FRANTIC VOICES FLOATED through the air, clouding Ravenna's thoughts. It was growing harder for her to focus. Hands yanked on her arms, pulling her forward through the corridors of the palace. She was jostled left and right. The voices grew louder and impatient. None of the guards were actually talking to her, only barking out orders amongst themselves.

Their intentions were crystal clear — save the Queen.

There were so many Imperial guards surrounding her, protecting her, that it was overwhelming. Every ounce of her struggled to remain internally calm. It took all of her strength to continue outwardly with her 'hysteric wife who just discovered her husband's dead body' act.

One of the guards took pity on her as they walked. He reassuringly patted her arm, which was looped through his own. "You are going to be safe, your highness," he told her.

She forced out a breathy sob. "Where are you taking me?"

"We need to get you to the throne room," he explained quietly. His voice was almost drowned within the chaos. "It is the most secure room in the palace. You will be safe there. At least until we can figure out what is going on."

Ravenna frowned, somewhat confused. "The throne room?" she repeated.

He did not hear her. She pressed her lips into a firm line. Hiding royal family members in the throne room during an attack on the palace did not seem to be the smartest of ideas. Even if the throne room was the most secure room of the palace. It only had one entrance and exit point. If the guards protecting it were overpowered, anyone inside would be powerless.

Before anything further could be said, she found herself standing in front of the massive entrance to the throne room. She was ushered inside and the heavy doors slammed shut. Her gaze flickered around the room.

A crowd stood before her, their eyes focused on her face. Imperial guards lined the walls, their hands curled tight around the swords at their waist. Noblemen and women who had participated in the coronation feast huddled in the center of the room, dressed in their night clothes. Some looked disgruntled and annoyed. Others appeared absolutely terrified.

Three Blood Knights stood on the opposite end of the room, standing guard behind the empty golden throne.

Ravenna made her way toward the throne. As she approached, one of the Blood Knights stepped toward her. "Are you alright, your highness?" he asked her.

"Where are the others?" she asked him, gesturing to the other Blood Knights.

He bowed his head to her. "Traveling with Mylo still. They are expected back soon."

She nodded absently and gingerly took a seat. The throne was cold beneath her. She took a moment to breathe, hunching forward slightly and covering her face with her hands. Her eyes squeezed shut. Her tears dried quickly.

Sitting with her face hidden within her hands, Ravenna did her best to focus on her thoughts. Her next few steps were crucial. She had to make just the right choices, otherwise everything she'd worked so hard for would crumble right before her.

It scared her.

Mylo would be the biggest obstacle — at least that is what her intuition told her. He had the ability to manipulate magic and, as the Blood Knight's official wizard, was pretty good at it. He would have the rest of the Blood Knights fighting for him as well. She had very little time left to come up with a solution.

Her stomach twisted with knots. She wiped at her eyes and slowly straightened. It took all of her focus to fashion a sad, somber expression onto her face. She leaned back until her back pressed against the back of the throne. Her arms rested loosely atop the armrests. It wasn't entirely comfortable, but she could make do.

Royal advisers had flooded the space in front of her. They talked in hushed voices amongst themselves. She could only pick out fragments of their conversation. It centered around what Ravenna's first move should be and how she should retaliate to such an horrendous attack.

She sucked in a deep breath and then forced it out. Her attention shifted away from them. She did not need their unsolicited advice. As her gaze scanned over the ground, one of the Imperial guards stepped forward. He knelt in front of her.

"We are fully investigating the palace right now, your highness," the guard said. He did not look up to meet her gaze. "The creatures that were in the bedroom have been destroyed, however we are searching for more. We are doing our best to make sure that no others have broken in."

"Bring me the prisoners," Ravenna said. The moment the words escaped her lips, silence captured the room. Her voice was quiet but it echoed against the walls around her. "The two locked away. Now."

The guard hesitated. "As you wish, your highness."

As he stepped back and walked toward the door, one of the royal advisers moved toward her. A concerned scowl was evident on his features. "Your highness, if I may speak..."

She simply held up a hand. His lips pressed into a resigned, wrinkled line. He bowed at the waist and moved back. He and the other advisers shared an uneasy look.

The silence lingered throughout the room, creating a tense atmosphere of uneasiness. Ravenna stared blankly at the massive doors, waiting for them to open. Another round of forced tears trailed down her cheeks. She wiped at them every now and again.

When the doors finally opened, a small sigh of relief escaped her. The humans around her hastily moved out of the way, all clustering around the edges of the room. The guard stepped into view first. His hands were clasped tightly around a heavy chain that connected each set of shackles. He used the chain to guide both Vyses and Lyth through the crowd.

Ravenna straightened slightly in her seat, gaze focused on Vyses. He peered at her through strands of his alabaster hair. His eyes were narrowed.

The guard stopped several feet away from the throne. He jerked on the chain and it rattled loudly. "Kneel before your Queen, scum."

Vyses and Lyth both dropped to their knees. Both dipped their heads toward the ground.

Everyone in the room seemed to stop breathing — all focused on what Ravenna would do next.

She stared at them for a moment. Vyses was obviously annoyed. Lyth kept his eyes focused on the ground. His hair was longer now, brushing against the tops of his shoulders. Both of their bodies were covered in dirt and their clothes were tattered.

Ravenna drummed her fingers against the armrest. Her nails clicked against the golden surface, the sound echoing painfully throughout the quiet room. Her stomach did somersaults within her body.

Vyses glanced up and met her gaze.

She flashed him a grin.

His eyes glowed bright crimson. "It's about time," he complained.

The shackles around his wrist disintegrated, falling to the stone floor as dust. Vyses straightened and stood, rolling his shoulders back. His hair fell backwards, revealing more of his face. His lips tugged back to reveal a wicked grin.

Everyone started to panic. The three Blood Knights stationed behind Ravenna instantly drew their weapons. Some of the Imperial guards followed suit, glaring intensely at Vyses. Others focused on shielding the innocent humans that squirmed and shouted.

Ravenna snapped her fingers. The commotion stopped, as everyone froze in place. She held her hand up, signaling for the guards around her to let Vyses and Lyth pass.

Reluctantly, the Imperial guards stepped back. The Blood Knights refused to move, however, their weapons aimed at Vyses.

He just laughed at them.

Lyth lunged forward. There was a jostle of movement behind Ravenna, followed by horrific screams and an unearthly tearing sound. Heavy armor cracked against the stone floor. Blood pooled and began to flow across the stones — a small red ocean that pooled around the throne, dripping down the small steps in front of it, toward the crowd.

Lyth emerged and stood beside Ravenna. A cold, stoic expression plagued his facial features. Vyses joined him. He made an effort to put on a show for the humans that surrounded them. He bowed and grinned at Ravenna. "What would you have us do next, lass?"

Everyone in the room stared at her in shock — their eyes were wider than the moon. She squared her shoulders and fashioned a cold expression on her face. "There will be no opposition," she said. Her voice was eerily calm. "There will be no resistance. You have a simple decision to make."

The noblemen and women exchanged worried looks. The Imperial guards braced themselves, their weapons held at the ready.

Ravenna smiled kindly at them all. "You can either bow down to your queen or you can die."

~

It is all starting to come together! The next few chapters are going to be interesting, to say the least, and I can't wait for y'all to read them!

Thank you for taking the time to read this book! I genuinely appreciate you all so much. You seriously mean the world to me!! ❤❤❤

ash ❤