"How dare you sit upon the throne of my brother!" Durie roared. His voice echoed around the hall, and his eyes glared at Saurin who was lounging about on the throne of Doflhiem. Saurin had an arrogant smirk about his bearded features as he looked down at Durie. Mjolik sat beside the throne, and the old gate keeper played about with its handle.

Orei frowned, hiding behind the golden throne, wondering how her uncle had arrived from Trystem with such speed. Luther crouched next to her and stole a glance out at the hall. Durie was standing on the steps, holding an ornate sword at his side; his other hand was clenched in anger. Ten guards stood at attention at each pillar behind him, and Luther recognised the same colours of the western ranger's uniform upon their chests, those same colours of which serve Saurin.

Luther hid back behind the throne next to Orei, and listened as Durie came closer to Saurin, his rage clearly burning out of control.

"You expect me to believe that my brother died and then the day after, my niece passes with him? No chance, Saurin. I have loved you as a brother, but I am not stupid. I will not abdicate my kin's throne to you. You have over-reached yourself."

Saurin couldn't restrain himself any longer. Sharp and harsh laughter erupted from his mouth, and Durie stared at his friend in growing horror as he realised just how insane Saurin had become.

Saurin looked over Durie's head at the guards, and his smile faded, replaced by a mask of anger.

He looked back down at Durie and said, "Over-reached myself? Over-reached myself? I have merely started! For too long have I sat by and watched your brother Furin destroy the Dwarven kingdoms. We captured Nordlhiem, you and me, but is it populated? No. Is it under our control? No. It sits there, and awaits another wyrm to inhabit its rich depths. Ironhiem does not even claim alliance to us, and Doflhiem is falling into disrepair. I am a king who can fix this; I can turn the Dwarven race into a proud people again."

Durie stopped mid step. His features seemed to turn to stone, and his voice rang out with the commanding dominance bred into him by generations of governance. "But you’re not king! And never shall you be king! So, leave my throne and go back to your gate. Let me mourn my kin."

Saurin stood up from the throne and looked down at Durie. The guards that had been at attention now closed in behind him with their weapons drawn. It was Orei's turn to look around the throne, and she felt terror grip her as she saw her uncle surrounded.

Saurin smiled at Durie and then looked at his guards. His smile grew as he said, "I am king, Durie. The people agree with me, and you will abdicate or you will die. Either way, I win."

Orei had had enough. She spun out from behind the throne, and took aim at the closest guard. Durie stared, dumbfounded at his dead niece’s resurrection, and then ducked as shots echoed out in the throne room. Two of the ten guards lay dead before the rifle refused to fire. Orei swore as she realized she had run out of ammunition, and she charged, running full speed towards the remaining guards. The last shot had stirred Durie into action, and he spun around just as Saurin brought Mjolik down upon him.

The two of them sparred with the speed and accuracy of veteran warriors; their weapons connected with sparks as Mjolik chipped away at Durie's sword. At the same time, Orei and Luther had managed to wrestle weapons off the guards and fought against them. Luther wielded a small poleaxe with an academic understanding, whilst Orei jumped in the fray with a sword in one hand and an axe in the other. Orei cleaved and sliced, dispensing three guards in a series of moves, whilst Luther tried desperately to hold off another two. Durie stabbed and span, trying to catch Saurin off guard, who defended with the king's hammer, destroying Durie's sword with every blow. Orei stabbed one of the encroaching guards who had been trying to stab Luther, causing a fountain of blood to cascade up her arm, and Luther brought his poleaxe down upon the other, to their surprise.

Durie was now desperately trying to defend himself against Saurin, who was crumpling his sword into a twisted mess. Orei span around, and decapitated the second to last guard with her axe, before throwing her sword into the last one's eye socket. She then looked up to see her uncle's sword shatter against Mjolik, and then fall against the steps. Orei took aim, and hurled her axe with all her might, watching it spin through the air. Saurin brought Mjolik down to smite Durie, but stopped as he felt an almighty pain in his arm. Mjolik dropped to the floor next to Orei, who had raced up after her axe. Saurin looked down to see a large gash just above his elbow, and watched a blood flowed from the wound.

Orei picked up the king's hammer, and Saurin screamed as Mjolik came flying towards his face. Orei hit Saurin with so much force that the old Dwarf flew from the steps and crashed into a pillar before he fell to the floor, dead.

Durie stood up, and pulled Orei into a rough embrace, tears streaming down his face.

“I thought you were dead,” he sobbed, “I thought I had lost you!”

Orei rocked slightly as tears fell from her face too, “I am here, uncle,” she said, “I am alive.”

Luther walked up the steps towards the two Dwarves as they released one another, and waved at Durie.

"Hello," he said. "I'm Luther." They sat upon the steps and waited until someone realised what was going on. They leant back and looked around the throne room at the corpses that were strewn about, and took in the crazy events that had unfolded.

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Durie had felt guilt once the companions had left Trystem, and decided to take a boat to Doflhiem in pursuit. It was extremely rare to use the ancient canal to Doflhiem, and Durie had seen the Dreagul dead and floating in the waters. He had panicked, and pushed his vessel hard until he entered the underground lake and docks of Doflhiem, where he had found the Go Fast. He then had made his way to the capital to see his brother, and found Saurin on the throne instead. Orei had told him everything, and he looked down at the betrayer's corpse, and felt a twinge of sadness at the death of his friend. Durie let it pass, and watched as the corpses were dragged away by the new palace guards. Leaders of the seven Dwarven houses were crowding around Orei, trying to decide what to do next.

The obvious answer was that Orei was going to become Queen, but after that they did not know what to do. The king had indeed left the kingdom to fall into disrepair, but at the same time, he had given the Dwarven people peace. Orei listened to all of them as she sat on the steps, playing with Mjolik's handle. Luther stood beside her, still with his poleaxe. He took in everything the leaders were saying, and Orei knew that he would make a fine adviser.

Feeling herself beginning to slip into exhaustion, Orei waved away the leaders, and went over to her uncle and sat down. Durie looked at his niece, and reached his arm around her shoulders.

"So," he said. "What’s the plan?"

Orei looked at Durie for a moment, and continued to play with her hammer. "Firstly," she said, "I am going to be crowned. Then I am going to take a small group of Dwarves to help Olaf, Huldain, Marius, and Alun to capture Myrian, and defeat this Eldar threat."

Durie nodded; he had expected this. He looked down and thought about Doflhiem and what Saurin had said about his brother being a bad king.

He glanced across at his niece. "What happens after the threats are contained?" He asked.

Orei span Mjolik against the floor, listening to the steel whir against stone and thought for a moment. She had also heard what Saurin had said about her father, and thought about how she might proceed. The leaders had been saying the same things about Doflhiem and the other cities; the people wanted an empire, not a single city.

She looked up at her uncle. "I will send envoys to Ironhiem and remind them that they are under Doflhiem's rule, and I will also begin to populate Nordlhiem with miners and builders. With the riches from that operation, we will be able to build Doflhiem back up to its former glory."

Durie nodded; he knew this would happen. He stood up and stretched. "Well," he said. "I have a coronation to prepare for, and I have no weapon. I will see you at the ceremony. I suggest you get ready."

Orei nodded. and hugged her uncle once more, and then watched him push past the guards and dignitaries. Luther stood up next, and gave Orei a wink.

"I’ll see you then, too," he said with a smile, and started down the steps before Orei stopped him.

"Wait," he said. "Luther, without you we would not be here. My uncle and myself would be dead, and Saurin would be king."

Luther shrugged and looked up at his friend. "It was nothing, Orei. You would have done the same for me."

Orei smiled, and patted Luther on the shoulder. "Would you stay with me and be my adviser when I become Queen?"

Luther's face lit up, and Orei took that as a yes. She embraced her friend, and watched him hurry off to get ready. She sat down heavily on the steps, and looked at the hammer by her side.

He was to become Queen. She always knew she would one day, but she had hoped she had a few more centuries of freedom before the weight fell upon her. She thought about her father, and sighed. She felt regret lay down upon her as she remembered all of the times she had avoided and shirked around her father since her mother’s death. She stood up, and looked around at the crowds of politicians about her. She made her way down the steps, and left the hall. People bowed as she passed them, and she felt more and more weight fall upon her shoulders as she headed towards her new home to get ready for the coronation.

Drum beats rang out around her as she stood, feeling a bit ridiculous before the crowds of citizens that had gathered outside the palace. There had been a fanfare after Saurin had been killed, and heralds instantly sprouted on every street corner proclaiming that Orei was indeed alive and stood to be Queen. Dwarven tradition dictates that when a king dies, he is burned on a pyre just as the new monarch is crowned. King Furin, Orei's father, lay in the main council chambers of the palace – a large gilded auditorium that could house every Dwarven house.

Orei looked around at the coat of arms of each house and let out her breath. She stood, as tall as she could and lifted Mjolik before her. Several old Dwarven council members stood next to Furin's pyre, and Tavium, at their head, held aloft the golden crown of Doflhiem. Durie stood a little back, closer to his brother's pyre than the others. He looked uncomfortable in formal dress, and pulled at his collar as Orei descended down the steps into the centre of the chamber. Luther sat in the front row, and Orei smiled as she passed him. Luther, who was dressed in the robes of a scholar, gave beaming smile and continued to watch in excitement.

Orei reached the elderly council members, and sank to one knee as they began to speak in Dwarvish. They said, "We stand here this day to witness the crowning of the Dwarven peoples forty-third Queen: Orei, Daughter of Furin, blood line of Orin the first king of Dwarves, the right given to her by Oedin, protector of us all. In her father's death, the right and weight is passed to her, to serve her people, and to protect her kingdom. Mourn the dead! Worship the Queen!"

With the last word uttered, the crown was placed upon Orei's head, and she rose to look out at her people. It was a custom to utter your first order as Queen at this point, and Orei drew herself up.

"I thank you to all who support me. Together, we shall strive to bring the Dwarven race into a time of pride and importance. We will reclaim the abandoned city of Nordlhiem, we will remind Ironhiem where their loyalties lie, and we will restore Doflhiem to its rightful glory."

This speech was met by cheers of approval. Orei allowed it to sink in before she continued.

"The first thing I shall do, however, is restore peace to our lands. I shall personally join the ancient heroes Olaf and Huldain in their hunt for the Fallen One, and when we are done, I will defeat the Eldar that still live."

This was met with both cheers and murmurs; evidently the Dwarven people didn't know about the Eldar, and Orei smiled as she saw some of the houses look at her with respect to make such a claim. She would bring them honour and glory, as well as peace and prosperity. She turned to her uncle, who nodded once with approval, and then she lit her father's pyre.

The flames flared, and Orei sat upon a temporary throne and watched as her father was cremated into the next world. Durie sat beside her, and Luther joined them as the council chambers began to empty. Parties would cover the city tonight, and Orei made sure that the crown would pay for it.

The key to keeping a successful kingdom was to occasionally spoil the people.