FAZER LOGINThe quiet rustle of silk sheets echoed softly through the King's private bedchamber. The hearth had burned down to a bed of embers, casting long, amber shadows across the dark velvet canopy. Malakor stood by the mattress, his large frame bent awkwardly as he tried to unbutton the collar of Arthur's linen tunic. It was proving impossible. Arthur was delightfully uncooperative. Still tipsy from the dockside tavern's dark ale, the King lay sprawled across the thick quilt with a radiant grin on his flushed face. He hummed the jaunty tune the tavern fiddlers had played, swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress and swatting at Malakor's hands whenever the Regent reached for his belt. "Arthur, please," Malakor hushed in a desperate whisper. "You need to change. Stop moving." "Malakor," Arthur breathed sweetly, his eyes half-closed as he tugged playfully at Malakor's earlobe. "I had so much fun today." Malakor rumbled fondly
As evening fell and the sky turned a deep, bruised violet, the temperature dropped and the streets grew louder. Wanting to escape the biting wind, Arthur pointed toward a lively, timber-framed tavern near the river docks. Warm yellow light poured from its leaded windows, and the muffled sound of fiddles and laughing voices echoed from within. "There," Arthur said eagerly, pulling Malakor toward the heavy oak door. "Arthur, a dockside tavern?" Malakor warned gently, holding the door open. "It's noisy, crowded, and not exactly refined." "That is precisely why I want to go in," Arthur replied brightly, stepping inside. The tavern was packed with off-duty sailors, local merchants, and townsfolk. The air was thick with roasted pork, pipe smoke, and spilt ale. A fire roared in the wide hearth, making the room deliciously warm. Nobody gave the hooded young man or his large, intimidating companion a second glance. To the patrons, they were just anothe
The weight of the crown was a silent, suffocating beast. In the days following the grand banquet, the royal palace had transformed into an arena of whispers, forced smiles, and calculated bows. Every step Arthur took through the stone corridors was trailed by watchful eyes, and every word he uttered was dissected by councilors terrified of becoming the next name in Elias Marsh's leather ledgers. Inside the royal study, stacks of state reports, tax ledgers, and intelligence briefings from the provinces covered the polished oak desk. Arthur sat near the high stained-glass window, chin resting in his palm, staring out at the golden late-afternoon sun bathing the distant autumn hills. He felt trapped. He missed the quiet cabin in Oakhaven. He missed the stillness, the smell of fresh pine, and the simple warmth of lying in Malakor's arms without the shadows of Vance, the council, or the crown standing between them. The wooden doors creake
The lower archives were cold, quiet, and smelled faintly of old parchment and beeswax. Tucked deep within the lower levels of the palace, away from the prying eyes of the court, Elias Marsh sat at a long table stacked high with leather-bound ledgers, requisition scrolls, and sealed financial records. A single oil lamp burned beside him, casting sharp shadows across the pages as his quill scratched methodically against fresh paper. Since the banquet, Elias had worked without sleep. Armed with the King’s explicit protection and full authority to audit the realm's accounts, he had begun pulling at the loose threads left behind by the men Arthur had publicly condemned. His focus was currently fixed on Master Corvin, the deposed Treasury official. Corvin’s public arrest had been swift, but the money trails he left behind were a tangled web. Elias dipped his quill in ink, comparing a series of private bank drafts with military supply receipts. Corvin had not simply been stealing money f
The morning after the banquet, a heavy, expectant quiet hung over the grand chamber of the Royal Council. Sunlight streamed through the tall stained-glass windows, painting the long mahogany table in shades of crimson and gold.Usually, this room was a battlefield of raised voices, clashing egos, and arrogant lords who interrupted one another to secure royal favor. But today, as the councilors gathered, the air was suffocatingly still.Arthur entered the council chamber expecting the usual flurry of arguments and posturing. He was dressed in a simple yet elegant tunic of deep navy, his hair combed neatly, his posture relaxed. Beside him walked Malakor, imposing and silent, his hand resting casually near his blade.As Arthur took his place at the head of the table, the ministers bowed in unison—deeper and slower than usual. Nobody spoke. Nobody shuffled their papers. They all waited, eyes lowered, for the King to sit.Arthur glanced around the table, taking in the cautious, rigid postu
The grand banquet hall of the royal palace was a breathtaking spectacle of light, gold, and nervous energy. High above the marble floor, crystal chandeliers held hundreds of flickering wax candles, casting an amber glow over long tables laden with roasted meats, silver platters of fruit, and flutes of imported wine. Musicians played lively court tunes from the high gallery, their melodies rising above the hum of chatter.Yet, beneath the laughter and clinking goblets, the tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. Every noble, lady, and visiting dignitary kept their eyes subtly darting toward the grand double doors at the end of the hall.Before Arthur had marched to the northern border, the court had viewed him as a soft, easygoing king—a gentle monarch who smiled through heated council arguments and allowed powerful men to believe they held the reins of the realm. But the rumors from the front lines had shattered that illusion. A king who could cut his own general’s throat on




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