My guards led me to the Council chambers deep in the lowest level of the castle but did not cross the threshold, where their authority ended and the Council guard’s began. Several men in full plate armor and long blue capes stood at even intervals about the windowless circular room, their feet straddling each silver mosaic star in the floor. I stopped in the center of the tiled blue moon and looked up to the many beady eyes of old men watching me from their tiers of benches.

The Grand Councilor, with his full gray beard and waist-length hair, scowled down at me from his seat in the very center front. He bowed his head, but did not take his eyes off me. “Chosen.”

I pressed my hand over my heart and gave a slight bow. “Grand Councilor.”

“We will begin shortly. We are waiting on two others.”

My heart rate quickened. Why would others be needed?

A minute later, two men in black uniforms entered, one of which—a man of average height with a handsome umber-toned face and black hair cut close to the scalp—had several badges on his shoulders. A general. And with that black uniform, he could only be Spymaster General Gasni, the youngest Spymaster in history.

He smiled, and both he and his companion bowed, though Gasni kept his hands folded behind his back.

I spun back to face the Councilors, a new terror gripping my heart. “What is this?” Gasni’s man reached for me, and I tried to blink away, but hardly any wisps of smoke formed around me, and nothing happened. The large man gripped my arms to hold me still. “What is this?” I repeated.

“The Councilors thought it may be best if I were to question the only witness to Emperor Lenan’s murder,” Gasni said as he stepped in front of me. He presented his hands. Smoke billowed around one, while the other held a small syringe. “I don’t wish to use this, Chosen. Please answer honestly.”

He popped a cap off of the needle and gripped my wrist in his smoke-engulfed hand. I tried to pull back with a whimper as tears streamed down my face. “Why are you doing this? Please!”

He gave me a pitying look. “Answer honestly, and this will be over quickly. Tell me exactly how the emperor was murdered.”

“A man broke into the room,” I said in a rush. “He was a Scion. I couldn’t see him until he stabbed the emperor.”

“He showed himself to you? Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did he say anything to you?”

“He threatened me and told me to scream.”

“Then he fled. Yet you didn’t stop him.”

“I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking!”

“The bloodstains indicated you were on the floor when it happened. Why?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

I tried to pull my arm away again, but his grip was firm. “Please—”

Gasni inched the syringe closer. “Answer.”

“He pushed me!”

“The killer, or the emperor?”

“The emperor!”

“Explain.”

I sobbed, racking my mind for a way out of this. I needed to give him the truth—at least parts of it. “He told me he was thinking of marrying me if I begged. When I didn’t, he choked me. I was scared and tried to leave, but he shoved me. He was— He wanted—” I couldn’t even finish that sentence, even though if events had played out slightly differently, it might have been true.

The Councilors mumbled behind Gasni, who scowled. “Yet you had a knife on you. Did you draw it?”

“I only had it for self-defense for the ball. I was nervous. But I did. I drew it after he shoved me, but he took it from me and threatened me with it.”

“Then?”

“Then he was killed.”

“Why did you sheathe your knife?”

“I don’t know.”

He pushed the syringe closer, nearly pricking my skin.

“I didn’t want anyone to know I had it!” I admitted. “I was scared what people would think, and I knew someone would take it away. It was stupid.”

Gasni sighed and looked back to the Councilors. “Is this enough?”

The Grand Councilor glowered down at me. “Not yet. Use it.”

I stopped breathing and stared at Gasni, but he turned to fully face the Councilors, releasing my arm. “My apologies, Councilors, but this is intended for interrogations only, and it seems—”

The ancient man slammed the tip of his cane into the floor. “Use. It.”

Gasni fell silent and clenched his jaw, but he turned back to me and grabbed my wrist again. He wouldn’t look me in the eye. “I’m sorry, Chosen.” Then he plunged the needle under my skin.

A few seconds passed with only a mild ache at my wrist, but then intense pain flared across my body, and I screamed. Gasni released me and gestured for the other man to do the same. I dropped to my knees, my screams tearing my throat ragged. I couldn’t stop.

“You have made it quite clear, Chosen, that we have granted you too much freedom,” the Grand Councilor said. “To wander out at night to do gods know what kinds of unmaidenly things, to wield blades, to seduce your emperor. Unacceptable. You are a symbol, nothing more, and you will learn your place.”

Gasni cleared his throat. “Councilors, may I—”

“Not yet.” Gods, kill me. I just wanted it to stop. “Considering the severity of your transgressions, girl, if you are found to leave castle grounds again, greater punishments than this are under consideration.” What in hell could be worse than this? “From this day forth, you will no longer attend university, rather you will have a private tutor. You will no longer be allowed visits to the city chapels, but instead will participate in services in the imperial sanctuary. Your quarters and your person will be searched on a daily basis. Your guards will attend you at every moment, and someone will check for your presence at regular intervals throughout the night. Now, Spymaster.”

Gasni quickly kneeled before me, took my wrist, and injected something else into my veins. The pain subsided almost immediately, leaving me limp and gasping.

“Gather yourself and return to your chambers,” the Grand Councilor said. “See to her, Spymaster.”

The Councilors’ shuffling footsteps filed out through doors at the back of the room, and the Council guards followed after them, leaving me alone with the Spymaster and his man.

“Leave us,” Gasni ordered, and the other left. Gasni’s face fell as he remained kneeling with me. “I am truly sorry, Chosen. Sometimes we must play our roles despite ourselves.”

I couldn’t muster any words, so I only glared at him.

He gave me a pitying smile. “Hate me as you like. But should you ever need anything, you should know that my office is directly above the east end of your chambers. Make of that what you will.”

Was that an invitation? For what?

“Are you well enough to stand?”

He offered his hand, which was no longer swallowed in smoke, but I slapped it away and stood on my own. I wobbled a bit but straightened my posture and wiped the tears from my face.

Gasni folded his hands behind his back again, donning a neutral expression. “Until later, then, would-be murderess.” He stepped into the hallway before I could get any words out.

Spymaster, indeed. But why had he kept information from the Council?

It seemed I’d need to accept that invitation.