The afternoon brought a grim clarity to the palace. The attempted assassination had proven one thing: the world would not let Livius rule in peace. He was a variable they couldn't control, and in the game of empires, a variable must be removed.
Livius sought out Vaelin in the royal infirmary. The old man was sitting up, his room filled with the scent of medicinal herbs and old books. He was sketching again, but his hands were shaking so violently he could barely hold the charcoal.
"You saw it, didn't you?" Vaelin asked, his voice a mere rasp. "The Silver Moon... it has risen in your blood."
"I saw her, Vaelin," Livius said, sitting by the bed. "I saw the Silver Dragon Tribe. Why wasn't this in the records? Why did you only show me the Golden history?"
Vaelin looked away, his eyes full of a centuries-old guilt. "Because the Argentine Emperors ordered it burned. They wanted to be the only 'Gods' in the world. They feared the Silver Dragons because the Silver ones could see the truth. They could see that the Golden line wasn't divine... it was cursed. The First Emperor didn't receive a gift from the Dragon God; he stole it. He killed the God's firstborn and drank the blood."
Livius felt a chill that had nothing to do with his magic. "So the 'Dragon God' we worship is just a victim of our ancestors?"
"He is a prisoner," Vaelin whispered. "And you, Livius... you are the first one in a thousand years who has the key to the cage. But be warned. The cage isn't just a place. It's the throne you're sitting on. Every King of Argentine who sits on that chair becomes a warden. If you want to be free, you have to destroy the throne."
Livius stood, walking to the window. He looked out at the city, at the thousands of people who were looking to him for guidance. If he destroyed the throne, the empire would shatter. If he stayed on it, he would become a monster.
"I'm not destroying the throne yet," Livius said, his golden eyes reflecting the setting sun. "I have a Khaganate to humble and a God to meet. Cian!"
The clerk appeared in the doorway, a stack of new reports in his hand. "Yes, Livius?"
"Prepare the Nexus agents. We're going to the Steppes. If the Khan wants a rose that burns, I'm going to show him a fire he can't extinguish."
Cian nodded, his eyes bright with the thrill of a new, impossible task. "The Steppes are vast, Livius. It's a suicide mission."
"It's only suicide if you plan on coming back," Livius replied, a dark, regal smile touching his lips. "And I have no intention of leaving the Khan's palace standing."
The "Silent Reign" was over. The "Conquering Shadow" had begun.