Lys could vaguely sense Iger's intentions.0

It reminded her of the picture book she had once read, The Orc Slave and the Elf Queen. The orc slave had discovered the elf queen's secret but didn't report her to the emperor. Instead, he used it to blackmail the proud, beautiful, godlike queen, forcing her to submit. She shed her regal robes and became an iron-fisted empress who executed traitorous ministers, overhauled the princes, reformed governance, and freed the slaves. The story proved a simple truth, which was that holding someone's leverage could make them do the most outrageous things.0

If Lys had Iger's leverage, she wouldn't expose him either. At this stage of their enterprise, aside from Lys as leader and Ashe as her caretaker, she had no other subordinates. She needed someone indispensable like Iger to fill the gaps...0