Bound By The Crown Novels & Stories

“But I have a feeling he is the one responsible for all of this?” “Might be. Do you know anything about him?” “Nothing except he asked me to steal the crown before your coronation.” “Ah, it tracks!” “What?” “If someone steals my crown before the coronation, they can challenge me to a duel of life or death, challenge my crown and my position as the king. The crown also has magic, Vera, ancient magic. It gives power to the ruler of Draconia. It is not just an ornament. It is history, it is a source of power.”

Whatever part of the Crown he’d absorbed was consuming him, twisting his instincts and power alike. Lira crouched beside him, touching the claw mark. Her fingers trembled. “You said the Crown was supposed to bind power, not corrupt it.” Kael’s gaze hardened. “It does both.” For a long moment, neither spoke. The only sound was the whisper of the wind brushing through the ruined peaks. When they finally moved again, it was without speaking. The path ahead narrowed, turning into a ledge that hugged the mountain’s side. Each step was perilous; the stone crumbled easily beneath their feet, threatening to send them plunging into the fog-shrouded chasm below.

Cara demands. "I . . . yes . . . I do. I -" I choke as I realize that I lack the strength to push enough words out too. I am hurt, hungry and thirsty. I need to make it clear that I am not certain that the crown will accept her. That it shifts in an instant at my will. "What if . . . you . . . " "Get caught? Her Majesty doesn't sleep with the crown on her head. She is sure no one else would touch it. And no one can harm me once I have it on my head, not even her silver blade," she says.

A bitter smile touched her lips. I sank back against the bed, mind racing. Bind. The system loved using vague words as if confusion were part of its design. What exactly did binding mean? Was it magical? Emotional? Contractual? Romantic? None of the possibilities made me feel better. Worse, the title “Crown Kings” stirred something strange inside me. The moment I heard those words, a sharp ache pulsed through my chest. It lasted only a second, but it felt disturbingly familiar, as though some buried memory had twitched in recognition. I pressed a hand to my sternum. Why did that hurt? Why did everything connected to this mission feel familiar in ways I couldn’t explain? Before I could dwell

I feel like I can't move around! "That's right!" Katheran showed a satisfied look, "The crown symbolizes royal power, it will not only limit your actions and words. It will also keep you firmly in the fold. When you choose to wear a crown, it means you have to bear the weight it brings. Only by defending the royal power to the death can the crown be kept from falling! By the way, the crown at my coronation was 3 times heavier than this one! But soon, you'll be able to feel how I felt!"

"Then name her. If she is to rule, let her be crowned. If not, cast her out." Leofric looked to me. My heart yelled. Sabine stepped forward, a crown in her hands. Not gold, not silver. Emotion Carved with runes. Drenched in ancient magic. "Once this is placed, the bond is sealed," she warned. "And if broken, both bearers pay the price." I looked at Leofric. At the nobles. At Liora, smirking. And then I nodded. Sabine placed the crown on my head.

“Once marked by its will, a wolf cannot break free—no matter their strength, no matter their rank, no matter the depth of their power. Resistance does not shatter its hold. Resistance feeds it.” My throat tightened, but the words would not stop. “The more fiercely the bound wolf fights, the deeper the Crown sinks its thorns. It scorches the spirit, unravels certainty, twists devotion into doubt.” The pressure against my forehead intensified. “The wielder does not escape its cost. For every bond severed, the Crown drinks of their life. For every command enforced, it carves from their vitality. Flesh weakens. Blood thins. Madness whispers. And yet the Crown remains insatiable.”

“The Boundless are already inside the school. They’re speaking through people. They’re getting bolder.” “You collapsing won’t stop them either.” Kaia watches quietly from the corner, arms crossed, expression unreadable. She knows how much this crown weighs. She wore it in a different form for the past year. “I can handle it,” I whisper, more to myself than anyone else. “Then prove it,” Nyrielle says, her voice softer now. “But don’t forget you’re not alone. Let us help carry some of it.” I nod but I don’t mean it because no one else can carry the Crown the way I do.

The Guardian raised the Crown. "Do you accept carrying it without denying who you are?" "I accept." "Do you accept remaining human even when others wish you to be something different?" "I accept." "Do you accept never using your humanity as an excuse to be less than you should be? And do you accept never using your Crown as an excuse to be more than you should be?" Carla took a deep breath. "I accept." The Guardian placed the Crown upon her head. The metal was cold, and the weight of everything that Crown represented was real. Carla remained kneeling, feeling the Moonstone pulse beneath her knees, feeling the bond with Alexei pulse in her chest.

I remembered Maeve’s message. THE CROWN IS NOT POWER. IT IS PERMISSION. “What is it?” “A covenant.” Kazan frowned. “Speak plainly.” Aeron looked at him. “The Winter Crown binds the power of the old northern lands to the royal bloodline. Oberon can conquer those lands. He can murder their people. He can erase their history.” His gaze returned to me. “But he cannot command Winter.” Cold moved through the trees. “Not without her.” Me. My stomach twisted. “So he needs me to give him permission.”