Nikolai Nothing, said the voice. Liar. Fraud. Heir to no one. Pretender to the throne. I see who you are. But Nikolai knew those cruelties. He’d borne them his whole life. It takes more than blood to make a king. Tell me what it takes to rule, the thing said in that taunting voice. Courage? Valor? Love for the people? All of that. Nikolai strengthened his grip. He could feel the weight of the thorn in his palm. And a solid sense of style.
