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The Lady Silver Tear possessed all three qualities in spades.

The Warden took a small step forward before kneeling to place her forehead to the marbled floor in a kowtow. “This One is honored to present herself before you, oh honored and wise princess.”

Lunalah smiled at the formality of the Warden’s greeting, the sincerity of her words as genuine as the warmth in her tone. “You may rise, Seventh Warden. Thank you for making this trip in person. I have matters most delicate to discuss with you.”

“This One is honored to bask in your physical presence, your majesty,” the Warden said before rising to settle into a seat across from her. “It is not often one may do so. To what do I owe such a great honor?”

Lunalah harrumphed. “You may drop the formalities, Lady Silver Tear. I will speak plainly as to why I have summoned you.”

“Very well…” Lady Silver Tear crossed her legs slowly under her robes, getting more comfortable. “I am eager to hear it, your majesty.”

“Are you perplexed at my support for the Iron Bull in challenging you, Lady Silver Tear?”

Lunalah let the question hang in the air. It had been months now, but she knew the subject was still a sore one for her. The Iron Bull had challenged the Warden for leadership, a thing not possible as they were of unequal martial ranking. But Lunalah had authorized the challenge regardless.

“You are the princess, your majesty,” the Warden said without missing a beat. “This One would not dare question your divine authority or wisdom.”

Lunalah chuckled.

Once again, her words were as empty as her soul.

Still, the Lady Silver Tear was useful to her now.

A pawn to enact her plan.

“You can be rest assured that you are in no danger of losing your position, Seventh Warden,” Lunalah said and then added for clarity. “Even if you did violate imperial law with an unsanctioned attack against a fellow martial sect.”

Silver Tear stiffened, perhaps not expected her to bring the subject up so pointedly.

It was true though. In her rage, the Lady Silver Tear had made a grave error in attacking the Iron Bull. One that Lunalah would now use to enact her control.

“This One did apologize, your majesty. It was uninten—”

“Unintentional, yes, so you said. Still, a crime is a crime and it would be only right for you to face the Iron Bull according to his writ to atone for it.”

In truth she cared little about the act itself. So long as the Iron Bull fulfilled his portion of the agreement—serving as tribute for her planet’s part in the war against the Cursed Stars—she could care less for his challenge to the Warden’s position.

Still, it served a greater purpose now.

“Indeed, your majesty,” Lady Silver Tear said, bowing her head in acknowledgement. “Your reasoning for supporting the Iron Bull’s challenge in this regard is clear…and just.”

Lunalah smiled. She had set the tone perfectly for the conversation to come.

“I am delighted that you understand, Seventh Warden,” she said. “It would be entirely inappropriate to disregard such a flagrant action. Yet, I believe this challenge is a fair way for you to save face for both yourself and your clan.”

“Indeed. Where would we be as a people without the Great Soul Emperor’s divine rule of Imperial Law?” She bowed her head again. “This One is eternally grateful for your mercy and grace, your majesty.”

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The first part was a slight against her father, but she would let it pass for now.

There were greater matters to address at hand.

“My grace will extend even further, Seventh Warden,” Lunalah said. “You need not fear the loss of your position. In fact, I doubt you will ever face the Iron Bull in the ring at all.”

Silver Tear squinted, confused for a moment but then she smiled. “I see. You are wise, your majesty, to have sent the Iron Bull to the academy. His death there would certainly not be unexpected. I thank you for this reprieve.”

Lunalah lowered her brows. “Do not misunderstand me, Seventh Warden. I have all expectations that the Iron Bull will survive. And if he returns as a Diamond Bracket Legionnaire, he will have all right and likely even the strength to face you in the ring.”

Silver Tear swallowed visibly but didn’t say anything.

“In fact,” she said. “I want you to ensure the Iron Bull makes it to the academy unharmed. Nothing ill is to befall him during his travels…understood?”

Lunalah paused for emphasis, making it clear an assassination attempt while in transit to the core worlds was out of the question.

“Understood, your majesty.”

“Good,” she said. “However, while he is at the academy I will require a repayment of your indebtedness for my grace.”

Lady Silver Tear leaned back in her chair, her body language the equivalent of an eyeroll as she crossed her legs again. “Is that so, your majesty? And in what form would you prefer this debt to be repaid?”

There it was.

The invitation she had orchestrated.

She need only supply the name now.

“The girl, Silver Light,” she said and then paused, knowing that this was a relative to Silver Tear, albeit a very distant one. “Her actions do indeed make her a disgrace to your royal clan. To all royalty in fact. I will allow you permission to chastise her as you first sought… permanently. But it must be discreet.”

Lady Silver Tear’s eyes widened. “Permanently, your majesty?”

“You must do so in a way that the Iron Bull is not impacted,” Lunalah said. “He will be this planet’s first ever tribute and I do not need anything that might distract him from his advancement at the academy. If he were to fail, it would bring much shame to my rule.”

The last thing she needed was the Iron Bull losing focus due to the death of his betrothed. The reward of his young bride waiting for him at home would push him through the many challenges that lay ahead. But once he had accomplished that, there was far more that Lunalah had planned for him.

“Let me be plain,” Lunalah said as she leaned over her desk. “Do this successfully and you will not only keep your position but perhaps even expand on it.”

Silver Tear shifted in her seat uncomfortably, but her eyes remained steady.

“I see,” she said. “That is most gracious. Yet I fail still to comprehend fully what your majesty askes of This One.”

Anger stirred within her.

The bitch knew damn well what she was requesting.

But she would make her say it out of satisfaction.

Curse her and all her rotten clan, Lunalah thought.

She leaned across the table again, making it clear she would not be repeating herself.

“I don’t care how you do it exactly,” Lunalah said. “So long as it is discreet. The Lady Silver Light must live long enough to see the Iron Bull succeed at the academy but not long enough to see her wedding day. Are we clear?”

The Warden raised a brow as if surprised and Lunalah could sense the woman had discerned her ulterior motive with ease. A counter to her parry. Still, it mattered not. The Warden was still under her control and wouldn’t dare try to use it against her.

Not while the possibility of more power was within her grasp.

“I understand, your majesty,” the Warden said. “But I must profess that this Dong family in particular has made quite the mockery of my clan. It would be far more fitting to display her chastisement to the rest of my sect openly to demonstrate the repercussion of such actions. To do what you ask would deny my clan of such justice and correction.”

Lunalah smiled.

A subtle challenge to her authority, it seemed.

It was confirmation that the Warden knew that she held some leverage over her now, knowing that her interest lay more with the Iron Bull than with Silver Light herself. But she would not fold so easily.

“You have heard my instructions,” Lunalah said, still slightly irked at the challenge. “Not before the Iron Bull’s success.” She then paused. “But leading up to that, you may do whatever you wish.”

She let the sentence linger and the Warden raised a brow in question.

“There are other ways to publicly demonstrate contrition besides death,” Lunalah said.

The Warden chuckled, finally understanding what she was saying. “So she is not completely off limits then. Interesting. I will see to something in that regard. But would that we would have the funding to complete other important tasks within the poor province of Jurin before executing such an important one for the Divine Princess herself.”

Lunalah scowled. The woman was as shameless as she was heartless, requesting a bribe outright for her compliance and hopeful secrecy in what she had asked. Still, she should expect no less from the Lady Silver Tear.

“Perhaps a slight increase in imperial disbursement for Jurin Province is in order,” Lunalah said. “20,000 spirit stones perhaps?”

Silver Tear bowed with a smile. “You are most generous, your majesty.”

Damn greedy bitch…

“Then we are agreed,” Lunalah said standing and Lady Silver Tear did the same.

“Indeed, we are,” Silver Tear said and bowed once more.

“Until the appointed time, you are free to do with as you will with Lady Silver Light,” Lunalah said, and then, envisioning the beautiful, platinum-haired girl in her mind’s eye, a sudden anger sparked within her, a jealousy fueled by envy and hate. “In fact, make that little girl’s life as burdensome as possible.”

Silver Tear raised a brow. “Oh?”

“Short of upsetting the Iron Bull, the Lady Silver Light is yours to torment. Understood?”

The Warden nodded and gave her a knowing smile.

“As you command… Divine Princess.”