Pointing around at the exquisite room, Elise asked, "What do you think this represents?"

"Excessive wealth?" No one needed this much of anything.

"Yes, but what else?"

"That you have more than others."

"Yes. Now you're thinking. And what do you think that means?"

I scratched my head. "Power?"

"There it is." She looked around the room. "I couldn't care less about a single thing in this place. None of it matters to me. However, every single piece in this room is as essential to me as my most cherished possessions." She paused, and her brows scrunched. "No, they matter more. Without these symbols of wealth, of power, I couldn't rule. I've learned these past months that the symbols of power are the same as power."

"So you don't have real strength. You're just compensating."

She nodded. "Yes."

I wasn't expecting to be told I was right. "Okay, so what? Why not be strong? Like, really strong? I came to this world as a level zero nobody, and here I am... a gladiator... slave... prisoner... with what I'm realizing might be PTSD." Okay. Maybe she had a small point. "But still, I'm kind of strong! But, like, not super strong..."

The noblewoman laughed. "Oh, how far you've come, great traveler from another world."

As much as I hated to agree with her in any way, I could see the point she was making now that I'd said things out loud. I didn't have wealth or power. "So, what? Would having money make my life better?" Shit! I knew the answer to that.

"Of course it would. With it, you could buy better allies, equipment, and resources. You'd have more clout, so you'd be able to rub elbows with people who could open doors for you. You're strong. Don't doubt that. You may not be the Hero or even Amira, but you're no slouch, either. However, being strong, personally strong, can only get you so far. In the end, you can't get by on strength alone."

"So what, is money all that matters?"

"No. Not all. Money, status, titles. Friends, allies, marriages. Equipment, deeds, reputation. Everything adds up. If you're lacking in one thing, you can make up for it with another. Have them all, and you are among the truly powerful."

Okay, that made sense. "Let's say I get your point. Let's move past theory. What about the Dregs? Poverty. Crime. How does everything you're saying connect to why you're okay with people suffering?"

With a sigh, she said, "Can I be honest?"

"I'm pretty sure that's what we've been doing. Otherwise, that badass outside would have killed me already."

"True." Nodding, she said, "I don't love that this place exists. I hate it, actually. If I had the power, I'd make it right. But I don't. Nor does my father. We make the compromises we have to."

"Why is that?"

"Because this place is the playground of the powerful."

"So? They can go play somewhere else."

She shook her head. "And decentralize the corruption? Let them spread out and hide it? Would that be better?"

Wait... "So you're saying that you intentionally let people here be abused so that you can, what? Keep tabs on people? Contain it?"

"More or less. With the wealth and power and damage centralized to one place, we don't have to worry about it seeping out into the rest of Istaera."

"Nope." I shook my head and pointed at myself. "You're wrong. I'm proof of that. I was walking to Galden and—BAM—kidnapped and thrown into a fighting pit. It doesn't just stay in the Dregs."

Her face remained impassive, but I could tell something was spinning behind her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Make it better."

She shook her head. "What would happen if we didn't give the wealthy avenues to spend their wealth? How do you think my court would function? Would that win me allies or lose me them? When my father dies and it's all on me, how quickly until I am usurped, do you think? I need allies."

"Get new allies. I thought that was the whole point of power. You can find the right people."

She frowned. "It's not that easy."

"It's not supposed to be easy, Elise. Doing the right thing never is. And if keeping your power requires you to compromise and harm people, your power isn't worth shit."

That took her down a peg. She visibly deflated. "It's just not that simple."

"You keep saying that. But from where I'm standing, you're not any better than Aerell. No, you're worse. You can actually do something about all of this. She's just some nobody with a job that she likes. You, or maybe your dad, can fix it."

For the first time, I could see her crack. Instead of looking powerful and regal, she looked like what she was: a girl of maybe nineteen playing pretend in a fancy dress. "But father says—"

"Fuck your father! What do you think, Elise? What do you want?"

"I want to do what Sophia would have done. I want to rule well."

"Well, do it." I stepped closer. "And do it better than her, and do it better than your dad. Because, trust me. There's a cult making a joke of your father's lands as we speak, and this mafia or whatever it is is running the shots around here. Nobody even knows your dad's name, and I didn't even know the old duke died. You people don't matter. You have zero power here. You're just pretending while people tell you what you want to hear."

Her eyes fell. "What do you think will happen when the nobles don't have anything to spend their money on?"

"No idea. And I don't really care."

"You should. They become bored, indolent, and slothful. They fight and bicker amongst themselves. They talk and grow resentful. They war with one another. Scheme and murder. They grow rotten."

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"Sounds like they were already rotten, then."

She nodded. "That may be. But I've seen it. My father was almost murdered three times in my life, and I was ransomed as a girl. By his closest ally! And it was all after he made his court as wealthy and abundant as he could. That's when my father worked with the Crimson Kingdom to turn this place into what it is. Ever since, their minds have been focused on other things, and there's been peace."

"How'd he do that?"

"Through my father's support and the wealth generated by the mines and dungeon here, Galden has become one of the most powerful cities in Calvareth. As such, it attracts powerful players. Nobles, mages, knights, adventurers, and many more come to earn and spend their wealth. To keep those powerful players occupied, he allowed this undercity to form beneath the city above. He allowed the Crimson Kingdom to offer services to those who wanted them. And through that investment and direction, he was able to point their minds toward the least bad options while discouraging worse behaviors. All the while, the nobility gets to spend its coin on cheap thrills, thus burning excess capital down. And, importantly, it's become a neutral place where they can meet and deal with one another privately, without risking political consequences to our dealings. All the while, my father's eyes and ears are everywhere."

"Great. You get to play power broker while people die on the streets. The suffering means nothing to you."

"In the end, all that matters is that Istaera remains stable. Without that, how many more would die? Starve? Be captured? Enslaved?"

How could she be so nonchalant about that kind of suffering? "It's not right."

"I understand that!" She shot out of her chair and took a step for me. "But it's what it is!" Her eyes burned as she glared at me.

I'd gotten to her. I didn't now how or why. I was no great wordsmith. But I did it. "Look, I don't blame you. Not really. But I want you to at least try and understand what it's like for normal people. Five months ago, I got sent to the villages north of the Temple to help the villagers. While out there, I found out that people were getting sacrificed to some cult. I followed the paper trail with the love of my life, and that led me here. It's not so simple as keeping shit contained, Elise. It's spreading, whether you want to believe it or not."

Her balled fists relaxed, and she sat back down, looked me over, and sighed. "It's difficult to rule. Few have the temperament for it. I'm still learning. I have a lot of room to grow. But if you're so sure, do you think you could do better?"

"I never said I'd be good at it. I'm an idiot."

"I don't think you are. But I don't think you'd rule well, either. You're too straightforward. You'd get eaten alive."

"Yeah, probably. But I don't think you're all that great, either."

She sighed. "I'm not. I'm still learning. That's why I'm here."

"So what, then? That's it. You'll rub elbows with the right people now that you're down here?"

She shook her head. "No. Not exactly."

"Why then?"

"I'll admit, when we first met four months ago, I was here to enjoy myself at my father's request. To see the world. Today, I'm here to meet with other nobles and build a faction. My father won't be alive forever. It's essential that I gather allies before he's gone. When that day comes, I cannot be seen only as the daughter of the late duke. I need to be known, and the best way to do that is to meet everyone, be everywhere, and learn as much as I can about my future rivals while I make a name for myself."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"I have many plans in motion."

"Make better ones."

She scoffed.

"Where do I fit in all of this?"

"You don't. Well, you didn't. I simply found you entertaining. No other man has been in my skirts before."

I'd have to smack the Count when I saw him. "What changed?"

"I learned that I owed you a debt. One that I intended to pay. Subsequently, you gained a name for yourself. As such, obtaining your service would reflect well on me."

"What is this debt?"

"You saved my brother's life. Therefore, I plan to save yours."

"What's the catch?"

She laughed again. "Why assume there's a catch?"

"You just told me who you are. Let's keep being frank with one another. People like you always have a catch. What is it?"

She smirked. "I can grant you a pardon for your manufactured crimes. In turn, you will serve me until the end of your days."

"Why me?"

"Four reasons." Her eyes shimmered. "First, you're a traveler. Those are rare. Whether through your skills or your simple existence, your rarity would benefit me. Also, travelers can become strong. I could use that strength. Second, pardoning you would bolster my standing within the court. The nobles love to play at being magnanimous with the peasants, and you have a name and deeds that are known. I could use them to bolster my own. Third, you have a good reputation. I know I would be able to trust you if you were in my service. I could trust you."

"The fourth reason?"

"You're attractive, and you're strong. I wouldn't mind keeping you as a consort. Having an attractive partner would make it easier to wait until a worthy husband appears. Perhaps I'd even be able to rule without one." The whole mouse looking at cheese look returned. "Agree to be my consort, and I'll free you as soon as it's advantageous to do so."

I shook my head. "Sorry. I can't do that. I already have someone I love." And, I'd be free after I fought Vral... After I killed her.

A wave of guilt washed over me at the thought.

"I'd be happy to take her on, too. You two could do whatever you'd like when I'm absent. I couldn't care less. Nobles often have multiple partners. Why not their consorts, too?"

I wasn't expecting that reaction. But still... "Sorry. I can't do that. I won't do that. And I don't want your help, or your pardon. I don't want anything from you."

The mage in the corner twitched.

"I see." The leering look fell from her face, and her face became placid again. "And you'd turn me down if I offered myself now?"

"I would. My heart belongs to another."

"And you don't resent her?"

"Not at all."

"Surely that's not true? Surely you hate her for not finding you? For not fighting for you with everything she had? Your experiences have been terrible. Why wouldn't you hate her? It would be natural."

"I could never hate her. I know that she's done exactly what was best every step of the way. Just because that hasn't led her to me doesn't mean that she's done the wrong thing. The fact that she isn't here means she's done exactly what she's needed to." I had to believe that. I had to believe that the Goddess had been leading her where she needed to be. The same for me. There had to be a point to all of this.

For a long time, Elise stared at me. Then, she nodded, and for the first time since I'd entered the room, she smiled a genuine smile. "Worthy," she said quietly, almost to herself. "Just as you said." Before I could ask what she meant, she stood and walked toward a side door. She paused at the doorway and looked back at me. "A pity, though. I like your passion." Then, she was through the door, closing it softly behind her.

Standing there in the vast, empty room, surrounded by luxury I couldn't even begin to comprehend, I wondered what the hell was happening. As the door's echo faded, the silence was profound, broken only by the soft whisper of air moving through the vast space. Finally, after several long moments, I heard footsteps. Finding the source of the sound, I saw that the hooded figure who'd been standing in the corner was moving toward me. No. The mage was practically running across the room toward me.

My muscles tensed automatically—months in the Pit had taught me to expect an attack. I held up my hands and readied myself to fight. When the mage got within striking range, I pulled my fist back and threw my fist at her head.

"Alex..."

Her voice... it froze the blood in my veins. My fist stopped an inch from her skull.

The mage threw back her hood and threw her arms around me.

That's when my world stopped.

"I'm so sorry..." She was looking up at me. She had familiar black hair, longer than I remembered, that framed a face I'd seen every night in my dreams. Her sapphire eyes were filled with tears that reflected the crystal light around us like stars. Her plump lips were saying something, but I couldn't hear the words.

"Tristan?"

The woman buried her head in my chest and wrapped her arms around me. She squeezed me so tightly that I could barely breathe. But I didn't care. I buried my head into her hair and held her close, wishing I could pull her into me, until we were one.

"I thought you were dead... I thought you were gone... For so long... When I learned... I thought you'd hate me..." Her voice hitched, and she sobbed.

I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but hold her and let the months of pain and loneliness crash over me like a wave.

Every word was punctuated with kisses as she loved on my hands, my arms, my neck, my face.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close, lifting her off her feet.

She was real. She was here. After everything—the Pit, Aerell, the fights, the despair—Tristan was here.

She wrapped her legs around me, and I carried her toward the bed. Then, for the first time in months, I felt something other than pain.

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