The formal ceremony was held that afternoon.
The Emperor's private council chamber, witnesses from the court, military advisors standing at attention. I knelt before the throne in my Warden uniform, soon to be replaced with something bearing imperial insignia.
The Emperor stood above me, holding the seal of office.
"Captain Ryn Halvar of Droupet, do you swear to serve the Crown with loyalty and honor? To investigate threats to the realm without bias or mercy? To follow the orders of your Emperor and uphold the law of Aderaeth?"
"I do."
"Do you swear to speak truth to power, to protect the innocent, and to pursue justice even when it costs you personally?"
"I do."
"Then by the authority vested in me as Emperor of Aderaeth, I name you Imperial Warden. Rise, and take your seal."
I stood. He pressed the seal into my hand, warm metal against my palm. Around the room, advisors inclined their heads. Recognition. Respect. And for some, calculation about what my new position meant for them.
Edrin stood near the back, watching. When our eyes met, he nodded once. Approval? Satisfaction? I couldn't tell.
Princess Theron was notably absent.
After the ceremony, the Emperor drew me aside.
"The arrest happens tonight. I've given orders to secure all palace exits. When we move against Theron, I want to ensure she can't run or warn her network." His voice was steady but his eyes betrayed him. "You'll lead it. As your first official act as Imperial Warden."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Be thorough. Be quick. And Captain—" He paused. "Warden. If she resists, if there's violence, remember she's dangerous. Don't let sentiment make you hesitate."
"I won't."
"I know. That's why I chose you."
***
I spent the afternoon preparing. Coordinating with palace guards, reviewing Theron's known locations, planning entry points and escape routes. Joss would lead one team, I'd lead another, and trusted imperial guards would secure the perimeter.
My uncle appeared as I was checking weapons.
"So you did it," he said. "Took the chains."
"I took the position."
"Same thing." He looked at the imperial insignia now pinned to my coat. "How does it feel?"
"Heavy."
"It will only get heavier." He sat on the edge of the table. "But you made the right choice. For what it's worth."
"Did I?"
"You tell me. Do you regret it?"
I thought about the power I now held. The authority to actually change things instead of just fighting losing battles. The resources to track down conspirators and dismantle networks that had operated with impunity for years.
"No," I said. "Not yet."
"Then that's enough." He stood. "I'm heading back to Droupet in a few days. Finish my eastern routes documentation, deliver it to the imperial archives. But I'll visit. And you can always come home if you need to remember who you are."
"Thank you."
He hugged me briefly. "Be careful, Ryn. This city changes people. Don't let it change you so much you can't find your way back."
After he left, I returned to preparations, pushing away thoughts about change and cages and whether I'd still recognize myself a year from now.
***
A knock at the door interrupted me as evening fell.
Edrin entered before I could respond, closing the door behind him.
"Congratulations," he said. "Imperial Warden. It suits you."
"What do you want, Edrin?"
"To talk. Before tonight's arrest, before everything gets complicated again." He crossed the room, stopping a few feet away. "You signed the document. You committed to staying in Cerasis. That means we're going to be working together for the foreseeable future."
"I'm aware."
"Good. Because I wanted to clarify something before we move forward." He paused, choosing words carefully. "Yesterday I told you I wanted you here. That I'd support you, work with you, respect whatever boundaries you set. I meant all of that."
"But?"
"But I also need to be honest about what I want beyond professional collaboration." He met my gaze directly. "I want you, Ryn. Not just as an ally. I want you in my life. In my bed. As someone I can be honest with when the politics and games get exhausting. As someone who sees me clearly and doesn't flinch."
"You're married."
"I am. To a woman who understands our marriage is political theater. She has her life, I have mine, and we maintain appearances for the court." He stepped closer. "What I'm offering you isn't marriage. It can't be. But it's something real. Something that matters. A place beside me where you don't have to pretend to be anything but yourself."
I should have expected this. The timing made sense. I'd committed to staying, taken a position that bound me to the capital. And Edrin, being Edrin, saw an opening.
"You want me to be your concubine."
"I want you to be my partner. Concubine is just the word the court uses. But what I'm actually offering is..." He paused. "Someone to share the burden with. Someone who understands power and its costs. Someone I can trust when everyone else is lying."
"In exchange for what? Being available when you want me? Pretending your wife doesn't exist? Helping you maintain your image while I quietly occupy some corner of your life?"
"No. In exchange for having someone powerful protecting you when the knives come out. Because they will come out, Ryn. You've made enemies. You've exposed corruption, arrested ministers, implicated a princess. There are people in this court who want you dead or disgraced. And I can shield you from them. If you let me."
"By keeping me as your mistress."
"By keeping you close. By making it clear that anyone who moves against you moves against me." His voice softened. "I'm not asking you to love me. I'm not even asking you to want me, though I hope eventually you might. I'm asking you to consider a practical arrangement that benefits us both."
"How romantic."
"I'm a prince. Romance is for people who have the luxury of choice." He reached out, fingers brushing my jaw. "But even without romance, what I'm offering is real. Companionship. Protection. Someone who sees your worth and wants to make sure you survive long enough to actually use this power you've been given."
I caught his wrist and moved his hand away, but this time he resisted slightly. Not forcing, just testing.
"And if I say no?" I asked.
"Then I respect it and we remain professional allies. Nothing changes between us publicly. I continue supporting your investigations, you continue doing your work, and we pretend this conversation never happened." He paused. "But Ryn, you should know that if you say no, you're choosing to face this court alone. Without someone powerful actively protecting your interests. That's dangerous."
"So this is protection and sex."
"This is partnership and honesty and yes, physical intimacy if you want it. But mostly it's about not being alone in a place that will try to destroy you." His hand moved to my face again, and this time I let it stay. "You've already given up so much. Maer. Sael. Your position in Droupet. Your simplicity. All I'm asking is that you don't give up the possibility of having someone in your corner who wants you to survive."
His thumb brushed across my cheekbone, the gesture now familiar and deliberate.
"Think about it," he said quietly. "You don't have to answer now. But when you do, remember this isn't about love or romance or whatever idealized version of relationships you might want. This is about survival and power and making sure you don't end up another casualty of court politics."
He stepped back, breaking the moment.
"I'll be at tonight's arrest. Supporting you, as promised. Regardless of what you decide about this." He walked to the door, then paused. "But Ryn? I hope you say yes. Not just because I want you. But because I think you need someone, and I'd rather it be me than someone who'll use you and discard you when you're no longer useful."
He left, and I stood alone with his offer hanging in the air.
Practical. Transactional. Honest in its calculation.
And tempting in ways I didn't want to acknowledge.
Because he was right about one thing. I was alone in this palace. Joss would follow me anywhere, but he wasn't powerful. My uncle was leaving. Maer was gone. Sael was missing, probably dead.
And Edrin was offering not love, but something that might be more useful. Protection. Partnership. A place to be myself in a court that would try to reshape me.
All I had to do was accept being his mistress while his wife existed in the background, pretending not to notice.
The cost felt high.
But then, everything in Cerasis had a cost.
I pushed the thoughts away and returned to preparing for the arrest.
I'd think about Edrin's offer later.
Right now, I had a princess to cage.
***
We moved on Theron's quarters at midnight.
Palace guards secured the perimeter while my teams positioned at entry points. Everything was quiet, controlled, professional. The Emperor watched from a distance, his face carved from stone.
I knocked on Theron's door.
"Princess. Open in the Emperor's name."
Silence.
I nodded to Joss. He forced the lock and we entered, weapons ready.
The room was empty.
Clothes still in wardrobes, personal effects untouched, but no Theron. A window stood open, curtains moving in the night breeze.
"She's gone," Joss said. "Must have known we were coming."
I crossed to the window and looked out. A rope, secured to the frame, disappeared into the gardens below.
"Search the grounds," I ordered. "Every garden, every exit. Find her."
But I already knew we wouldn't.
Theron was gone. Disappeared into the city or beyond, taking her network with her.
We'd moved too slowly. Warned her by arresting the ministers, by questioning witnesses, by building our case in ways she could track.
I'd failed.
The Emperor appeared in the doorway, taking in the empty room.
"She ran," he said, his voice hollow.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You did everything right. She was just better at this game than we expected." He looked at the open window. "Find her, Warden. Use every resource at your disposal. I want my daughter brought to justice."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
But as I stood in her empty room, I wondered if we'd ever find her.
Or if Theron had won after all.