Crown of Hidden Scales novel · Chapter 23 of 24
Chapter 23: The Rite
They held the rite where it had been ruined, in the great hall, at the second bell of the afternoon.
This time the doors stood open from the first step to the last.
The crowd filled the nave and spilled out into the court.
The black throne stood empty.
In front of it, on the Wyrm's mouth, the true crown lay on its cushion with its iron teeth up.
I wore a green gown with the sleeves cut short at the shoulder, and I had not powdered my arms.
Rhain wore a plain black coat with his collar open, and no gloves.
We had walked in side by side, ten paces apart, then six, then one.
Bronwyn sat in the front row beside her mother, with her kerchief off and her red-brown hair for once combed flat.
She was grinning.
The High Priest stood on the dais with the old book of laws in his arms.
"The first law says the Wyrm Crown is not given," he said. "It asks."
"Two stand, one wears, one touches, and each answers a truth before the realm."
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–12 of Crown of Hidden Scales are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
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