A sharp gasp rippled across the chamber. Some councilmen stiffened where they sat, while others exchanged uneasy glances with their interpreters. The translators hesitated, whispering among themselves, uncertain if they had heard her correctly until Kenric gave a curt nod.

He spoke a few brief words in Hilde. And then the word landed.

Annexation.

It struck harder than a drawn sword.

"Annexation?" Councilman Nathan finally managed to say, his voice caught between disbelief and outrage. "Surely you jest, Your Highness."

Ravenna's jet black eyes narrowed slightly. She leaned forward, elbows resting on the table, her fingers steepled beneath her chin. Her tone, when she spoke, was soft, almost gentle but it carried the sharpness of tempered steel.

"Do I look," she asked, her voice cutting through the air, "like I am in a mood to jest?"

The table fell silent. Even the chandeliers seemed to burn lower, the flickering light throwing her face into alternating bands of shadow and fire.

"Let's not pretend Otto can withstand Bolita's fleets or Conley's ambitions on its own," Ravenna continued, each word deliberate, each pause precise. "Your ships are built for commerce, not for war. Your wealth leaks into enemy hands like water through sand. And every merchant in this room knows a simple truth: wealth without protection is nothing but bait."

Her words slashed through the chamber's stillness like a dagger.

"If Otto falls," she said, her voice lowering to a near whisper, "your trade ends. Your families will be enslaved or scattered. Your legacy, your precious legacy will become nothing but a forgotten footnote in another empire's conquest."

The interpreters translated, and murmurs followed. A few councilmen whispered to their attendants in their native tongues. Finally, one of the older merchants, a balding man with gold rings on each finger, rose halfway from his seat and spoke through his interpreter.

"It makes no sense, Your Highness. We have survived a century in autonomy under the Hilde Kingdom's protection. Why," the man's brow furrowed, "would we surrender that independence now, just to be annexed by another empire? Especially when Conley seeks to do the same?"

Ravenna chuckled softly, the sound both melodic and mocking. "So," she said, tilting her head, "you would rather fall in the name of neutrality than survive under protection?"

She leaned back, her wine swirling lazily in the goblet between her fingers. "For all your century-long pride, not one kingdom or empire has come to your defense in your hour of need. The Hilde Kingdom, the very one that promised to safeguard the Free Cities has already turned its back. Tell me, Councilman Nathan, how long will your autonomy protect you when your neighbors are sharpening their blades?"

The chamber was silent again, save for the faint crackle of torches.

Ravenna's expression softened into something that almost resembled warmth. "But," she continued, resting her chin on her hand, "if Otto were to become part of the Kim Dukedom, part of my dominion then everything changes."

Her smile deepened, that dangerous smile she wore whenever victory was within reach.

"You would gain the Ancorna Empire's protection," she said, her tone silky. "Kim City's fleets, which, if you've been keeping up, have already crushed two battalions of the Imperial Navy. You would gain my patronage, my personal stake in ensuring that no one, not Bolita, not Conley, not even the gods themselves, touch a single grain of your docks without my permission."

Stolen novel; please report.

The interpreters repeated her words, and a ripple of disbelief ran through the hall. Some of the councilmen began whispering fiercely; others simply stared at her in confusion as to what to do.

But Councilman Nathan, ever the cautious merchant, straightened in his seat. "Even if we agreed, Your Highness," he said, his tone slow and deliberate, "would that not bind us to the Ancorna Empire's laws? Many of our industries: the slave trade, unregulated flower trade, magical research are illegal under imperial law."

Another councilwoman joined in, her translator speaking hurriedly. "Yes, and Kim Dukedom itself is known for its policy of state ownership, no private enterprises, no guild autonomy. Wouldn't that mean we would have to surrender our businesses to you? How is that any different from Bolita's occupation under Conley's control?.. It fact it will be worst"

The tension thickened like smoke.

Ravenna didn't answer right away. She merely smiled, slowly, knowingly. Then, with deliberate grace, she set her wine goblet down on the table, the faint clink ringing through the room.

"Oh," she said softly, her tone dangerous yet mesmerizing, "you misunderstand me, my dear councilwoman."

She rose from her seat, her movements fluid and commanding, every eye following her as her gown's dark folds brushed against the cold stone floor. The mark on her thigh glimmered faintly beneath the slit of her gown as she stepped into the light.

"I'm not here to take your wealth," she said. "I'm here to teach you how to keep it." The words hung in the air like a spell: beautiful, dangerous, and impossible to ignore.

With a graceful motion of her hand, Kenric unfurled a rolled parchment across the oak table. It was a map of Otto City, the island jewel of the Free Cities. A small ring of trade and luxury floating in the southern sea, its heart a maze of marble streets and merchant guildhouses, its coasts lined with docks, cranes, and shipyards that never slept.

The moment the map touched the table, everyone leaned closer. Under the lamplight, a red border shimmered faintly, outlining the entire circumference of the island: every beach, every pier, every dockyard, every inch of shoreline.

"I never said," Ravenna began, her voice carrying a faint purr of satisfaction, "that I intend to annex all of Otto City."

Her gloved finger traced the glowing border of red ink. "Just this. Every stretch of sand and stone where land meets sea. The ports, the harbors, the coastal roads, the watchtowers. Everything that touches the tide will belong to the Kim Dukedom."

Gasps rippled through the chamber. Even before Kenric translated, they understood the implication.

It wasn't just bold, it was an insane idea.

Ravenna smiled, a predator's smile wrapped in velvet diplomacy. "The central city, the market squares, the guild halls, the noble districts, etc those remain yours. You will keep your autonomy, your titles, your trade councils, your precious illusion of independence."

Her eyes gleamed with dark amusement. "But to leave the island… or to enter it… you will pass through me."

A few of the councilmen paled. Councilman Nathan swallowed hard, his knuckles white against the table. "Your Highness… you would control every border. Every port. Every dock. That means—"

"That means," Ravenna interrupted, her voice silk and steel, "you will never again worry about Conley's warships landing on your shores. Or Bolita's touching your harbors.. "

She leaned forward, resting her chin delicately on her clasped hands. "You will have the Kim Dukedom's fleets guarding your waters, and through me, the Ancorna Empire's navy itself. Once I raise the banner of Ancorna on those coasts, they will be declared imperial territory. Any attack on them will be considered an act of war against the Ancorna Empire."

The realization struck them all at once. She wasn't just defending Otto, she was conning the Emperor into defending it for her.. To gain ships under her command.

She continued, her voice low and deliberate. "When Bolita or Conley makes their move, the Empire will have no choice but to respond. They will send fleets, ships, soldiers, all under the banner of protecting Ancornan lands. And when those ships arrive…"

Her smile widened. "They will fly my colors."

The silence that followed was heavy enough to crush the air. Even the interpreters hesitated, glancing between one another before translating her words into Hilde. The council murmured, some in awe, others in fear.

Councilman Nathan finally spoke, his voice tight. "You are asking us to surrender our sovereignty for our borders. To cage our city within your borders."

Ravenna tilted her head, unbothered. "Caged? No, councilman. I am offering you walls made of gold and steel instead of salt and ash."

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