The Throne Room of the Oakhaven Palace was designed for one purpose: to make you feel like an ant about to be stepped on by a god.
The ceilings were so high they had their own weather patterns, and the floor was a sheet of polished obsidian that reflected the morning light like a dark mirror. At the far end, sitting on a throne made of fused dragon-bone and gold, was Emperor Valerius.
He didn't look like Kaelen. Where Kaelen was a coiled spring of muscle and tempered steel, the Emperor was a mountain of ancient, weary power.
"Lady Elara von Lexen," the herald's voice echoed, sounding like a clap of thunder.
I walked forward. My ruined emerald dress had been replaced by a sharp, tailored suit of midnight blue—a "power suit" I had forced the palace tailors to make overnight. It had clean lines, deep pockets, and absolutely no lace. I looked less like a noblewoman and more like a woman who was about to fire the entire room.
I stopped at the designated mark and performed a crisp, efficient bow. Beside me, Kaelen stood in full formal regalia, his hand resting on the hilt of his ceremonial sword.
"Rise," the Emperor commanded. His voice was like stones grinding together. "My son tells me you saved the Treasury records from a fire. He also tells me you found three million gold dragons that 'didn't exist' yesterday."
"I simply corrected a few decimal points, Your Majesty," I said, my voice steady. "The gold was always there. It was just... shy."
The Emperor let out a dry, hacking chuckle. "Shy. I like that. The last three Treasurers I hired were 'brilliant' men from the Academy. They all told me the Empire was broke because of the rains. Not one of them mentioned my Chancellor was building a private fleet with my coin."
He leaned forward, his eyes—the same golden hue as Kaelen's—boring into mine. "You are the daughter of a traitor and a gambler. By rights, I should have sent your head to the border as a warning. Why shouldn't I do it now that I have the gold back?"
The room went cold. I could feel the tension radiating off Kaelen. I knew he was ready to move, but I didn't need him to.
"Because, Your Majesty," I said, meeting the Emperor's gaze, "the three million I found is just the tip of the iceberg. Vane wasn't working alone. If you kill me now, you'll never find the 'Deep Ledger.' The one that connects the Imperial Banks to the Iron Duchies."
I paused for effect, letting the silence hang.
"Furthermore," I continued, "I am the only person in this room who knows how to reinvest that recovered three million into the grain markets to double it by winter. You can have my head, or you can have a six-million-dragon surplus. As an Emperor, I assume you understand the value of a good return on investment."
The Emperor stared at me for a long, agonizing minute. Then, he looked at Kaelen. "She's a shark, Kaelen. You were right."
"She's an asset, Father," Kaelen replied.
"Fine." The Emperor waved a hand. "Lady Elara, you are hereby appointed as the Grand Auditress of the Empire. You will have the power to seize any ledger, search any noble house, and question any official below the rank of Prince. Your salary will be 10,000 dragons a year, plus the... 'commission' you negotiated with my son."
I felt a surge of triumph. I was no longer a Villainess on the run. I was the most feared woman in the Imperial bureaucracy.
"However," the Emperor added, his voice dropping to a whisper. "There is a condition. You must find the missing 'Star of the South' diamond within thirty days. It disappeared from the Crown Jewels during the fire last night. If you fail, the commission is void, and your 'retirement' will be in the Iron Tower."
My heart skipped a beat. A missing diamond? Vane must have snatched it before he was caught.
As we walked out of the Throne Room, Kaelen grabbed my arm and pulled me into a side alcove.
"The Star of the South?" he hissed. "Elara, that diamond is the size of a fist. It's the symbol of the Emperor's legitimacy. If word gets out it's missing, the rival Duchies will see it as a sign of weakness."
"Vane had it," I said, rubbing my temples. "I saw him reaching for the display case before the lights went out. But he didn't have it on him when he was arrested."
"Then where is it?"
I looked at the window, overlooking the bustling streets of the Capital. "He didn't have time to leave the palace. Which means he passed it to someone. Someone who was at the Gala."
"Who?"
I pulled a small, crumpled piece of paper from my pocket—the guest list I'd swiped from the herald's desk. "That's what I'm going to find out. But Kaelen? If I'm going to be the Grand Auditress, I'm going to need an office. A real one. With a vault. And a very large lock."
Kaelen leaned down, his face close to mine, a smirk playing on his lips. "I'll give you the vault, Elara. But I'm keeping the key."
"In your dreams, Your Highness," I said, stepping past him with a wink. "I don't share my passwords."