Chapter Two: One Cup Kills Three Men

The Ashen Banquet’s table had been carved from a red dragon’s spine. Two centuries earlier, the beast had burned seven northern cities. Now its polished bones held golden plates and aristocratic lies. King Audric’s throne stood empty beneath a black-veiled crown. Conversation paused when Lain entered. His black formal coat was outdated. He wore no sword and no crest. The royal family admitted his blood but denied him the three-winged dragon. Amid the jewels, he looked like a clerk who had wandered into the wrong room. “Brother.” Crown Prince Cassian raised his cup from the head of the Red Dragon seats. His cropped hair was the color of flame; a molten-gold gauntlet marked him as commander of the Red Dragon Legion. “I hear your tower leaks.