Beyond the Council stood a throne. Empty. Waiting. Above it hung the symbol of the House — the Ace of Spades, shining beneath the candlelight. For the first time, she understood what the House had been offering her. Not a place at the table. Not merely a secret. Power. The throne promised everything she had once believed she wanted: influence, certainty, belonging, and a place no one could take away from her. But there was always a price. The House did not ask for gold. It asked for something much more precious. Her freedom.