Chapter 16 #3
Something in his tone alerted the many raiders and guards that formed Lady Elara’s retinue, for they subtly shifted their weight as they regarded him.
“Oh?” Lady Elara smiled. “What is it that I’m unaware of?”
“Deepforge is answering Lady Anna.” Harald pitched his voice to carry.
“One of my companions, a DreadRune, is even now summoning the strength of the dwarves from the depths to aid us in this crisis. Beyond that, Lady Brianna has successfully drawn the support of House Draken’s best raiders, who shall also be aiding us tomorrow. And then finally, there’s me.”
Harald took another step, and the disdain he saw in Lady Elara’s face provoked him, pushed him over the edge.
He stopped suppressing the Crown of the Abyssal Tyrant.
Harald’s presence filled the night air, allowing the force of his personality to wash out over the retinue like a wave of dark majesty.
His four Thrones—almost as many as Brianna herself possessed—fueled his intensity, and the shadows deepened to pure blackness, the temperature seemed to drop, and those who sought to match his gaze either averted their own or seemed to struggle.
Lady Elara’s expression grew pinched as she glared at him, her skin waxen, her jaw closed tight.
“You say you don’t want the Twilight Crown.
” Harald’s voice had grown hollow with dread power.
“You say that you are sickened by the squabbling of the other nobles. That you must claim control before you can turn your attention to what you truly desire. Then I say to you: give the Crown to Anna. You have no allies. She has Deepforge and the strength of House Draken.”
Harald stared deep into Elara’s eyes, willing her to accede, feeling her strength of will erode before the unending assault of his desire.
“You are brave for having chosen this moment to step forth and stop the bloodshed. But you are a known quantity, and will be tested, time and time again. If you don the Crown, you will never be able to set it aside. Yours will be a life of politics, betrayal, assassination attempts, rebellions, blood, and barely controlled chaos. You don’t want that. ”
The ginger-haired man moved to step before Lady Elara, his craggy features grown wrathful with displeasure, but she stayed him with an outstretched hand.
Harald continued. “Give the Crown to Anna. Allow her to announce herself. Support her. Avoid the attention. The bickering. The never-ending quarrels. Anna already has the dwarves and one House. Further, she has my support. And what I will takes place. And I desire this, Lady Elara. I trust Anna more than I trust myself, and I know she will be a fair and diplomatic ruler.”
Harald took another step forward. “I urge you not to make this mistake. See the wisdom in anointing another, and avoid this fate you abhor.”
The air had grown turgid with his authority, as if deep, powerful currents were slowly coiling about the House Veridian delegation. Lady Elara looked away, but saw strewn about her the corpses of the Handmaidens. Their violent ends only underscored Harald’s words.
Abruptly, Harald suppressed the Crown. He felt the circlet of bright power vanish from over his head, felt his authority melt away, the air lighten, saw the guards of Lady Elara’s retinue draw sudden and startled breaths.
Harald smiled. “Such is my request. I subject it to your greater wisdom, and thank you for hearing me on this matter.”
He bowed his head a fraction and stepped back.
The sound of metallic stars ringing out against the void filled his mind.
The Demon Seed Has Stirred
Your Presence has risen from 13 to 14
Lady Elara was staring at him, wide-eyed, as if she’d suddenly begun hearing voices in her own mind, and none of them had anything comforting to say.
“Sir Darrowdelve is most generous in his praise,” said Anna smoothly. “Perhaps we can adjourn this meeting for now, and resume conversation in the morning?”
“Yes,” whispered Lady Elara. “That is… that would be most wise. I shall consider Sir Darrowdelve’s words. And… thank you, Countess. For having this conversation at this late hour.”
Anna bowed her head politely.
The House Veridian delegation departed the grounds quickly, climbed into their carriages, and were soon gone.
Eadwolf closed the gate.
“Well,” said Brianna, breaking the silence. “That was unexpected.”
Anna turned to glare at Harald. “You didn’t even ask!”
“I didn’t have to.” Harald passed a hand over his face.
“We all know we need to break this cycle of bloodshed. Vic’s right on half the stuff he says, he was just going about it the wrong way.
With you in charge, and Lady Brianna by your side, Flutic has a half a chance to survive what’s to come. But first.”
“First?” asked Sam, and he didn’t like the way she was studying him.
“First, we go kill the rest of the Handmaidens. When we meet with Lady Elara next, it will be with their heads in a sack.” Harald smiled, and he couldn’t repress some measure of delight at the prospect of another battle. “I’m confident that will help her agree with our point of view.”