Page 100 of Haunted Crowns
Raphael’s jaw twitched once, almost invisibly. His face remained impassive, but ice gathered behind his eyes. His son, his legacy, had chosen love over blood, and the future he had carved now trembled on that very fracture.
All for her. Eris, his niece, the wild flame he once protected but never tamed. Affection bound them by blood, but sentiment alone would not make her queen. She would consume Stephan, drag him into ruin, and with him, the House of Dragov. He had to end it before it was too late.
Silence stretched between them, suffocating. Then a knock came at the door. The tension crackled like a coming storm. The ceremony awaited.
A servant entered, bearing Stephan’s ceremonial attire and a polished sword. Raphael stared at his son, unreadable. At last, he nodded.
“Be impeccable tonight,” he said, voice tight. “There is no room for error.”
He hesitated as if something unsaid hovered between them, then turned and left the chamber.
Stephan didn’t watch Raphael leave. He stood motionless, heart pounding. The war wasn’t over—only delayed.
The door clicked shut, and silence followed, heavy as stone. Only the distant clink of the ceremonial blade being sheathed broke it. For one breath, the quiet roared louder than any shout.
Then the door opened again. Theon, Adrian, and Cassiel strolled in like they’d timed their entrance for aftershocks.
Adrian leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, grin lazy. “That sounded intense.”
Theon whistled, dragging a chair and dropping into it. “So, how many times did you want to punch him?”
Cassiel smirked. “Or better yet—how many times did you consider stabbing him?”
Stephan let out a breath. Not quite a laugh, but close. Something lighter cracked through the fury. “More than I can count.”
Adrian barked a laugh. “Next time, warn us so we can take bets.”
Stephan shook his head, a tired smile tugging at his mouth. “You’re all insufferable.”
Theon grinned. “And yet, you keep us around.”
“Worse—I actually like you idiots.”
Cassiel perked up, wicked-eyed. “Now, more importantly…how are you planning to survive when you see Eris in ceremonial attire?”
Adrian chuckled. “We’ll need a doctor on standby for when he forgets how to breathe.”
Theon nudged Stephan’s shoulder. “Or faints like a love-struck fool.”
Stephan rolled his eyes, shoving him back, but this time, he laughed. And in that laugh, there was something close to peace. They always knew how to get under his skin. And they always knew how to pull him back.
Tonight, he would need that more than ever.
“Only the worthy leave the altar unburned.”
—Sanctum Doctrine, Verse XII
Chapter 21
Beneath Dragov Castle, obsidian columns rose toward a vaulted ceiling carved with the legacy of Firstblood rule. Black flames burned in silence, casting silver light across the stone. The Dragov sigil, a black dragon, watched from every pillar.
At the center stood the altar: a monolith of black stone, weathered by centuries of blood-sworn vows. Two entrances faced the sanctum. One for him. One for her.
Stephan Dragov stepped beneath the arch and stilled. The nobles turned. Breath caught. He wore the weight of legacy in midnight-black, stitched in blood-gold and empire-crimson. At his side hung Sanguine Oath, history forged into purpose. Once wielded by Kriponius the Ravager, it had spilled tyrants and sealed sacred vows. Now it gleamed at Stephan’s hip. The Dragov Legion insignia, onyx and rubies encircling a silver blade, glinted on his chest. His cloak trailed like a shadow drawn from memory.
But it wasn’t the regalia that held them. It was him. The black fire caught his face: aristocratic, cold. Composed. Hair swept back, cheekbones sharp enough to draw blood, carved by centuries of dominion. His eyes, steel and ember, burnedwith legacy and something crueler: choice. His body, all coiled elegance and violent grace, a weapon wrapped in silk.
He adjusted his collar, breath steady. He knew Eris would be divine tonight, the embodiment of a future he’d guard with his final breath. He told himself he’d hold steady when he saw her. But deep down, he knew he would lose himself.
