Tangled Crown Novels & Stories

Ashina sobbed, both hands locked over Maelor as if the moon might reach inside her and lift the child by name. Conri stepped forward until the barrier burned his boots, his face carved from horror and restraint. Bardolph went still. The poisoned bond between us turned blacker, pulsing once, twice, then pulling the crown’s whisper into my skull. I shook my head before the name fully formed, because some part of me already understood what the crown wanted. No. Not him. Not after every lie. Not after every wound. Not because I loved him. Not because I hated him. Not because the crown wanted one more broken bond to pay for power.

“The first king cannot return without a body.” Shigure looked at me. “A body carrying royal tide blood and wolf memory.” Cael gave a bitter laugh. “So everyone chose the same girl.” The book opened again. This page showed the blood moon. Three crowns circled beneath it. The Tide Crown. The Stormcrest Crown. A third crown made from black bone. Words burned across the glass. WHEN THE THREE CROWNS MEET, THE FIRST KING MAY RISE. THE LAST QUEEN MUST BE EMPTIED.

“But the King…” A long pause followed. The glowing face slowly turned toward Alessio. ”…has not.” The light faded. Leaving behind a single object floating above the altar. A crown. Not made of gold. Not silver. Forged entirely from crystal. The Crystal Crown of the First King. No one dared touch it. Because carved into its inner rim… Were seven words. “Only one brother may wear this crown.” The three brothers looked at one another. The war they had been fighting was over.

With all instructions issued, the sky outside was already beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn. After I finished issuing all the commands, it was nearly dawn. I managed to steal a brief hour of rest before heading to the island where the wedding was to take place. I had only just emerged from the dressing room, freshly attired in my custom tuxedo, when a powerful grip suddenly clamped down on my arm. "Just what in the world do you think you're doing, Finn?" Dorothy demanded. "Do you have any idea how much irreversible damage your childish tantrum has caused?"

But he had left something behind. In the center of the square, on the altar where the rejection had happened, was a new item. A crown made of silver-glass and black fire. "The Crown of the Eleventh Cycle," the Chronicler’s voice whispered from the air. "The one Jackson was trying to forge with your son’s light." Eryx walked to the crown, his crimson eyes narrowing. "What do we do with it, Darlene?"

Damien squeezed her shoulder and said they were going to win this and then they could finally stop running and start building something better, and Elena nodded even though she wasn’t sure she believed it yet. They entered the tunnel in single file with Elena leading because she knew the path, and the crawl through the darkness felt even longer knowing what waited at the other end. When they reached the grate Damien’s tech person worked on the lock while the rest waited in tense silence, and Elena could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

"The Crown! He's already using the Crown!" They hit the first roof with a bone-shattering crash.

she called. I ignored her. Ahead, the courtyard had shifted again. The containment network was visible now. Not fully, but enough. Lines of glowing runes stretched across the stone like a cage drawn in light, each anchor point feeding power into the central formation surrounding Iris’s position near the relic access. Wolves clashed along the edges of it, Stormhollow fighters trying to break through while Everley casters worked to disrupt the outer runes. It wasn’t enough. The spell held. And at the center of it—

However, they only grew curious of the other two leading them since they wore a hooded cape that hid their faces from anyone. It took them several minutes to reach the main gates of the palace, halting their horses to get their identities checked. The two people at the front removed their hoods, revealing a young boy and an older woman. With only one look at the younger one, the guards could tell that it was none other than the twin of the empire’s Crown Prince. His hair was as dark as the night, which was contrary to his pair of eyes that resembled the golden sun. The guard bowed their heads in his direction.

"Fair. But I know my brother. And I know this… game he’s playing with you won't end well.” A loud crash cut through the murmurs in the room. Heads turned to the fallen tower of champagne glasses, shards glittering like ice beneath the golden glow of the chandeliers. Aiden stood beside the mess, his jaw clenched, his chest rising and falling with controlled fury. Don Carlo's hand gestured sharply, his voice too quiet to hear. "Predictable," Kane said under his breath, for which he got a glare from me. "Do you ever stop talking? "Not while I'm having so much fun," he said, downing another swallow of his drink.