Arc 3: All That Glisters (Part 22)

‘How much do you know of our history?’ Annia whispers once we’re both safely within the sheer darkness shrouded by the grotesquely gilded blocks of ancient stone. A faint scent of ocean and lavender suffuses the space, strangely compelling in contrast with the undercurrent of dust and metal.

‘Of our bloodline?’ I ask, then continue without waiting for a confirmation, ‘The first queen of Britain sought guidance from Nox in this shrine, but she only ever had one progeny, her husband—bonded mate, I should say, since they didn’t really have marriages back then.

‘Eventually, the queen grew tired of unlife and asked Nox for a way to pass on while also ensuring that her subjects would be well-cared for. Nox told her to have her husband, the original Prince of London, consume her heart, so that his line could rule until someone as worthy as her arrives to take the throne again.’

It’s a common story, one that justifies the power that the various Princes of London exerts upon the rest of the va