C443 FIRES OF THE ANCIENT LINEAGE

"I am not here to negotiate with a man who hides behind children," the Young Prince said, his voice carrying a rasp that vibrated against the stone walls of the throne room.

He leaned heavily against the arched doorway, his skin pale beneath the grime of the journey. Every breath was a battle against the venom that had turned his veins into channels of molten lead. Beside him