“Do you want all our tributary states to rebel?” my mother asked acidly. “Because that’s what will happen if you forcibly remove a sovereign ruler for so little reason. I worked too hard to bring the entire nation of Callamorne into the Empire to lose it over a minor disagreement with a single city. And as for my cousin …” Silk rustled. “Ignazio had a fine rapport with the old duke, and has maintained warm relations with Ardence as Serene Envoy for ten years. However, it seems this new duke is too brash to respond well to Ignazio’s subtle guidance, and fails to understand how severely he has provoked the Serene City. We need a heavier hand at the tiller until Astor Bergandon settles down.”

“You would remove your own cousin from such a coveted post?” The doge’s dry surprise mirrored my own shock. Ignazio—Uncle Ignazio, as I called him—had hosted me during my year in Ardence, and was the one who brewed my elixir. He’d indulged me with gifts of alchemy and history books, and hours of intelligent conversation. I couldn’t imagine he’d be happy to lose his position as the imperial power behind the ducal throne of Ardence.

“Call him home to give him some other honorable title.” I could hear the shrug in my mother’s voice. “Make him the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He’s quite good with numbers.”

“We must respond to Ardence’s treason with decisive punishment, not a new nursemaid,” Baron Leodra objected. “Besides, we already have a Chancellor of the Exchequer. I appointed her last spring.”

“And she’s a dull creature, without flair or imagination, who makes mistakes.” The clink of a glass. “She can be removed.”

“Very well.” The doge’s voice cut across Baron Leodra’s indrawn breath. “We can discuss Ignazio’s replacement as Serene Envoy at tonight’s general meeting of the Council. Do we have any other new information pertinent to the Ardentine situation?”

“One more thing.” La Contessa’s voice dropped, and her tone went grim. “Something that could cause us far more trouble than breaking the Serene Accords, if we don’t counter it soon.”

I strained to listen.

Light fell across me, illuminating the artifice circle on the wall, and the voices went silent. I whirled to find Ciardha standing in the open door, one eyebrow raised in elegant disapproval.

Chapter Five

I can explain!” I sprang to my feet, banging my head on the low ceiling of the listening post. “I was just—”

Ciardha lifted a finger to her lips. “A Cornaro does not need to explain, Lady. But your mother would be disappointed.”

Shame scalded my neck. “I shouldn’t have eavesdropped.”

“No, Lady. Eavesdropping is a fine tradition of the Raverran elite. You shouldn’t have gotten caught.” She stepped aside and gestured me out of the secret room. “You need to be more aware of your surroundings, Lady. For your own safety.”