A Reign of Steel by Morgan Rice Read Free Book Online Page A

She looked up and searched the skies for any sign of Thorgrin,
hoping, praying. At least, she hoped for any sign of Ralibar, wherever he was.
But he, too, had not returned.
    Gwen
watched an empty sky, once again disappointed. Once again, she would have to rely
on herself. Even her people, who had always supported her, who had looked to
her as a god, now seemed to distrust her. Her father had never prepared her for
this. Without the support of her people, what sort of Queen would she be? Powerless.
    Gwen
desperately wanted to turn to someone for comfort, for answers. But Thorgrin
was gone; her mother was gone; seemingly everyone she knew and loved was gone.
She felt at a crossroads, and had never felt more confused.
    Gwen
closed her eyes and called upon God to help her. She tried with all her will to
summon him. She had never been one to pray much, but her faith was strong, and
she felt certain that he existed.
    Please,
God. I am so confused. Show me how to best protect my people. Show me how to
best protect Guwayne. Show me how to be a great ruler.
    “Prayers
are a powerful thing,” came a voice.
    Gwen
spun at once, instantly relieved to hear that voice. Standing there, several
feet away, was Argon. He was clothed in his white cloak and hood, holding his
staff, looking out at the horizon instead of her.
    “Argon,
I need answers. Please. Help me.”
    “We
are always in need of answers,” he replied. “And yet they do not always come. Our
lives are meant to be lived out. The future cannot always be told for us.”
    “But
it can be hinted at,” Gwendolyn said. “All the prophecies I’ve read, all the
scrolls, the history of the Ring—still point to a great darkness that is coming.
You must tell me. Will it occur?”
    Argon
turned and stared at her, his eyes filled with fire, darker and scarier than she’d
ever seen them.
    “Yes,”
he replied.
    The
definiteness of his answer scared her more than anything. He, Argon, who always
spoke in riddles.
    Gwen
shivered inside.
    “Will
it come here, to King’s Court?”
    “Yes,”
he replied.
    Gwen
felt her sense of dread deepening. She also felt secure in her conviction that
she had been right all along.
    “Will
the Ring will be destroyed?” she asked.
    Argon
looked to her, and nodded slowly.
    “There
are but a few things left that I can tell you,” he said. “If you choose, this
can be one of them.”
    Gwen
thought long and hard. She knew Argon’s wisdom was precious. Yet this was
something she really needed to know.
    “Tell
me,” she said.
    Argon
took a deep breath as he turned and surveyed the horizon for what felt like
forever.
    “The
Ring will be destroyed. Everything you know and love will be wiped away. The
place you now stand will be nothing but flaming embers and ashes. All of the Ring
will be ashes. Your nation will be gone. A darkness is coming. A darkness
greater than any darkness in our history.”
    Gwendolyn
felt the truth of his words reverberate inside her, felt the deep timbre of his
voice resonate to her very core. She knew that every word he spoke was true.
    “My
people do not see this,” she said, her voice shaking.
    Argon
shrugged.
    “You
are Queen. Sometimes force must be used. Not only against one’s enemies. But
even against one’s people. Do what you know. Do not always seek your people’s
approval. Approval is an elusive thing. Sometimes, when your people hate you
the most, that is a sign that you are doing the best thing for them. Your
father was blessed with a reign of peace. But you, Gwendolyn, you will have a far
greater test: you will have a reign of steel.”
    As
Argon turned to walk away, Gwendolyn stepped forward and reached out for him.
    “Argon,”
she called.
    He
stopped, but did not turn around.
    “Just
tell me one more thing. I beg you. Will I ever see Thorgrin again?”
    He
paused, a long, heavy silence. In that grim silence, she felt her heart
breaking in two, hoping and praying that he would give her just one