The Grand Gala was a sea of frozen faces. I stood in the center of the hall, the Grand Chamberlain's spiritual fire still licking at the edges of my ledger, but I didn't flinch.
"Your Eminence," I said, my voice projecting to the very rafters of the palace. "You speak of spiritual debts. I speak of Principal."
I reached into my bag and pulled out a scroll with a heavy, black wax seal. The seal of the Imperial Oversight Committee.
"As of four minutes ago—the exact moment the sun dipped below the horizon—the Imperial Treasury has officially promoted me to Principal Auditress of the Realm," I announced. "This gives me the legal authority to freeze any account associated with 'systemic risk' to the Crown."
"You have no such power!" the Chamberlain roared.
"Actually, page 4, paragraph 2 of the Coronation Charter says otherwise," I countered, snapping my fingers.
Hans stepped forward, flanked by four members of the Prince's Guard. They weren't carrying swords; they were carrying Red Ink.
"I am officially declaring the Chapel of the Iron Hand a 'Toxic Asset,'" I said, the smirk on my face reaching my eyes. "Every gold dragon you've moved into the Northern Mountains is now legally considered a 'bad debt.' I have sent word to the Mountain pass—the supply lines are cut. Your 'Holy Army' is currently being liquidated for lack of payroll."
The Chamberlain's face went from pale to a sickly shade of grey. He looked at the nobles in the crowd. They were backed away from him. In the Capital, there is no sickness worse than being associated with a man whose bank account has been frozen.
Kaelen stepped up beside me, his hand resting on my shoulder. "You heard the Principal, Chamberlain. Your credit has been revoked. Guards, take him to the 'Collection Agency.' It's a small, damp room in the East Wing with very poor ventilation."
Later that night, the Gala had turned from a party into a crime scene. Kaelen and I stood on the balcony, watching the moon reflect off the harbor.
"Principal Level," Kaelen mused, looking at my new silver seal. "It sounds very... official. Does this mean I have to make an appointment to talk to my fiancée?"
"Only if it's about a budget increase," I joked, though my heart was finally starting to slow down. "Otherwise, you're on the 'Preferred Partner' list. No wait times."
Kaelen turned me to face him, his eyes serious for the first time all night. "You saved the Empire tonight, Elara. Not with a sword, but with a pen. You realize the Chamberlain was just the tip of the iceberg, right? The Iron Hand has investors in every Kingdom on the continent."
"I know," I said, leaning my head against his chest. "But that's the thing about a Principal Audit. You don't stop until every single line item is accounted for. We aren't just cleaning up Oakhaven, Kaelen. We're going to audit the entire world."