The carriage rolled to a stop before the grand entrance of the Imperial Palace, a beautiful fortress of marble and gold.
Elara was still pale, her hands trembling as she helped Daphne out of the carriage. Kael and the other guards stood at attention, their faces watchful for any form of threat and hidden danger.
Daphne, however, was a picture of serene composure.
She adjusted her gloves, her gaze fixed on the palace doors. The bloody cut on her side was a burning reminder of the Empress's hatred, but she ignored the pain, letting it fuel her resolve.
She was a warrior, not a victim.
A pair of Imperial guards, their armor gleaming, stood at the entrance to the Empress's chambers.
They bowed low, and announced her arrival. "Lady Daphne of House Thomas."
The Empress was seated, surrounded by a some ladies-in-waiting who were whispering and giggling behind their fans.
A plate of sweet cakes rested on a low table before her.
When she heard Daphne's name, the fan in her hand stilled, a flicker of genuine shock crossing her face.
She had not expected the girl to survive the attack.
But the Empress was a master of masks. The surprise vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a regal smile.
She rose to her feet, her silk robes rustling with the movement.
"Lady Daphne," she said, "I must say, I am surprised to see you. I did not expect you so soon. How was your journey to the palace? I do hope it was not... too difficult."
The question, innocent on the surface, was a veiled threat. It was an acknowledgment of the ambush, a smug little jab to remind Daphne that the Empress had the power to make her life difficult, even to end it.
Daphne's smile was as serene as a summer's day. "Your Majesty, the journey was delightful," she replied.
She gave a small, graceful curtsy, her gaze never wavering. "The streets were a bit crowded, but my guards and I managed to clear a path. Your gracious invitation was worth any trouble we had to endure."
The Empress's smile tightened, her eyes flashing with a contained fury.
Daphne's response was a way of saying she knew about the attack and was not afraid.
The game had just begun.
The Empress gestured toward a velvet cushion. "Please, Lady Daphne, have a seat. Do tell me, how are your preparations for the competition coming along? I imagine you must be quite busy."
Daphne sat with a graceful ease.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. My family and I are taking a rather... personal approach to our preparations. We believe that true strength lies in a person's ability to defend their honor. I have found my training to be most invigorating."
The Empress dropped the pretense of a cordial host. "Let us dispense with the pleasantries, Lady Daphne. I did not ask you here for a chat about your training."
Her voice dropped to a low whisper that only Daphne could hear. "I called you here to give you a choice. I believe you are a woman of intelligence, and I would hate to see your life wasted. The Emperor is a fickle man. Today, you are his amusement. Tomorrow, you will be nothing more than a memory."
She leaned closer, her voice laced with a malevolent threat. "If you withdraw from this competition, I will ensure that your family remains unscathed. I will even grant you a generous dowry, so you can marry well and live a quiet life. But if you win... if you win, do not expect to see the day after the announcement. It would be a great tragedy for you to lose your life on the very day you gain your title."
The Empress leaned back, a cold smile on her lips. "I see you have a choice. Withdraw from the competition and live, or win and die. A simple enough choice for a smart girl like you, don't you think?"
Daphne's composure never wavered. With every word the Empress spoke, a chilling recognition settled in her heart.
This woman, with her cold eyes and venomous threats, was the same woman who had engineered her family's downfall in her past life.
The one who had watched with a cold satisfaction as Daphne and her loved ones were put through so much pain, only to be killed by her hand.
The same face.
A surge of fury from old wounds and new resolve, washed over her, but she held it in check.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty," she said, her voice as smooth as silk. "I believe you have misunderstood my purpose. I did not come here for your permission, nor your threats. I came to tell you that I will not withdraw. And I will not die. I will win, and I will be free."
"You are foolish to defy me," she hissed, her expression turning grave. "You have no idea what you are up against. I can crush you and your entire family with a single word."
"Perhaps," Daphne said, her gaze holding the Empress's without a hint of fear. "But your single word does not have the power it once had, Your Majesty. For all your influence, you are now a competitor, just like me. You will be held to the same standards. Your schemes, your power, your ruthlessness... they will now be on public display for all to see. And the people of this empire will judge you not by your title, but by your actions."
The Empress's face paled, the implication of Daphne's words striking her with the force of a physical blow.
Her mind raced, a sickening dread coiling in her gut.
She had been so consumed by her hatred for Daphne that she had not considered the true meaning of the Emperor's decree.
The competition was not just a stage for Daphne's downfall. It was a public stage for her own actions.
She had sent men to kill a contestant, and if something had happened to Daphne, the entire empire would no doubt suspect her.
The Emperor would know it was her.
In her haste and fury, she had made a terrible, potentially fatal, mistake.
"Now, if you will excuse me, Your Majesty," Daphne said, her voice still calm. She rose from the cushion and gave a curtsy.
Daphne's hand, hidden from view, moved with a subtle, practiced ease.
A tiny, glittering needle, no bigger than a splinter, flew through the air, unseen by the Empress or her fawning court, and embedded itself in her body.
"I have a competition to win. And you have an empire to entertain."
With that, she turned and walked out of the chamber, her head held high.
The Empress was left alone, her small court staring at her with a new, dawning fear.
They had just seen a girl defy an Empress.
As the doors closed behind Daphne, a sudden warmth spread through the Empress's legs.
Her eyes widened in a moment of utter horror as she realized, too late, what had just happened.
She had lost control of her bladder, and the Empress of Eldoria, in her very own chambers, was now urinating on herself.
And soon, the whole of Eldoria will hear the news.