BloodBound Crown
The golden collar gleamed like a crown—and wasn't that the sickest joke of all?
Kael had worn crowns. Small ones during ceremonies, elaborate ones for state functions, the simple circlet that marked him as Crown Prince during court sessions. He knew the weight of gold against skin, knew how it caught the light and proclaimed ownership, status, *power*.
But he'd never seen gold used like this. Never seen it twisted into a symbol of possession rather than authority.