The Council chamber was designed to make people hesitate.
Vaulted ceilings high enough to dwarf the voice. Stone columns hauled from quarries three kingdoms away. A circular table wide enough that no one ever felt close to anyone else.
Permanence. Tradition. Collective authority.
I'd always hated it.
Not because it intimidated me.
Because it tried to.
I took my seat without waiting to be acknowledged, setting my leather portfolio on the table with measured calm. Seventeen councilors were present—not a full assembly.
An emergency session.
For me.
Chancellor Veronus sat opposite me, hands folded, posture immaculate. Old nobility. Old power. The sort of man who believed authority was inherited, not earned.
He'd voted against my appointment six years ago.
"Commander Valeira," he said smoothly. "Thank you for attending on short notice."
"I attend when summoned," I replied. "That's my role."
A polite fiction. We both knew I remained because I produced results, not because they trusted me.
"We've received reports," Veronus continued, "that are… concerning."
I said nothing.
Councilor Thane leaned forward instead. Military background. Direct. Efficient. One of the few in this room who understood real threats.
"Witnesses at the eastern docks described an unidentified individual," he said. "Tall. Dark. Capable of bypassing wards. Several claim he vanished into shadow."
"Dockworkers claim a lot of things," I said evenly. "Especially at night."
"This same individual," Veronus cut in, "was seen entering your private study yesterday evening. Alone. Without clearance."
So they were watching my quarters.
I noted that quietly.
"I meet informants privately," I said. "That's not new."
"Informants leave records," Thane said. "This one doesn't exist."
"Then perhaps your record-keeping is incomplete."
A ripple of irritation moved around the table.
Veronus's smile thinned. "Commander, no one is accusing you of misconduct. We're concerned about your safety."
A lie.
A careful one.
"Your concern is acknowledged," I said.
"Then you'll cooperate," he pressed. "Provide his name. His origin. His credentials."
I met his gaze.
"No."
The silence was immediate—and sharp.
"Pardon?" Veronus said.
"My sources are classified," I replied. "Revealing them compromises operations. The charter you approved allows for that discretion."
"It allows oversight," Councilor Maren said sharply. New blood. Ambitious. Always circling weakness. "You're not exempt from it."
"I'm not claiming exemption," I said. "I'm exercising authority. If you believe that authority should be revoked, call for a vote."
Veronus's jaw tightened.
They didn't have the votes.
Thane exhaled slowly. "Commander, this man has people frightened. Rumors are spreading. That creates instability."
"Then manage the rumors," I said. "That's your domain."
"It would be easier," Maren snapped, "if we knew what he was."
I leaned back slightly.
Truth would spark panic.
A lie would rot credibility.
So I chose precision.
"He's a specialist," I said. "With capabilities beyond conventional forces. I've verified his usefulness."
"Specialist in what?" Veronus demanded.
"Problem resolution."
"That's evasive."
"It's sufficient."
The temperature dropped.
Not figuratively.
Condensation froze along the rims of the water glasses. Breath fogged in the air near the outer windows.
Several councilors noticed at once.
Veronus stood abruptly. "What is this?"
"A courtesy," a voice said calmly from the chamber entrance.
Every head turned.
The Demon King stood in the doorway.
The doors were sealed. Guarded. Warded.
He had walked through regardless.
"You," Veronus whispered. "Guards!"
No one answered.
"They're unharmed," the Demon King said mildly, stepping forward. "They'll wake shortly."
"What did you do to them?" Maren demanded.
"Put them to sleep."
He moved farther inside, careful not to approach me directly.
Deliberate distance.
Deliberate deference.
"You dare enter this chamber—" Veronus began.
"I was invited," the Demon King interrupted, eyes shifting to me. "Commander. Do you require my presence?"
It was a question.
An offering.
The room waited.
I stood.
"Councilors," I said, "this is my attaché."
"You can't—" Veronus snapped.
"I can," I said flatly. "The charter permits specialist recruitment. You ratified it."
"This is different," Maren hissed.
"Because he frightens you?"
"Because he's dangerous!"
"So am I," I said quietly. "That's why you keep me."
Thane studied the Demon King carefully. Not afraid. Calculating.
"What's his function?" he asked.
"Security," I said. "Threat assessment. Neutralization."
"We have soldiers," Veronus snapped.
"Your soldiers failed to detect the last incursions," the Demon King said calmly. "Your wards failed. Your intelligence failed."
He looked at them one by one.
"She didn't."
Silence.
"I answer only to her," he continued. "I will not take orders from this Council."
"That's unacceptable," Veronus said. "An unaccountable asset—"
"Then remove him," I said.
The room went still.
"You'd defy us?" Veronus asked.
"I'd protect this city," I replied. "As I always have."
Maren shook her head. "This sets a dangerous precedent."
"Everything I do does," I said. "That's leadership."
Thane cleared his throat.
"Perhaps," he said slowly, "a trial period."
Eyes turned to him.
"Thirty days," he continued. "Observation. Evaluation."
It was survival politics.
Veronus hated it—but the nods were already spreading.
"Agreed," I said.
The session ended shortly after.
When the chamber emptied, I turned to the Demon King.
"That was a risk."
"Yes."
"They'll come for me now."
"They already were."
"You made yourself visible."
"So they'd understand."
I studied him. "Understand what?"
"That you are not alone."
He stepped closer.
"You claimed me," he said quietly.
"I assigned you."
He smiled. "You stood for me."
"I won't bind you."
"I know."
That was the point.
When he left, the chamber felt emptier than before.
I'd crossed a line.
Claimed a demon king.
Made enemies I couldn't outmaneuver forever.
And for the first time—
I didn't regret it.
---