The Whispered Throne

Prologue

Castle Valoria has stood for three centuries, a beacon of order against the encroaching chaos of the Whispering Wilds. But beacons can be snuffed out. Seven days ago, a proclamation arrived sealed with black wax and written in a language no scribe could place—a voice claiming ancient right to the throne, backed by sorcery that withers crops and turns livestock to ash. The borderlands burn with unnatural storms. The people whisper of curses. King Aldric convenes his inner circle in desperation, yet even as war plans are drawn, supplies vanish, scouts sent into the Wilds never return, and doubt spreads like poison through the castle's marble halls. Someone inside Castle Valoria serves the Whispered Crown. Whether through coercion, ambition, or hidden bloodright, a traitor works to ensure the kingdom's fall. The outer watch suspects treachery; the libraries hold fragments of forgotten lore; the spy networks buzz with half-truths and misdirection. The kingdom teeters on a knife's edge, and time is running out. In three days, you will be called upon to act. In seven days, all will be decided—by fire, by steel, by magic, or by the choices you make when honor and survival demand different prices.