws of this entire Empire."
Cassian looked out the window at the passing city. "I believe you, Seraphina. For the first time in my life, I actually fear for the Emperor."