“The king’s health isn’t good,” Besurlde said.

The council agreed, Alayna murmuring how tragic it was for Talon.

Ever since Talon’s meeting with Lerin, he’d been watching the council closely. Who would poison his father out of the members present? It would be hard to discover, since the councilors were good at feigning sympathy. They were masters at politics. That was one thing he’d learned young. A lord could tell you how sorry he was for the loss of your wife while plotting your death. His father had told him this was human nature; it was something he had accepted.

Most of the council was present. Commander Corvin was busy in Eshil Domain, helping with the rebellions over there. It was rare for him to attend these meetings anyway.

Besurlde had been staying close to Talon, trying to cheer him up over the past week. He was thankful, but his uncle’s distractions didn’t help. If only his uncle had been on board with Lerin’s plan.

Daermod set down his cup of wine. “Hear, hear. We must speak of the succession. King Lerin has told each of us to prepare and make sure there are no problems when we pronounce Prince Talon as king.”

“Yes. The guards will be prepared, along with invitations to all the lords and ladies. The people of Azzellia need to be aware of our soon-to-be king,” Hectar said.

Nobody but the council and mages knew of Lerin’s condition. Talon had told each council member, including his uncle, that there would be consequences if anyone gossiped about his father’s health. He would make good on his threat too, for a king wouldn’t be respected if he didn’t follow through on his word.

“How should we prepare? The succession must be done shortly after the king’s death.”

“Our first course of action should be to recall our troops from the other nations. We need to be firm and show our support for the new king,” Besurlde declared.

“I agree,” Daermod said with a nod.

“Mmhmm, it must be done. I could draft the letters and have them sent out within the hour,” Hectar said.

“No,” Talon said. He hadn’t spoken in this meeting and barely in the last one he attended. All of the council members, except for Alayna, had supported Besurlde’s request. It made it difficult to narrow down potential suspects. “We will not withdraw the troops; not until the situations are resolved.”

“You don’t know the full picture,” Besurlde protested. “We should pull back all our troops and reassess the situation. Surely you can see the wisdom in that? We’re spending too much money on helping with these rebellions!”

Talon locked eyes with his uncle. It was hard to maintain eye contact with someone who had helped raise him, acting like a second father. But his uncle wasn’t in command here. He was. “Nothing will be changed. Anyone who disobeys this command will be hanged. Do you understand?”

Daermod and Hectar gulped when Talon’s focus shifted to them. Besurlde looked at the table, curling his fists. “It will be as you command,” Besurlde said through clenched teeth.

Did you think I would counteract my father’s orders because he’s going to be dead soon? Talon thought. His uncle had been talking to him about the financial stress Azzellia was going through. Daermod and Hectar were no better and must have assumed he would agree with his uncle. The two were smart and provided good advice, according to his father.

“Now—”

The door barged open as a guard entered the room. “Apologies, my lords. King Lerin just passed away.”

The room went still. The earlier anger was forgotten as Talon stared at the guard incredulously. Qidan had told him his father would have another week. How could he be dead now? There were so many questions he needed to ask and get advice on. It wasn’t fair!

“I’m sorry,” Besurlde said and put his hand on Talon’s shoulder.

The other council members relayed their sympathies, though Talon barely reacted. It felt like a part of him had been torn off. He felt numb, as if he were dreaming.

Besurlde stood up. “Thanks for letting us know. We should end this meeting and allow Talon time to mourn.”

The others stood up and gave their condolences again. Talon shook his head and shoved down the sadness creeping up on him. He couldn’t cry; not yet. “Thank you, uncle,” he said.

Besurlde started to say something but Talon was already out of the room. He had no desire to hear another sorry or be given advice. He needed to think, and there was only one place in the palace that allowed him to do so.

A group of guards went to follow him but Talon raised his hand and told them he wanted to be alone. With a salute, the guards dispersed. He walked swiftly, with servants rushing out of his way. Were the hallways always this quiet? Nobody was uttering a sound as he walked. With an effort, Talon refrained from summoning the power. He wanted to hold the power so he could feel something other than being sad and angry. Once he got to the hidden archives he would begin training. That was the only way he would get his thoughts away from his father’s death.

Talon walked down the hallway, getting close to his destination. Nobody was following him and news of his father’s death would be spreading now. He would be hidden well before everyone in Carhan knew. He could not bear their condolences.

Finally, he made it to the hidden archives and placed his hand on the wall. “As a descendant of King Egmardern, allow me to enter,” Talon said, and the wall shifted. If someone were to see what was happening, they would know he was using the power, but would have no idea what was inside.

He stepped inside and watched the wall close itself. Then he summoned the power. Energy flooded his body, energizing him. He wanted to feel invincible. All fear, anger, and sadness vanished, and he felt like nothing could stop him. He relished the moment as thoughts of his father vanished.

But then, Talon felt tears leaking down his face. How he could feel unstoppable yet be crying at the same time? With an effort, he released the power, allowing himself to mourn for some time before pulling himself back together.

Lerin wouldn’t want him to mourn for long. Talon had to force himself to calm down. Before long, he was in control of himself. He wiped away the last tears and stared at a bookshelf ahead.

He needed to plan for the future. Talon had not been idle once Lerin became ill. He had been working harder than ever over the past week. He found the book he was looking for.

Turning the pages, Talon got to the section that went over oath keeper. When first reading about this technique, he had thought the only way to practice was to test it on a real person. During his training, he found ways to test the technique, though he would never be completely sure it would work until he did try it on a living person.

He closed his eyes, visualized the waves of energy he would need, and moved his hands. He could feel invisible strings being crafted in front of him. Talon motioned, feeling the connection to one of the rats he had captured and placed in a cage nearby. For a few seconds, he could feel the connection, as if a bond was trying to form. It was impossible to do because a rat couldn’t make an agreement, nor would it understand what was going on.

The attempted bond broke apart and Talon opened his eyes again. The rat didn’t act any different, and he wondered if the creature had felt anything while he performed the technique on it. Either way, he was confident in being able to use oath keeper. Now, it was time to start planning. He needed to decide how to approach uniting the nations. Tears began dripping down his face again as he worked, for nothing could dull the hole in his heart.

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It was time. In the throne room, Talon Astero knelt in front of his mage advisor, Qidan. The royal guard formed up in lines either side, their swords out and pointing at the ceiling. A group of nobles and citizens were present in two separate sections, with each able to see the throne clearly. It was tradition to let in equal numbers of commoners and nobles to view the proceedings.

Talon was wearing a fine gold and red coat with his sword attached to his hip. His uncle, Besurlde, was standing next to Qidan. One family member and a mage. Originally, he was going to leave Qidan out of the ceremony, but his uncle warned him the folly of that. Angering the mages wasn’t wise. Despite his feelings on the matter, Talon agreed.

Today was an important day. It could mark the shortest reign a king had ever had if things didn’t go as planned. Shortly after his coronation, Talon planned to carry out his first move as king.

“As each king passes a new one arises,” Qidan began, his voice booming across the hall. Talon could feel the power radiating from the mage, who was amplifying his voice magically. “While King Lerin’s passing was sudden, his son has been trained for this day. Today marks the day of a new king. I present to you, King Talon Astero!”

The crown was placed on Talon’s head and he stood. Qidan was correct that today marked a new king, but he had no idea what was coming. Nobody did. Talon wished he could have received his father’s advice. Alas, it was too late and he would have to hope that he was doing the right thing.

Turning toward the audience, he began to speak. “It is with a heavy heart that I take the crown. I had hoped to have many years with my father before becoming king. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. I hope my father is resting in peace and watches over my reign.” His eyes drifted from person to person. Was someone in this room responsible for killing his father?

“It is my duty to lead Azzellia, and I hope to make you proud. As we all know, there is an unknown force preparing to invade our lands. I hope to lead us to victory and usher in another era of peace. For now, enjoy your loved ones; cherish the time you have with them.”

Talon nodded at his royal guards, who sheathed their swords. “I want all of you to enjoy the feast.” Ending his speech, he walked down the steps and servants began placing food on the tables. The commoners were always the shyest, for they didn’t want to upset any nobles. He wanted to believe that Azzellia lords were more respectful than ones from other nations, but he knew better. Peitar and Arthur had given him more than enough examples of lords being rude, looking down at them for being commoners and being called awful names, especially since they sometimes didn’t give the proper courtesy.

“Your grace,” someone said from behind.

Talon turned to see Lord Maloi and a woman next to him. “Lord Maloi, it is a pleasure to see you again,” he said.

“It is good to see you again and I am sorry about what happened to your father,” Maloi said.

“Thank you,” Talon replied, hoping he sounded sincere.

“This is my wife, Katrina,” Maloi said.

“A pleasure, your grace,” Katrina said and bowed. “We expect you to do great things as king.”

“I hope to meet your expectations,” Talon said with a false smile. “If you would excuse me, I believe Lady Alayna is waving me down.”

Bowing slightly, Maloi and Katrina moved aside to let Talon pass. In truth, he didn’t want to speak with any of the lords longer than he had to. Once the greetings and condolences were done, he was going to leave this feast.

For the next hour, Talon went from table to table and spoke to almost everyone. He projected himself as calm and collected. In reality, Talon his heart was beating faster with each minute that passed. He wanted this to be over.

Some of the lords tried giving him advice. “Pull back the troops,” Dankirk said. Others tried to tell him how he should pick new advisors or watch certain lords as they were talking about manipulating him.

Talon took the warnings seriously and also had the ones who reported these issues watched. The nobles would backstab anyone if it put them in his good graces. Finally, he felt it was time for him to leave.

First, he needed to locate his advisor and speak with him. After several moments, Talon found Qidan with a cup of wine, talking to a pretty young woman. Noticing the king, Qidan walked toward him, much to Talon’s satisfaction.

“Your grace,” Qidan said in an almost mocking tone.

Hiding his irritation, Talon smiled and clasped Qidan’s shoulder. “I need to speak with you, privately,” he said.

Qidan arched his right eyebrow. “Lead the way.”

He led the way out of the feast with Qidan following. Talon needed this discussion to be private.

“I must confess, I thought you would ignore me as much as possible,” Qidan said as they turned a corner.

“Why would you think that?” Talon asked.

“Despite your attempts to hide it, it is quite obvious you despise me,” Qidan said.

Ignoring the comment, Talon turned another corner and found the room he was looking for. Nobody would be able to hear or see them here. He’d had his guards clear out the area and told them not to come here no matter what.

Opening the door, Talon motioned Qidan in. The mage walked inside and Talon closed the door behind him. The room wasn’t large. This was a meeting room, similar to the council chambers except it was usually used by military leaders. There was a map in the center of a big table, along with figurines of soldiers and where they were located.

Qidan glanced at the map and shot Talon a curious look. “Are you going to ask me about military matters?” he asked.

“No,” Talon began. Adrenaline coursed through him; it took a great effort to stop himself from shaking. He hoped Qidan didn’t notice. “You might find this question funny. How much do you know about the power?”

The mage let out a loud laugh, which echoed across the room. “What a silly question. Any mage in my position has much to know about the power. Not that it matters to you,” Qidan said.

Despite his feelings, Talon smiled. “You may be right.” He walked in front of the door as Qidan looked at him suspiciously.

“What do you mean by that?”

Instead of answering, Talon summoned the power and slammed a barrier between Qidan and the power. The mage’s eyes widened as he tried to comprehend what was going on. Continuing with his motions, Talon wrapped Qidan in invisible strings and forced the mage down on his knees.

“What?” Qidan sputtered as rage overtook him. “You can access the power!”

Feeling the energy coursing through his body, Talon forced himself to remain calm. This was only the first step. Despite how hard his heart was pounding, he had done it. He had overpowered a mage and had him at his mercy. There was nothing Qidan could do now that he was trapped.

“Yes, I’m glad you noticed,” Talon said dryly. He poured energy into the barrier, blocking Qidan from the power. The more energy he put into an ability, the longer it would last on its own. With the energy he poured into the barrier, Qidan wouldn’t be able to access the power for hours unless Talon removed it.

Qidan struggled, trying to summon the power. It felt odd to Talon, as if someone were kicking a steel wall. He could feel the little kicks but they didn’t hurt or cause him any discomfort.

After half a minute of struggling, Qidan stopped and stared at Talon with pure hatred in his eyes. “You won’t get away with this,” he spat. “My associates will capture you.”

Talon towered over Qidan, who was forced to look at him. “I have plans,” Talon said softly. “Getting caught isn’t part of them.”

“That’s what all you rogue power users say. Until you are caught,” Qidan said. A look of acceptance came over his face. “Get it over with. You have no choice but to kill me.”

“Kill you?” Talon asked. Perhaps the mages don’t know about oath-keeper? “I have no intentions of killing you.”

“Then why?” Qidan looked around before turning his attention back to Talon. “Why expose yourself to me? What do you gain?”

“Much, I hope.” Talon took a deep breath and gathered more of the power. He could feel the amount building to the maximum he could gather. He needed all of this for the next part. “I need a mage under my control. There are a lot of things I don’t know. You will be the one to help me and inform me of what I am ignorant of.”

“I could lie and say yes, then report you. How could you trust anything I say?”

“I have a way.” Talon motioned with his hands, creating a light mist that floated above the mage. “I’ll use oath keeper on you. If you refuse, I will have no choice but to kill you.”

“Oath keeper?” Qidan looked confused. “What is that? Some sort of artifact?”

He doesn’t know. Talon felt relief wash over him. That meant the other mages wouldn’t have a way to remove or work around the technique. “It’s an ability nearly lost to time. When I use this on you, we will forge a bond. If you betray me in any way, you will die in the most painful of ways. You will serve me faithfully and obey all my orders. Do you agree?”

“What… How would you know this?” Qidan asked, his eyes bulging as he saw the mist floating over him.

“If you don’t agree, I will kill you. Nobody will know how you died or where you went. I will claim you left and never returned. Even your fellow mages wouldn’t question me,” Talon said coldly. That last part was a lie, but he hadn’t spent the last two years studying the power for the mages to take him to Mortham Tower.

“You’re not bluffing,” Qidan said with despair.

This was the biggest part of Talon’s gamble. If Qidan said no and he killed him, there would be questions. The mages would investigate thoroughly, and he didn’t know if he could hide all traces of his actions. There was so much about the power he didn’t know. If he killed Qidan, he would have to try this on another mage. If that failed, the mages would suspect him.

“I agree to your terms,” Qidan said with resignation.

“Good.” Talon placed his hand on the mage’s head and the mist above floated down, spraying them both. Warmth spread across him and he could feel Qidan’s hesitation. “Under this bond, you, Qidan Bukervich, will serve me faithfully. You will obey all my commands and never betray me. If you attempt to betray me, you shall be killed. Do you agree?”

Qidan’s face scrunched furiously. “Yes.”

The warmth spread all over Talon’s body. Several heartbeats later, he knew the bond was working. He could feel the mage, and from what he knew, he would be able to pinpoint the general direction of Qidan, even if he was in another nation. The best part was that he hadn’t made any terms concerning himself. Qidan was his.

There was one weakness and another gamble on Talon’s part. If Qidan was able to convince himself that he wasn’t betraying Talon, the bond wouldn’t kill him even if Qidan betrayed him. The bond used feelings to detect betrayal. Of course, that was easier said than done.

Now that the bond was complete, Talon released his hold over Qidan. The mage stood up, sweat dripping down his face.

Now he could begin the next phase of his plan.

“I have some questions for you,” Talon said.