Paper Crown Novels & Stories

Kaelen looked at her. Really looked at her. For the first time since finding him, she saw tears shining in his eyes. "You don't understand." His voice cracked. "The crown isn't choosing you." The Bone Crown pulsed violently against her skull. The reaction felt almost angry. Almost defensive. Kaelen pointed directly at it. "That's not a gift." The creature watched in silence. Interested. Patient. Waiting to see what happened next. Kaelen swallowed hard. "It's a key." The words landed like a punch.

A desk covered in reports he’d meant to read but kept deferring because they didn’t matter, none of it mattered, because he was going to die for this. His knees burned. His jaw ached. There was a bruise forming on his left shoulder where Cassian had gripped him, and Daemon had no idea how he was supposed to explain that to anyone who might notice. He was still cataloging his injuries when he saw it. On his pillow. Expensive parchment. Black wax seal bearing no crest. His stomach dropped. Daemon crossed the distance to the bed in three strides and picked up the letter with fingers that had started to shake. The seal broke easily..wax that was old, or deliberately brittle, or made to look less

“I know.” A small, breathless smile curved his mouth. “And I love you too,” she whispered. Below them, the lake caught the light and held it, and the forest around it carried that warmth inward—through root and stone, through corridor and heart—until it reached the quieter halls of the palace, where another choice waited with equal patience. Corren stood alone in the Hall of Roots, the Verdant Crown resting upon its living pedestal. It was not forged by fire but shaped by time—wood veined with gold, leaves eternally green along its arch. The chamber smelled of earth and rain, ancient and steady.

the owner said as he turned to me. My brows furrowed. Benjamin and I shared a confused look before we turned back to the owner. “And how much will that be?” Benjamin enquired. “Not to worry, sir,” the owner said as he reached for something behind him, “This one is free of charge.” He revealed a crown of white and pink flowers. My eyes widened in horror. Benjamin snickered a bit as I asked, “What in the world is that?” “It is the crown of friendship and gratitude,” the owner explained as he attempted to put it on me.

I follow the direction in which he reaches, turning backwards to see – And I gasp when I see another velvet pillow, and on top of it – A teeny tiny golden crown, just a little precious circlet unadorned by any jewels, just big enough for a baby’s head –

“The crown is mine.” I bent a little lower eyeing the way she held him, placing his head on her laps. I ignored their display for an instant, squatting down to grasp the blood coated crown. The piece was an original gold one, with ten slops around it and by the sides were transparent pearls forming a bridge at the start of each slops. “Could someone get a friggin’ fucking ambulance or do you want your new King to be marked as a murderer?!” I suddenly yelled, bringing out a white handkerchief from the breast pocket of my suit. Erasing the stains of blood from the part of the crown it touched, I positioned it on my head.

He asked, his voice rather confident and taunting, definitely nothing like I have ever heard anyone else talk to me. Especially not the royal staff so it means this person either doesn’t care that he might get fired or he isn’t royal staff. My eyes traveled down to his collar and I saw a glowing pin with a symbol in the middle. It’s a set of scales, the one you see in judges. It looks kind of familiar, and I scour my brain to remember where I’ve seen it. After a few seconds I realized it was in one of the books Carolina made me read and study, about the Royal Council.

She couldn’t see the Elder’s face beneath his hood, but she sensed a wave of approval coming off him. Nodding, he gestured for her to bow. Bending her knees, she held the curtsey. Goosebumps flushed her skin as he revealed a golden crown. It had six leaf prongs weaving upward, two at each side, one at the back, and one that would align perfectly with her forehead. The band was lined with diamonds and hecatolites that gave off a subtle glow.

By the time they released me in the foyer, tears were burning my eyes. The front doors opened before I reached them. Dante, Luca, and Bianca had returned. Bianca held up a diamond hair clip that glittered beneath the chandelier. “I still can’t believe something this small cost thirty thousand dollars.” Dante laughed. “If you love it, the price doesn’t matter.” “Besides,” Luca added, “your mother gave you the black card for your college wardrobe. You’re supposed to use it.” Thirty thousand dollars. More than I could earn in months of working at the café.

Not here. He removed his hands from the bowl and stepped back. The high priestess placed the bowl on the floor where she poured water initially, and she started chanting in old tongue. The whole room was tense, and after what felt like eternity, the bowl lit up in a soft white, unmistakable glow. I didn’t know what it meant, but the look of horror on Jeremy’s face told me everything I needed to know.