Amara's POV
The great doors of the Blackwood Council Chamber opened with a groan—one that sounded like it belonged in a cathedral, not a palace. The chamber was a circle of power. A ring of black stone walls, gilded chairs, a single throne at the head. Chris sat there now—regal, unmoving, every bit the Emperor.
To his right was my seat. Empress in both law and presence. I took it.
Classic arrived first. He was dressed sharply, but his eyes scanned everyone in the room like a soldier measuring the strength of allies—and the weaknesses of potential enemies. He gave me a nod of respect, then gave Chris a firmer one. We both understood what that meant: He's with us.
Darius entered next, his energy quiet but unreadable. That man could witness a coup and not blink. Yet I'd seen the burden in his eyes lately—he knew more than he let on.
The heads of B.A.M. came last. Clad in their black battle uniforms, with red symbols stitched into their collars. Twelve of them in total. The room was heavy with silence until Chris finally spoke.
> "Last night, I bled. In my own castle. In the same room where I sleep. That should terrify every man and woman in this room. Because if I can bleed, the Empire can bleed."
Silence. No one dared interrupt.
> "So now, I ask all of you: What went wrong?"
One of the B.A.M. heads cleared his throat. "Sir, the chamber had been cleared and locked by protocol. The guard who entered—he was not scheduled. His ID chip was cloned. There was no alert in the system."
Chris didn't blink. "So I ask again. What went wrong?"
The man flinched but said nothing more.
I stood.
> "You all became comfortable," I said, voice slicing through the air. "Comfortable with silence. Comfortable with control. Comfortable thinking no one would dare."
I looked toward Darius. "And when people get comfortable, they forget what this empire is built on: Order enforced by fear."
Chris nodded slowly. "Well said."
He rose from his throne.
> "From this moment forward, any breach in protocol, no matter how small—will be met with execution. There are no second chances. Amara?"
I stepped forward, raising a silver tablet.
> "These are new orders:
All access to the Emperor's wing now requires triple encryption and a biometric scan verified by me or Chris.
All Blackwood guards will undergo daily psychological sweeps.
Any unauthorized tech, device, or comm found within palace walls will be grounds for immediate detainment.
And the person who entered our chamber…" I paused, letting the tension grow. "…will be made an example. Publicly. BBN will broadcast it. You all need to be reminded what betrayal costs."
Chris's voice cut in, final and cold.
> "We do not tolerate risk. Not in my castle. Not in my reign."
He sat down again.
I scanned the room. No one objected.
Good.
Because the Blackwood Empire doesn't run on democracy. It runs on control.
And we just reclaimed it.
—