Kings Fall Bastard Games -

Three months later, the Sunstone King died in peace, surrounded by healers and a scribe who recorded his last confused mutterings (none of which were treasonous—just sad and old).

Lord Vennix faded into irrelevance, his forgeries useless in a system that required witnesses. General Thalia became the city’s first Master of Infrastructure. Sera, the Keeper of the Coin, was exonerated and wrote the new financial code. Miren became the head of the city’s dispute resolution—because she understood the Game better than anyone, and now she used that skill to end games, not start them.

The Games only work if everyone believes there is only one prize—and that prize is the King’s seat.

In the high-walled city of Veridias, the Sunstone King had ruled for forty years. He was a master of the "Bastard Game"—pitting advisors, generals, and even family members against one another to secure his own power. Every promotion came with a secret knife; every compliment hid a test of loyalty.

He did not rally them to seize power. He rallied them to .

Then, suddenly, the King fell. A stroke felled him in the night. He did not die, but his mind was a fractured mirror. He could no longer play.

Miren stood silent for a long time. Then she rolled up her sleeves and picked up a trowel.