Deny Me, Dragon King novel · Chapter 19 of 24

Chapter 19: On His Knees

At dawn the king of Cindermark knelt on the stones of the Hearth Court.

Every lord who had a seat in the keep stood on the steps above him.

The fire pit smoldered in the gray light, and Torren knelt on its rim in his shirt, with no collar and no crown.

His side was bound beneath the linen.

I knew, because I had bound it.

I stood at the bottom of the steps with Posy's hand in mine, and I did not know what he meant to do.

"I have called you here," he said, "to say what I did."

His voice carried to the last row.

"In this same court I denied her, because I was afraid to ask whether the word I was given was true."

"She raised my daughter alone, and I let six years pass in my name."

The lords didn't stir.

"I am not asking you to forgive it, because that is not yours to give."

He lifted his head.

"I ask you to watch what I do from now."

"Every lord who rode under the Seer's word will lay his sword on these steps by noon and answer to the Council for it."

"No word of the Flame will be law in Cindermark again until the Council has weighed it in the open."

Then he drew a heavy gold ring off his thumb.

It held a seal cut in black stone, a dragon with its wings folded.

He held it up to me across the steps.

"This is the keep's seal," he said. "It holds the Council's vote on anything that touches the child."

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