My dragon curled up inside me, quietly observing the proceedings.
“No, Your Majesty,” Lord Silvermoor, a powerful Light Elf who hailed from Ocheka, said as he stepped away from me. Blood covered his face, leaving only his eyes visible. His brother had been the first to fall this morning. “No questions. You are, of course, Kydona’s chosen one and the rightful leader of Ithenmyr and Drahan.”
“And?” I raised a hand, a dark red ribbon twinning around my fingers as I stared at the lord. This magic was new to me, and yet its song was sweet, as it called to the deepest part of me that yearned for power and darkness and riches.
Ilovedit.
Lord Silvermoor gulped, and his voice was barely a whisper as he said, “And the rest of the Four Kingdoms and the lands beyond will fall beneath your hand soon.”
The other six lords all mumbled their agreement, but none of them were brave enough to speak. If I still cared, I would have awarded Lord Silvermoor for his bravery. At least he spoke to me. These other cowards deserved the same fate as their comrades on the floor.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t kill them all. Not yet.
Not until our power is firm,the beast reminded me.We need to find the Gilded Amulet.
A surge of dark excitement ran through me, and I gripped the armrest of my throne.
And then I will be unstoppable, correct?
The draken purred.Yes. And all the riches and power in the Four Kingdoms will be ours.
When I had my hands on the amulet, no one could stop me. After my new husband died, I let my brother and his mate go—they were no threat to me. Not really. Besides, no one other than me knew of the existence of the Gilded Amulet. Not anymore. It was my secret, and it would be my prize for surviving all these decades on my own.
If my foolhardy brother and his Earth Elf came against me, I would make sure they felt the weight of my wrath. I would destroy anyone who stood in the way of the power I was owed.
Like these lords. They still looked too… comfortable. They weren’t quivering in fear. Not yet.
Did they doubt the depth of my power?
Perhaps I would play with another. After all, the world could always do with one less male in it. Before I could make my choice, however, the massive doors to the throne room banged open. I straightened my spine, red magic sparking at my fingers as a pale human ran into the space. The servant’s eyes were wide, and her face drained of color as she saw the blood pooling at the base of my throne, but she still managed to dip into a curtsy before me.
“My deepest apologies for interrupting your council, Your Majesty,” she whispered, keeping her head low.
“Why have you done so?” The red ribbon left my fingers, winding itself around the servant’s neck.
She gasped but didn’t look up, even as the river of blood spread, touching her shoes.
“Speak!” I thundered, tightening the noose just enough that she knew her life was on the line before pulling the magic back to me. After all, a dead servant couldn’t deliver her message.
“I-I-I have news from the Koln Mountains, Your Majesty,” she said meekly, referring to the mountain range separating Ithenmyr from Eleyta, the Northern Kingdom.
“What is it?” I snapped. “I don’t have all day.”
I had things to do. Lords to kill. People to set in line. Kingdoms to rule, and ruinations to plan. It was no simple affair, being queen.
The human swallowed. “It’s the vampires, Your Majesty.” Her voice dropped, but I heard every word as though she yelled them. “They’ve destroyed the forces you sent. They drained each soldier of blood, leaving their corpses as mere husks.”
My face paled, and inside me, the dragon roared. That bitch Queen Marguerite of Eleyta was proving to be a rather prickly thorn in my side.
“Lord Silvermoor?” I snapped.
The male gulped. “Yes?”
“Double the size of the army,” I commanded. “Send them all to the front. I will teach that blood-sucking bitch not to play games with me.”
A pause, and then Lord Briarwood cleared his throat. “Is that really wise?” The werewolf’s eyes were wide, and he stepped forward, extending his hands at his sides. “Maybe we should try another approach if this one isn’t—”
The lord’s words ended in a gurgle as a flurry of crimson ribbons tinged with black wrapped around his neck. His eyes widened and his face turned red as he struggled to breathe. I stood, clenching my fist. The noose tightened even further as the lord’s eyes bulged.