ore the world forgot his name-he had been Sir Kaelion Vaern, youngest c

loved

wooden swords, laughed at the old knights, read forbidden tales by moonlight. She once kissed him ben

n the m

-

urt bearing gifts-an ancient tome, bound in stitched skin, that whispered of powe

meeting him in the garden. Her eyes began to shimmer like m

front her. She

rotection," she said

ded within the month. Those wh

catacombs beneath the palace and thrown into the

arion work

inally stopped, the mage sai

-

on had no

omple

de a

ods had long turned the

he queen's call, fragments too stubborn to serve, too twi

ed them

rance beyond death, immunity to the queen's charm, a

ed his blade to the tomb of the first king, where he shattered

e guards did not stop him. They looked int

om the city, with ashes fa

-

ore Elirya, his blade drawn, th

geance, d

f power, feels a sliver of somet

e