Chained by Hades, the Underworld King novel · Chapter 17 of 24
Chapter 17: The Queen's Rite
Ingrith read the ash letters twice.
Then she turned to Kaelor.
"Crown me," she said.
He stared at her.
"Not here, not tonight."
"Tonight. In your hall. Before every one of your dead."
"You heard what the crown costs."
"I heard that a queen shares every cut. Hrodmar wants your heart by the third dawn, and two remain."
"He can't take what is held by two."
"That is not how the law reads."
"Then read it to me."
The raven cleared its throat from the porch beam.
It had followed them up through the stones.
"The law says that a crowned queen's life is bound to the king's. A blow aimed at one lands on both."
"So he cannot kill the king without killing the queen," Ingrith said.
"And the tree takes from both."
"I know."
She said it before he could stop her.
"I know what it takes. I am not a girl who walked into the forest anymore."
Behind her, her mother's chair creaked.
"Ingrith," her mother said.
"You said you would cut your own throat if it costs me a year."
"I did."
"It will cost me years. It will cost him more if I don't."
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–12 of Chained by Hades, the Underworld King are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
← Chapter 16 · All chapters · Chapter 18 →
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend