Dragon's Crown Novels & Stories

Right then, the banquet hall doors flew open with a bang. Lena strutted in, decked out in a stunning gown, flanked by her bodyguards. "Nolan!" she called out, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I heard someone was giving you trouble..." Her words trailed off as she caught sight of William next to me, the broken glass, and the gunmen in black sprawled on the floor. Lena's expression flipped in an instant.

Then slowly, they take shape; metal and light and memory coalescing into a circlet of fire and storm. The Dragon Crown. It floats midair, pulsing like a heartbeat. Everyone is silent. And then… it moves. Not toward my head but my chest. It sinks slowly through me, into me, becoming me. The moment it touches my soul, a wave of force explodes outward, a ring of light that knocks everyone to their knees. Lucien shouts something I can’t hear. Ezra shields Elen. Rowan grits his teeth and holds the line. I am falling and the world is fading.

He reached for it, almost afraid it would vanish if he hesitated. It clicked open with a soft pop, revealing two rings nestled like twin secrets against deep indigo silk. One was unmistakably the legendary engagement ring of Queen Zenobia a perfect oval red diamond formed from the blood of the first dragon, embraced by twin dragons wrought in platinum, their tails intertwining to form the band. The other, simpler yet equally striking, was Prince Richard’s, a signet of the same red diamond encircled by the intertwined royal crests of Alynthia and Asterin.

“You don’t even know what it’s for, do you?” She clenched her teeth, hating that he was dead right. The key was a question mark, cold and heavy, tied to Dorian’s scratched-out warning—find the truth before they do. “If you want It so bad, why not grab it?” she said, nudging it with her toe, just enough to slide it an inch. A gamble, but she’d choke before letting him see her shake. Roman stiffened next to her, but Ezra didn’t bite. “’Cause it’s nothing without you,” he said, voice dropping low, dark. “Dorian fixed it that way. Blood’s the trick, Sienna. Yours.”

Even the vampires, who bowed to no living thing, dipped their heads in acknowledgment. A crown was brought forth not the heavy gold circlet I had worn, not a symbol of dominion and divine right, but something entirely different. It was woven from moon-silver that seemed to glow with its own light and phoenix feathers that burned without consuming, a crown that represented unity rather than supremacy, service rather than rule, balance rather than power.

"Her royal highness, Princess Thelma is here" A knight said and bowed. "We crown thee, Queen of the Crystal Island" a priest professed and placed his hand on Thelma's head. She was wearing a big blue ball gown. A loud scream from the crowd interrupted the silence. "Oh, no!" a knight shrilled. "The dragon king is here" A large black dragon flew past them and a black warrior jumped out. "I shall be the king of this Island," he declared and snarled.

At the center, resting atop a stone pedestal, is a jagged crown—half bone, half scorched gold, smoldering with silent flame. Ceres (awestruck): "That's it…" Lady Ilven (reverently): "The Crown of Flame and Bone. Forged in dragonfire. Tempered with the blood of the first Umbra king. It can only be worn by a rightful heir." Guard (low voice): "It looks like it's… alive." Indeed, the crown pulses faintly as if breathing. Ceres: "Why bring me here?" I'm not here to rule. I want answers." Lady Ilven (approaching the pedestal):

"Are you alright?" "It's no big deal. I'll be better with some rest," said Karl. Wilbur nodded. Dawson and Cameron hurried to bow to Wilbur. To them, their Godly Emperor now seemed all the more powerful. Wilbur nodded in acknowledgment. Just then, Karl looked over at Groot. Groot had run off at full speed, returning in no time with a tray. On the tray was a robe with a crown on it. The crown was made of pure gold and looked like a flaming golden dragon curled up. There was a red gem on the dragon's forehead, emitting a fiery glow.

Yet, somehow, she knew them. The man was similarly dressed like the woman. But where she had leather sleeves and trews that laced up, he had no sleeves and full leather trews that were loose enough to move in but not so loose that they would hamper his fighting ability. On his head was a crown. A crown of the purest gold braided with platinum and inlaid with the largest ruby she had ever seen. It was easily as big as her fist. On the crown were several figures and when she tried to look closer, she realizes that they were dragons in flight. Mira gasped and realized that this was not only the ruler of the Keep, but the fabled Dragon King.

“Two days ago, Alexander personally took her to a private jeweler. Measurements, design consultations—he stayed the entire time.” My heart clenched. “There’s more,” Ethan continued. “And it gets worse.” “I accessed her private cloud. Password was Alexander’s birthday.” Inside were photos. Hundreds of them. I opened the file he sent. The album was titled: My Knight. The most recent post was dated two days ago. He said this crown belongs only to me. Just like him. Next week’s family dinner—he promised to give me a name. The image showed an exquisite bridal crown— diamonds and sapphires set in a constellation pattern.