The throne room of the Obsidian Keep was built to remind everyone who entered that mercy was not an option here. Black volcanic stone rose in jagged columns that looked like frozen screams. The floor was polished to mirror brightness, forcing supplicants to see their own faces as they approached, to watch themselves bow and scrape.
I preferred it that way. Let them see exactly what they were becoming.
Three advisors knelt before me this morning. They had been kneeling for two hours while I reviewed reports from the eastern territories. Their knees would be bleeding by now, soaking into their fine robes, but none of them moved. They knew better.
"The grain shipments from the Riverside packs are three days late," I said, not looking up from the parchment. "Explain."
The eldest advisor, Malthorn, cleared his throat carefully. "My king, the river flooded unexpectedly. The roads became impassable. They are working to establish alternate routes."
"The weather reports from that region predicted clear skies for two weeks."
Silence. Malthorn's weathered face went carefully blank, that expression advisors learned when they realized their lie had been caught but confession would be worse.
I set down the parchment and finally looked at them. "Someone is interfering with supply lines. Either the Riverside Alpha is preparing for rebellion, or an external force has compromised the territory. Both scenarios represent failure on your part to maintain intelligence networks."
"My king, I assure you…"
"Your assurances mean nothing to me." I stood, descending the three steps from the throne. They flinched but held their position. "What I require are results. You have forty eight hours to determine who is disrupting my shipments and eliminate them. If you fail, I will assume you are part of the disruption."
Malthorn's face went gray. The other two advisors, younger men who had risen through demonstrated brutality rather than inherited position, remained stone faced. They understood the mathematics of survival in my court. Failure was contagious. Association with failure was fatal.
"You are dismissed. Send in the general."
They scrambled up, bowing repeatedly as they backed toward the doors. I watched their reflections on the polished floor, and saw how carefully they avoided looking at each other. Good. Cooperation among advisors led to conspiracy. Isolation bred compliance.
Thorne Blackclaw entered as they left, his scarred face impassive. He wore his armor even in court, the dark metal scored with marks from countless battles. Unlike the advisors, he did not kneel. I had stopped requiring it from him years ago. Thorne existed beyond normal hierarchy.
"The border?" I asked.
"Holding. Barely." He moved to the war table at the room's edge, where a map of the empire sprawled across black wood. "The human kingdoms are coordinating better than expected. They are not attacking, just positioning forces along every major crossing point. Waiting for something."
"For me to show weakness." I joined him at the table, studying the tiny markers representing troop positions. "They heard about the runes."
"Everyone heard about the runes." Thorne's voice carried no judgment, just a statement of fact. "Your purges are not helping morale. Three more officers deserted last night."
"Then their families will serve as examples."
"Their families are already dead. You executed them two weeks ago for associated treason."
I looked at him sharply. "Are you questioning my methods?"
"I am reporting outcomes." Thorne met my gaze without fear. This was why I kept him close. He was the only one who could tell me the truth without calculation behind it. "You are burning through competent personnel faster than we can replace them. The empire is large. You cannot execute everyone."
"Watch me."
He almost smiled. Almost. "The resurrected Alphas appeared again. Four more sightings in the northern passes. One of them was confirmed as Grendor Steelfang."
That name pulled my attention fully to the map. Grendor had been dead for thirty years, killed in the territory wars before my rise. He had been legendary, bonded to seventeen warriors simultaneously, his power multiplied through their connections. If someone had brought him back, they understood exactly what they were doing.
"How many did we lose?"
"An entire patrol. Twenty warriors. They stood no chance. Grendor does not fight like the living. No hesitation, no self preservation. He just keeps coming until everything in front of him stops moving."
I traced the northern pass locations with one finger. "The sect is getting bolder. They are moving operations closer to core territories."
"Or they have always been this close and we are only now seeing them."
A fair point. I had spent the first decade of my reign focused on consolidating political power, assuming magical threats were myths used to scare children. That assumption was proving costly.
"Double patrols in the north. Tell the warriors to retreat if they encounter resurrected opponents. No heroic stands, no attempts to win glory. Just fall back and report."
"They will not like that order."
"I do not require them to like it. I require them to survive long enough to be useful." I turned from the map. "What about Mireth's analysis?"
"She is still in the archives. Says she found something in the old texts but needs more time to verify."
Time. Everyone needed more time. Time I might not have if the prophecy convinced enough people that my reign was ending. Prophecies had power not because they predicted the future, but because people believed them and acted accordingly. Belief shaped reality more effectively than truth ever could.
"Tell her I need answers by tomorrow night. And send word to the Riverside packs. If their Alpha is planning rebellion, I want to know before they move. If external forces are compromising them, I want names."
Thorne nodded and turned to leave.
"And Thorne?"
He paused.
"How long until you think I lose control?"
He considered the question with his usual directness. "You have never had control. You have had fear. Fear works until something more frightening appears."
Then he left, leaving me alone in my throne room with the truth he had spoken.