The emergency session of the Imperial Council was called under the pretense of addressing "concerns about foreign influence in domestic affairs," but I knew exactly what Valerian was attempting. My brother had never been subtle about his machinations, and his current desperation made him even more transparent than usual.
As Crown Princess and heir to the Slatemark Empire, I sat at the council table with the kind of composed confidence that came from knowing I held superior cards in whatever game Valerian thought he was playing. Around the table, the Empire's most senior nobles and advisors shifted uncomfortably, clearly aware that they were about to witness a confrontation between imperial siblings with very different visions for the Empire's future.
