Crowned in Black: First Page

“Voivode Dragozin. I’m afraid to report that Lucien Hart has taken our king.”

The Court Mage’s words rang in my ears, and the world around me - the soldiers shouting orders as the entire population of Vulkan Keep emptied toward the Throne Room, the frantic chatter, all of it - became a blur of ringing white noise.

Ignas, captured. Revala, conquered. Now we had the Ilian Empire right on our doorstep, west and south. Suddenly, Violetta’s presence in Dakhdir and Ororgael’s mad invasion of Revala finally made perfect fucking sense.

“Alright. Here’s what we do.” I was surprised by how in control I sounded. Calm. Steady. Assertive. “Ignas appointed Janos of Czongrad as Regent. That means Janos will be taking the throne any minute now to address the court and brief everyone, right?”

“Y-Yes, Your Grace.” Simeon was shaking. Masha, normally fiery and quick, was silent, pale with shock. Rutha had shrunk into her chair, staring at her scarred hands.

“Simeon, stay out here with Rutha, Masha, and Karalti.” I wrapped my hand around one of the dragon’s fingers. She was a reassuring hot presence at my back, towering over the castle’s courtyard garden. “Simeon, come with me. We’ll go in and hear what Janos has to say. Rutha, Masha… I have a bad feeling about this. Stay with Karalti. Get ready to evacuate.

“Evacuate? Me?” Masha finally found her tongue, swelling on her feet until she reached her full height: an intimidating four feet, eleven inches of pissed off Asian grandma. “You can sod off with that notion, Lord Tuun. I caught Ignas as he slipped from the Queen’s blessed hooyeh and rubbed him until he took his first breaths, and damned if I’ll stand around here like a damsel now that he’s in danger!”

“Fair enough.” I looked to Rutha. “Rutha…”

“Go. I’m still weak, and if you’re right and something happens while Janos tries to gain control of the court....” Rutha made a small gesture of her hand, pulling a spell glove from her inventory. “I’ll stay by Karalti, and I’ll help protect her if need be. I swear it.”

“Protect me?” Karalti lowered her truck-sized head, snorting a cloud of hot, ozone-tinged air over the four of us. “Lady, in case you didn’t notice, I’m a dragon.”

“And if someone wanted to trap a dragon, a walled courtyard built of fireproof volcanic rock would be a great place to do it. Stay close, both of you.” I clapped Karalti’s knuckle, gently squeezed Rutha’s slim shoulder, and fled with Simeon and Masha toward the stairs leading to Vulkan Keep’s Great Hall.