Wrapped in silence and brand new garments, you sat in a carriage and looked out the window as empty fields and muddy paths flew by.

You couldn't believe it yourself, but Ciri really had made you an offer that you were unable to decline.

As of her, the emperor was desperate and the verge of being thrown over by an uprising revolution amongst the peasants of the empire.

The nobles weren't on his side either. They smelled nervousness like hunting dogs smelled blood of a prey and only waited for the right moment to get their hands on the throne.

Ciri didn't care for what happened with the emperor, at least that's what she stated, but she did wish for the empire of Nilfgaard to remain for it had been her mothers last place to be called home.

Now all you needed to do was to cling to this desperation that the emperor was staring to slowly sink into and maybe you'd be able to regain some of your parents noble prestige.

But most things were easier said than done. Especially when it came to this man and winning his trust.

Many winters had passed ever since you had seen him last, but there was a thing you remembered about the emperor as clear as dawn.

He was a man of not only intelligence but also wisdom.

Your father had always preached that intelligence came from books but wisdom grew with experience.

And the emperor had both. That made him a dangerous man to play games with.

You feared that after a few years away from high society you forgot how to play the game of lies and intrigues that he had mastered so many decades ago.

The only thing that kept you from jumping out of that carriage right there and then was the hope to regain wealth and property that once belonged to your mother.

It still filled your chest with great shame to thing about how you lost all the things that were yours by inheritance to banks that had simply lied.

There was no way in all of the universes for you to make enough money to buy the lost properties back.

But with the emperor by your side things would be able to change.

Yet again, he had been the one to decline your audience as you had asked for help.

There truly wasn't a glimpse of good in that man's heart.

But his mind was far greater.

All you needed to do was to convince him.

Even though it would be a fight, this was something you were willing to go the extra mile for. You needed to bring honour to the name that your parents had left you with.

And the emperor was the only one in all of Nilfgaard powerful enough to make an impact on your situation.

Otherwise there was nothing left for you.

The carriage hit a bump.

Torn from your thoughts, you blinked and looked up just in the right moment to see the castle walls rise into the cloudy dark sky.

Even after years of being away they still managed to strike you in some kind of way that was breathtaking.

As a child you had always seen them as huge and majestic, a sign of how powerful this empire was and how it would never crumble.

Now, as an adult, it struck you as intimidating and lifeless with its dark bricks and the black banners with the imperial sun embedded on the fabrics.

It was a piece of money and power.

Yet it didn't show beauty nor mercy like the castle of Toussaint.

It's sheer purpose was to intimidate those who were unfamiliar with Nilfgaard and its royalty.

Swallowing hard to fight back the shivers, you leaned away from the window again and closed your eyes.

Magic started to tickle in the tips of your fingers.

This would most certainly turn out to be a problem as well.

The emperor wasn't as hateful towards mages as King Radovid, yet it was better to not provoke him. He'd see an opportunity to take advantage of your abilities. Or worse, he'd use you without batting an eye.

Either way, you only wanted to be master of yourself. So it was best to keep this gift of your fathers blood hidden.

He had seen you grow up and for a long time you had been some sort of mentor to his daughter when it came to magical abilities. But that was years ago. Maybe he had forgotten.

A soft chuckle made your chest quiver.

No, the great emperor of Nilfgaard didn't forget. Never.

If there was something that could be of use to him he'd store it away in the back of his mind to keep safe for later use.

And someone who knew the ways of magic was very much useful to him.

A lie.

You needed to think about a good lie as to why your magic wouldn't be of use to him.

Maybe he'd believe it if you said your powers hadn't grown.

That was a lie, but not fundamentally.

Your father had never raised you to be a magic wielder. Your abilities were purely for show, a little useful for self defence as well. But you weren't able to cast real spells that caused destruction the way others did.

At best, you managed to cast simple protection spells like the one in your house.

That was something that the emperor would be displeased about.

But you didn't agree to Cirilla's bidding to become the emperor's personal mage.

You had other things to offer.

More dangerous things when it came to nobles and the structure of a royal court.

Knocking made you open your eyes again.

You leaned forward to slide open the small window that let the carriage driver see inside.

"What is it?", you asked in a distant yet not offensive way.

Mother had always said that the nobles liked to use kindness against others yet they were the first to play offended to put one in a dangerous situation.

So she had taught you how to talk politely without making yourself seem weak.

The driver threw a glance over his shoulder.

"We're about to arrive.", he said. "Please make sure you have all your invitations. Otherwise we won't be able to cross the bridge to the castle."