The townhouse of Countess Morwenna was less of a residence and more of a shrine to felines. The air inside smelled of potpourri and catnip. Every surface was covered in velvet cushions, and sleek, pampered cats of every breed prowled the hallways with the arrogance of minor deities.
Valeria stood in the drawing room waiting for her "sponsor." She wore the midnight-blue dress Madame Clothilde had finished only hours ago. It was severe and striking, absorbing the light rather than reflecting it. Beside her stood Kael. He had shed his cloak. He wore a collar of silver chains that looked decorative but was actually loose enough to slip off in a heartbeat. His chest was bare, displaying the bronze tattoos of his lineage, though to the uneducated nobles of the Capital, they just looked like exotic markings.
"I look absolutely ridiculous," Kael muttered, tugging at the silver chain. "I am a Warrior of the Steppes. I am wearing jewelry."
"You are undercover," Valeria corrected, smoothing her gloves. "And you look expensive. In this city, being dangerous is not enough. You have to look like a luxury item."
The double doors opened. Countess Morwenna entered. She was a tiny, bird-like woman in her eighties, draped in layers of purple silk. Her eyes were clouded with cataracts, giving her a vacant, misty stare, but her movements were sharp. A white Persian cat sat on her shoulder like a parrot.
"So," Morwenna croaked, her voice like dry leaves. "You are the girl Clothilde told me about. The one who hates the Guild."
"I am," Valeria said, bowing deeply. "And I heard the Guild owes you a debt, My Lady."
"They killed Mr. Fluffernutter," Morwenna said, her face twisting into a mask of grief and rage. "A Guild hound chased him into the street. They called it 'collateral damage'. I call it murder."
She squinted at Kael. "And what is this large blurry shape next to you?"
"This is Kael," Valeria said, placing a hand on Kael's arm. "He is a Royal Golden Tiger. The Guild tried to skin him. I saved him."
Morwenna stepped closer. She reached out a withered hand. Kael stiffened.
"Easy," Valeria whispered to him. "She is an ally."
Kael forced himself to stand still. He lowered his head.
Morwenna touched his arm. She felt the fur, the muscle, the warmth of his metal-infused skin.
"He purrs," Morwenna whispered, delighted. "He is a very big cat."
"He is a Prince, My Lady," Valeria said. "But the Guild treats him like a rug. I intend to tell the Emperor exactly what they are doing to his subjects."
Morwenna withdrew her hand. She smiled. It was a wicked, toothless smile.
"The Emperor is bored, child. He hates politics. But he loves a spectacle. If you walk into his garden with this... creature... you will have his attention. And if you humiliate the Guild while you are at it? Well, I will give you the best seat in the house."
She turned to the door.
"Come along. The carriage is waiting. And bring the big cat. I want to see the Guild Highmaster wet himself."
The Imperial Garden Party of the Equinox was a sensory assault designed to make guests feel small. The gardens were not merely grown; they were sculpted by wood-mages. Trees grew in perfect spirals. Flowers bloomed in patterns that spelled out the history of the Empire. Floating lanterns drifted on the breeze, casting a soft, golden glow over the hundreds of nobles who mingled on the lawns.
Music played from nowhere, woven into the wind itself. Servants carrying trays of crystal glasses moved like shadows.
When Countess Morwenna's carriage arrived at the main gate, a hush fell over the entrance queue. Morwenna was a recluse. Her presence was news.
But when Valeria stepped out, followed by the seven-foot-tall Golden Tiger, the hush turned into a shockwave.
Kael did not walk like a pet. He walked like a predator that had decided not to kill anyone yet. His golden eyes scanned the crowd, dismissing Dukes and Earls as prey. The silver chain in Valeria's hand was slack, a visual lie that suggested she controlled him.
"Chin up," Morwenna whispered to Valeria as they walked up the marble stairs. "They are staring. Let them stare. It means they are afraid."
Valeria kept her face impassive. She scanned the crowd with her own eyes, unaided by the monocle which she had left behind to avoid detection by the Palace wards.
She saw them.
Near the central fountain stood a man in red and black robes. He held a staff topped with a dragon skull.
[Target: Highmaster Garius.]
[Leader of the Beast Taming Guild.]
He was speaking to a tall, imposing man with grey hair and a chest full of medals.
[Target: Duke Vespera.]
[Elise's Father.]
And beside him stood Isolde, looking radiant and smug in her pink dress.
Valeria felt a spike of cold rage in her gut. Her father was conspiring with the Guild. It made sense. He had exiled her to a death sentence; of course he was aligned with the executioners.
"Ignore them," Valeria told herself. "Eyes on the prize."
They moved deeper into the garden. The crowd parted for Kael, ladies gasping and clutching their fans, men staring with a mix of envy and fear.
"Is that a Tiger?"
"It's a Hybrid. Look at the bronze skin."
"Is it safe?"
"It's with Countess Morwenna. It must be tame."
Valeria led Kael to a spot near the Emperor's dais. It was empty, save for a golden throne that sat unoccupied.
"He will be here soon," Morwenna said, sitting on a velvet bench and patting the space beside her. "Sit, child. Let the vipers come to you."
They did not have to wait long.
Isolde Vespera broke away from her father and marched across the lawn. She was followed by two young noblemen who looked like they would rather be anywhere else.
"You actually came," Isolde hissed, stopping five feet from Valeria. She glared at Kael. "And you brought the beast. Are you trying to get us all killed?"
"I am enjoying the party, sister," Valeria said coolly, smoothing her velvet skirt. "The air is so much fresher here than in the North."
"Father is furious," Isolde whispered venomously. "He saw you. He is speaking to the Highmaster right now. They are going to have you removed."
"On what grounds?" Valeria asked. "I am the guest of a Countess."
"On the grounds that you are a disgrace!" Isolde's voice rose, drawing looks. "You are a banished traitor living in a barn! You have no right to breathe the same air as the Emperor!"
Suddenly, a heavy hand landed on Isolde's shoulder.
It wasn't Kael. It was Duke Vespera.
Valeria looked up at her father. He was a hard man. He had the same blue eyes as Isolde, but his were cold, devoid of any warmth. He looked at Valeria not as a daughter, but as a mistake he had failed to erase.
"Isolde," the Duke said calmly. "Go back to your friends."
"But Father—"
"Go."
Isolde flushed red and stomped away.
Duke Vespera turned his gaze to Valeria.
"Elise," he said. The name sounded like a curse.
"It is Valeria now," she corrected.
"You have the Duke of Ironclad's ring," Vespera noted, his eyes flicking to her hand. "You stole it from his corpse, I assume?"
"He is very much alive," Valeria said. "And he sends his regards. He was disappointed he couldn't come. He is recovering from a nasty bout of... Guild poisoning."
She said it loud enough for the people nearby to hear.
Vespera's eyes narrowed. "You are playing a dangerous game, girl. The Guild Highmaster is here. If I give the word, he will have that beast put down and you thrown in the dungeon for violating your exile."
"Try it," Valeria challenged softly. "Create a scene. Right before the Emperor arrives. Let's see who he forgives. The Duke who disrupts his party, or the girl with the pretty tiger?"
Vespera stared at her. He saw the steel in her spine that hadn't been there a year ago.
Before he could respond, a trumpet blasted.
"His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Aurelius!"
The crowd bowed. Vespera was forced to step back and bow. Valeria curtsied deep, and Kael dropped to one knee, his head bowed in practiced submission.
The Emperor walked onto the dais.
He was a young man, barely thirty. He wore robes of white and gold, but he wore them carelessly, the sash loose. He looked bored. He held a glass of wine in one hand and waved dismissively with the other.
"Rise, rise," Aurelius sighed. "Let us skip the groveling. The music was just getting good."
He sat on his throne, draping a leg over the armrest. His eyes scanned the crowd, looking for something to entertain him.
His gaze landed on the seven-foot Golden Tiger kneeling in the front row.
Aurelius sat up.
"Well," the Emperor said, pointing his glass. "That is new."
He beckoned. "You there. The girl in blue. Bring him closer."
Valeria's heart hammered against her ribs. This was it.
She stood up. She pulled gently on the silver chain. Kael rose, his movements fluid and powerful.
They walked to the foot of the dais.
"Your Majesty," Valeria said, bowing her head.
"What is it?" Aurelius asked, leaning forward. "A golem? A illusion?"
"He is a warrior, Your Majesty," Valeria said. "A Prince of the Golden Steppes. His name is Kael."
"A Beastman," the Emperor mused. "I have seen them in the arena. But never one... like this. He looks like he could tear a hole in my palace."
"He could," Valeria said boldly. "But he chooses not to."
The crowd gasped at her impertinence. Highmaster Garius stepped forward from the side of the dais.
"Your Majesty," Garius interjected smoothly. "This creature is dangerous. It is a rogue Hybrid. The Guild has a warrant for its recapture. This woman is harboring stolen property."
The Emperor looked at Garius, then back at Kael.
"Stolen?" Aurelius asked. "He doesn't look stolen. He looks well-fed."
He looked at Kael. "Speak, Tiger. Are you stolen property?"
Kael looked up. He met the Emperor's eyes.
"I was," Kael rumbled. His voice was deep, carrying to the back of the garden. "The Guild stole my freedom. They stole my name. They stole my dignity. This woman gave them back."
Garius flushed. "Lies! Beasts do not have dignity! They have instincts! Your Majesty, allow my guards to secure it before it hurts someone!"
"He hasn't hurt anyone," Aurelius noted. "In fact, he is more well-behaved than half my council."
The Emperor looked at Valeria.
"You brought him here for a reason, girl. And it wasn't just to show off his stripes. What do you want?"
Valeria took a breath. She slipped the silver chain off Kael's neck. It fell to the grass with a soft clink.
"I want justice, Your Majesty," Valeria said. "I am Valeria, Proxy to the Grand Duke of Ironclad. And I am here to report a treason."
"Treason?" Aurelius raised an eyebrow. "That is a boring word. Everyone commits treason these days."
"Not this kind," Valeria said. "The Guild is not just taming beasts, Your Majesty. They are building an army. An army of undead constructs. An army of slaves. They are burning villages in the North to hide their experiments. And they tried to assassinate a Grand Duke to keep him silent."
She reached into her bodice and pulled out a scroll. It was the confession Ignis had forged, combined with the real logistical data they had stolen from the mine.
"This is the proof," Valeria said, holding it out.
Garius lunged. "She lies! Guards! Seize her!"
Two Guild guards moved toward her.
Kael roared.
It wasn't a warning. It was a Sonic Blast. He channeled his mana into his lungs and let out a roar that shattered the crystal glasses on the nearby trays. The shockwave hit the guards, knocking them off their feet.
The crowd screamed and scrambled back.
But Kael didn't attack. He stood in front of Valeria, his arms spread, a golden shield against the world.
"Nobody touches her," Kael growled.
The Emperor didn't flinch. He didn't call for his own guards. He was smiling.
"Finally," Aurelius whispered. "Something interesting."
He stood up.
"Let her speak, Garius," the Emperor commanded. "If she is lying, you can feed her to your hounds. But if she is telling the truth... well, then we have a problem."
Valeria stepped out from behind Kael. She walked up the stairs of the dais and placed the scroll in the Emperor's hand.
"Read it, Your Majesty," Valeria said. "And then ask Highmaster Garius why his Commander Varg is currently sitting in a cage in the Ironclad Estate, waiting to testify."
Garius went white.
"Varg?" Garius whispered. "You have Varg?"
"Alive," Valeria confirmed, turning to face him. "And very talkative."
The Emperor unrolled the scroll. He read the first few lines. His smile faded. His expression turned cold.
"Necromancy," Aurelius read softly. "Illegal mining. Assassination of a Peer."
He rolled the scroll up and tapped it against his palm.
"Highmaster Garius," the Emperor said. "It seems my garden party is over. You and I are going to have a very long conversation."
He looked at Valeria.
"And you, Lady Valeria. You will bring this... Varg... to the Palace immediately. If what you say is true, I will strip the Guild of every charter they hold. But if you are wasting my time..."
"I am not," Valeria said.
"Good," Aurelius said. "Then go. Before my guards decide to shoot your tiger just to see if he bleeds."
He waved his hand.
"Audience concluded."
Valeria bowed. She grabbed Kael's arm. They turned and walked away, back through the stunned crowd.
Duke Vespera stared at her as she passed. He looked terrified. He knew that if the Guild fell, his complicity would be exposed.
Isolde was shaking, clutching her pink dress.
Countess Morwenna was cackling with glee, clapping her withered hands.
"Marvelous!" Morwenna cheered as they reached her. "Did you see Garius's face? He looked like he swallowed a toad!"
"We have to go," Valeria whispered, her adrenaline crashing. "Now. Before they realize Varg hasn't actually confessed yet."
They hurried to the carriage.
As they climbed in and the door shut, locking out the music and the lights, Kael slumped against the seat.
"That," Kael breathed, "was harder than fighting the Behemoth."
"We did it," Valeria said, looking at the Duke's ring on her finger. "We got the hearing. The Emperor is listening."
"But Garius knows," Ignis said from the driver's seat as the carriage lurched forward. "He knows we have Varg. He won't wait for the trial. He will attack the Estate tonight."
"Let him come," Valeria said, her eyes flashing in the dark. "We have gold. We have a fortress. And we have the truth."
She looked at her husbands.
"Tonight, we don't sleep. Tonight, we prepare for the final siege."