The silence that followed the display of intelligence was not one of peace, but of profound anxiety. The nobles looked at the documents as if they were shards of glass—beautiful, sharp, and capable of drawing blood from the hand that held them.
"This power is intoxicating," Duke Hektor muttered, his voice strained. "But it is a double-edged sword. If her shadows can enter the bedchambers of our enemies, what is to stop them from entering ours?"
Draven saw his opening. He stepped forward, his dark brown hair catching the torchlight as he cast a sharp, accusing look at the veiled figure. "My father speaks of alliance, but trust is not built on secrets alone."
"How can we be certain these abilities won't be used against the Emberclaw?" Draven demanded, his voice echoing with a desperate authority. "You offer us the world, Regina, but you hold the leash. Who guards us from our own guards?"
Regina did not flinch at his tone. Through the veil, she watched him—the man who had discarded her for being "weak"—and she felt nothing but a cold, distant amusement.
She snapped her fingers a second time. The air in the center of the room distorted, and Azryth materialized from the floorboards. He bore an object draped in heavy, dark cloth, moving with a reverence that hushed the remaining murmurs.
He placed the object on the mahogany table with a heavy thud. The nobles recoiled as Regina reached out, her fingers catching the edge of the fabric.
With a swift motion, she pulled the cloth away. Beneath it sat a jagged, obsidian-like orb that seemed to pull the very light from the room. It hummed with a low, mournful vibration that made the teeth of those nearby ache.
High Priest Valerius surged to his feet, his face turning a ghostly white. He pointed a trembling finger at the object. "An Umbra Stone... by the heavens, they were thought to be extinct since the Great Purge centuries ago!"
"Explain the stone to those who do not know the old ways, Priest," the King commanded, his gaze fixed on the dark orb.
"It is a relic of the Void," Valerius whispered, his voice thick with dread. "It is an instrument of absolute binding. Whoever swears an oath upon the stone ties their very soul to the words spoken. If the oath is broken, the stone claims the life force of the transgressor. It is a death sentence for the unfaithful."
The courtroom went cold. Regina drew a small, silver dagger from her belt, the blade gleaming under the gold chandeliers.
Without a word, she pressed the edge against the tip of her finger. A single drop of deep, crimson blood welled up and fell, landing directly onto the surface of the Umbra Stone.
The orb reacted instantly, turning from a dull black to a pulsing, violent purple. Regina placed her hand over the stone, her voice ringing out with a terrifying clarity.
"I, Regina of the Obsidian Keep, swear my loyalty to the Empire of Emberclaw," she proclaimed. "My shadows shall be your shield and your eyes, so long as the Crown honors our pact. Let the stone take my breath should I turn my blade against this throne."
The stone flared with a blinding light before settling into a steady, rhythmic glow. The bond was sealed. The life of the Shadow Queen was now a forfeit for her loyalty.
Draven fell silent, his throat dry. Eliosa gripped her rosary so hard the beads bit into her palm. They had wanted to paint her as a threat, but she had just made herself the Empire's most valuable—and most bound—servant.