Uriah decides who receives the royal appointment. Natalia follows his rules to win it.

He bends her over tables and chairs in the court halls. Measured strikes force her to voice her humiliation until she is begging. The strikes grow harder each time they meet. Her reactions reveal how deeply she needs the shame he draws from her. Documents lie untouched at the far end of the table as the ritual takes over. Each session builds in force as the midsummer deadline approaches. The risk of discovery in the marble-floored receiving halls threatens their reputations and the appointment.

She returns for the next review despite the danger of being seen.

He orders her to bare herself.