Chapter 57 What Comes For Queens

• The dragons flew overhead, casting massive shadows across the freshly patched courtyard. Scorch marks still blackened the outer stone, and the scent of ash lingered no matter how many times the walls were scrubbed. But there was laughter again. Children darted through the inner garden. Merchants had returned to the western gate. The kingdom was healing.
• And so were they.
• Espen sat on the edge of the terrace, boots hooked over the ledge, watching as her dragon—larger now, sleek with polished silver scales and wings that shimmered—curled beside Mikko’s midnight-scaled beast. The two dragons were almost inseparable, much like their bonded pair.