The royal wedding was announced three days later.
Proclamations went up throughout the city, heralds calling from street corners, banners unfurling from the palace walls. Prince Edrin, favored son of the Emperor, would wed Lady Cassia of House Merent. A great alliance, they said. A union that would strengthen the realm and bring prosperity to all.
I read the proclamation from the window of our hired room and felt nothing but suspicion.
"Political marriage," Sael said from behind me. "Merent is one of the oldest houses. Strong ties to the southern provinces, significant land holdings, and enough votes in the council to matter. The Emperor's been courting them for years."
"And Edrin gets a wife he doesn't want."
"Edrin gets power. Which is what he actually wants." Sael moved to stand beside me, looking down at the street below. "The wedding is in five days. There will be a feast after, celebrations throughout the city. Half the court will be there."
"Good for them."
"Good for you, Captain. Because that's when you should approach him."
I turned to look at him. "You want me to interrupt a wedding feast?"
"I want you to use the opportunity. Edrin will be surrounded by allies and rivals, all of them watching him, all of them trying to position themselves for favor. If you approach him then, publicly, with a matter of justice and Crown security, he can't ignore you. And he can't dismiss you without looking weak."
"Or he can have me arrested for disrupting his wedding."
"He won't. Not if you do it right. Not if you make it about service to the realm, not personal ambition." Sael crossed his arms. "You want an audience with someone who can shield you while you build your case? This is how you get it."
I didn't like it. Didn't like the performance of it, the way it turned justice into theater. But Sael was right. I needed access, and access in Cerasis came with rituals and protocols I didn't understand.
"I'll think about it," I said.
"You keep saying that. But time is running out, Captain. Every day we sit on this evidence is another day someone realizes what we have. Another day Maros Welle adjusts his network. Another day the ministers cover their tracks."
"I know."
"Then stop thinking and act."
He left before I could respond, his footsteps echoing down the stairs.
I stayed at the window, watching the city move below me, and thought about princes and power and the cost of playing games I didn't know how to win.
***
That afternoon, I went to the warehouse.
The south bank near the fishmongers was exactly as the runner had described. A stretch of old buildings, most of them abandoned or converted into storage, the smell of fish and river water thick in the air. I found the warehouse easily, a squat structure with boarded windows and a foundation of stacked stone.
Third from the left.
I knelt and worked the stone loose. Behind it was a hollow space, just large enough for a folded piece of parchment. I reached in and pulled it out.
Instructions. Coded, but not encrypted. A list of drop points, delivery times, payment amounts. And at the bottom, a notation: M.W. office near river gate, east quarter.
Maros Welle. An office location.
I memorized the address and replaced the stone, brushing away any sign I'd been there. Then I walked back through the streets, blending into the afternoon crowds, and thought about how close I was getting.
***
When I returned to the Cracked Bell, Maer was waiting in my room.
He stood by the window, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He looked up when I entered.
"You went alone," he said.
"I didn't need company."
"You didn't want company." He stepped away from the window. "Ryn, you can't keep doing this. You can't keep pushing everyone away and pretending you're fine."
"I am fine."
"You're not. You're running yourself into the ground, and you won't let anyone help you."
"I don't need help."
"Everyone needs help." He moved closer, his voice dropping. "Even you. Especially you."
I set my pack down and turned to face him. "What do you want from me, Maer?"
"I want you to stop for five minutes. I want you to look at me and admit that you're not invincible. That you're scared and tired and that this is harder than you thought it would be."
"And then what? What does that change?"
"It means you're human. It means you're allowed to feel things."
"I don't have time to feel things."
"When, then? After you've delivered the folio? After you've exposed the conspiracy? After you've died trying to save people who don't even know your name?" His voice cracked slightly. "When do you get to live, Ryn?"
I looked at him, at the frustration and worry and something deeper in his eyes. And I wanted to give him an answer. Wanted to tell him that there would be time, that I could stop once this was finished, that we could figure out what came next.
But I couldn't lie to him.
"I don't know," I said quietly.
He exhaled, the tension draining from his shoulders. "At least that's honest."
He crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. I stayed where I was, uncertain.
"Can I tell you something?" he asked.
"If you want."
"I grew up in a village on the border. Small place, barely a hundred people. We had farms, a mill, a tavern. Normal life." He stared at his hands. "When I was sixteen, raiders hit us. Burned half the village, killed anyone who resisted. My parents died trying to protect the grain stores. I hid in the mill until they left."
I didn't say anything. Just listened.
"After that, I left. Became a scout because I wanted to see things coming. Wanted to never be caught off guard again. And for years, that worked. I moved from place to place, took contracts, kept moving." He looked up at me. "But I was always alone. Always running. Until I met you."
"Maer..."
"Let me finish." He stood and walked over to me. "You reminded me that there are things worth stopping for. Worth fighting for. Not just survival, but something more. And I know you don't see it yet, but you're one of those things, Ryn. You're worth stopping for."
He reached out and took my hand, his fingers warm against mine.
"I'm not asking you to choose me over your duty," he said. "I'm just asking you to remember that you matter too. That when this is over, there's still a life to live. And I'd like to be part of it."
My throat tightened. I wanted to pull away, to put distance between us, to protect both of us from this. But I didn't. I stood there, his hand in mine, and let myself feel it.
"I don't know if I can," I said.
"Can what?"
"Stop. Live. Be anything other than this." I gestured vaguely at myself. "I've been the Warden for so long, I don't know how to be anything else."
"Then learn. After this is done, learn." He squeezed my hand. "I'll help you. If you let me."
I looked at him, at the hope in his eyes, the way he looked at me like I was something worth saving. And I almost believed him.
Almost.
"I need to go," I said, pulling my hand free. "There's work to do."
He nodded slowly, disappointment flickering across his face. "Of course there is."
I walked to the door, then paused and looked back. "Maer. Thank you. For caring. Even if I don't know what to do with it."
"You will," he said. "Eventually."
I left before he could say anything else, before the weight in my chest could turn into something I couldn't control.
***
The royal wedding was held in the palace cathedral, a vast structure of white stone and colored glass that dominated the upper district. I didn't attend. Wardens weren't invited to royal weddings, and I had no interest in watching Edrin marry someone for political convenience.
But I went to the feast.
The grand hall was exactly as overwhelming as I'd expected. Hundreds of people in silk and velvet, jewels glittering in the candlelight, tables laden with food and wine. Musicians played in the gallery above, and servants moved through the crowd with trays of delicacies I couldn't name.
I stood near the entrance, out of place in my Warden uniform, and scanned the room for Edrin.
He sat at the high table, his new bride beside him. Lady Cassia was beautiful in the way great house daughters were expected to be. Pale skin, dark hair arranged in elaborate braids, a gown that probably cost more than I'd earn in a year. She smiled and nodded at the guests who approached, playing her role perfectly.
Edrin looked bored.
He caught my eye across the room, and something flickered in his expression. Surprise, maybe. Or interest. He leaned over to say something to his bride, then stood and walked down from the dais.
I waited.
He crossed the hall with the easy confidence of someone who'd never doubted his place in the world. People stepped aside as he passed, bowing slightly, murmuring congratulations. He ignored them all.
When he reached me, he stopped and looked me over with open curiosity.
"Captain Halvar," he said. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Your Highness." I inclined my head slightly. "I need to speak with you. Privately."
"At my wedding feast?"
"Yes."
He studied me for a moment, then smiled. It was the kind of smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Bold. I like that. Come with me."
He led me through a side door into a smaller chamber, away from the noise of the hall. A private sitting room, furnished with chairs and a low table. He gestured for me to sit, but I remained standing.
"You have my attention, Captain," he said. "What's so urgent it couldn't wait?"
I pulled the ledger parchment from my coat and handed it to him. "This."
He unfolded it and read, his expression shifting from casual interest to something sharper. When he finished, he looked up.
"Where did you get this?"
"I intercepted a courier. He was delivering it to a clerk in the treasury building."
"And you think this is connected to the border raids? To your investigation?"
"I know it is. These are payments moving through Crown accounts, routed to people who don't exist. It's how the houses are funding the chaos. And it implicates ministers, clerks, possibly people close to the Emperor himself."
Edrin set the parchment down and walked to the window. He was quiet for a long moment, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Do you know what you're asking me to do, Captain?" he said finally.
"I'm asking you to help me expose corruption."
"You're asking me to go against my father's ministers. To risk political capital on an investigation that could destabilize the court." He turned to look at me. "Why should I?"
"Because it's the right thing to do."
He laughed, short and bitter. "The right thing. Captain, the right thing doesn't matter in Cerasis. Power matters. Influence matters. Survival matters."
"Then help me because it serves your interests. If you expose this, you become the prince who cleaned up the court. The one who stood against corruption. That's worth something, isn't it?"
He studied me, his expression calculating. "It is. But it's also dangerous. If I align myself with you, the houses will turn on me. They'll see it as a threat."
"They're already turning on each other. You'd just be choosing a side."
"And what do I get in return? Besides the satisfaction of being right?"
I met his gaze. "You get a Warden captain who will work for the Crown. Who will use her authority to protect your interests and ensure the border stays secure. Isn't that what you want? Stability?"
He smiled again, and this time it reached his eyes. "You're clever, Captain. I can see why you've made it this far."
He picked up the parchment and folded it carefully. "I'll help you. But on one condition."
"What condition?"
"You stay close to me. You report to me, not the court, not the Emperor. You become my eyes and ears in this investigation, and when the time comes to present your evidence, you do it my way."
I hesitated. It was exactly what Sael had warned me about. Becoming someone's tool, trading one form of control for another.
But I needed the access. I needed the protection.
"Agreed," I said.
"Good." He walked to the door and paused, looking back. "One more thing, Captain. When this is over, when we've exposed the conspiracy and the ministers have fallen, I'll expect you to remember who helped you. Loyalty is valuable. Don't forget that."
"I won't."
He nodded and opened the door. "Now go. Enjoy the feast. You've earned it."
I left the room and walked back through the hall, the music and laughter washing over me like a tide. I found Joss near the entrance, and he fell into step beside me as we left.
"Well?" he asked.
"He agreed. He'll help."
"And what does he want in return?"
"Everything," I said quietly.
We walked out into the night, and I thought about princes and bargains and the price of justice.
I'd made a deal with someone I didn't trust.
But I was one step closer to finding Maros Welle.
And that was all that mattered.