The royal palace was a mess of rushed footsteps, given all that was going on in the empire. But, it was nothing compared to the sight of the king and his guards racing and growling down a corridor, towards the queen's chambers.
The king kicked open the bedroom door. Inside, the head priest Varvane stood, his hand hovering just above the queen's stomach in a blessing ritual. A glint of metal caught the king's eyes--a ring, its jewel concealing a needle that was likely to be poisoned.
Varvane's lips curled into a smile. "For the glory of the gods---"
A gunshot thundered.
The priest collapsed, blood pooling across the soft rug. His hands had been inches from the queen's belly, so the shot had been fired just in the nick of time.
A guard slipped the ring off Varvane's finger, a doctor tested the needle. The deadly secret of the ring was exposed.
The queen screamed, clutching her stomach. "Leon, what is going on here?"
