A Crowned King (Complete)

Prologue

Dryn Starcrown came awake in a moment, his eyes snapping open and scanning the darkness. The last thing he remembered was going to sleep in his bed after dinner and a glass of wine. After taking a brief look around he realized that he was still in his room. He breathed out a breath of relief and shook his head.

My mind is running away from me, the King of Star thought to himself and sat up in his bed. He ran a hand through his midnight black hair which fell to his shoulders. Must be a remainder of the shadows I live with every day of my life.

Such was his burden to bear. In his youth he had served as a soldier, fighting in the Legions of Star. During his time there had been several conflicts that had broken out with the other lands. The Horselords of Manathera, the assassins of Andaria, and the raiders of Galtea. All had served to leave scars on his soul with the deaths of men on the end of his gladius.

Such was the life of a soldier to never rest, even after one's service had come to an end. It had carried through even into his years as King of the Nation.

Pulling back the thick covers, he slung his legs over the side of the bed, getting to his feet. He stretched his tall frame, blinking his emerald green eyes a few times. He walked over to the wooden chest in the corner and opened it, pulling out a pair of dark brown breeches. He slipped them on and laced them up before walking across the room. He picked up a crystal bottle of brandy, walking towards the floor to ceiling doors that lead out onto his balcony.

Uncorking the bottle, Dryn stepped out onto the half moon that was the balcony. Approaching the railing, he looked out at the tops of the buildings of his city, Blackreach. Once he reached the edge, he smiled at the sight of his city.

The King had been to all nine cities of the Nation as well as dozens of towns and villages, but in his mind Blackreach was the greatest of them. The buildings rose out of the darkness of the night with tall spires, rounded domes, and squared roofs. There was no one moving around the city, but he hadn't expected anyone to be around. It was the dead of night and anyone out in the night would be up to no good no doubt.

The King put the bottle to his lips, taking a swallow of the spirits within. He cleared his throat, enjoying the smoothness of it. Brandy had been his favorite drink since before he could remember. He'd had his first drink of it after enlisting in the Legions. King Darr had never allowed his young son to drink anything stronger than red wine.

Thinking about his youth made the King think of his own children. His eldest Mako, his second born son Drakani, and the baby Drianna.

Mako was every bit his father's son. He'd joined the Legion when he was fifteen, serving five years to learn what the average soldier went through. While he was skilled with a blade and in hand to hand, he was no career warrior. Instead, he had a shrewd cunning that would fit his position of Heir and future King of Star well.

Drakani was as different from his elder brother as he could be. Wild and willful, he'd never joined the Legion. Instead, he'd learned his own martial skills from men who were older than he, but happily served him in his training. Drakani had left Blackreach ten years ago, and while the King had known where he was for most of that time, he had lost touch with his son. But he knew what he was doing: serving as a sellsword, chasing coin like he was wont to do. Of all three of his children, Dryn worried about Drakani the most. His stubborn will was likely to get him into trouble.

Drianna however was very different from her elder brothers. She was kind and sweet with a good word about everyone. She saw the world in a very optimistic light. The idea thst anyone could possibly be out to hurt her was a foreign thought that would never occur naturally to her. Like her brother's, she was no weakling though. She had also undergone training, but her's was different. She had trsined in the bow, the knife, and tracking. She was a natural hunter and regularly went into the Wilds outside of Blackreach's gates, often returning with some bit of fat game that they would dine on that night as a family.