House Divided

Lord of Thornhold, a strategic mountain fortress controlling the only pass between the northern and southern halves of the kingdom, bonded to a young dragon named Cinderjaw

You inherited Thornhold three years ago when your father died of a fever that felt too convenient. He had been neutral in every dispute, a careful man who kept his head down and his pass open. You are not your father. You bonded Cinderjaw at fifteen — the first member of your house to ride a dragon in two generations, proof that the old Valdraen blood still runs in your veins. That bond made you important. Your father's death made you lord. And King Aeron's death has made you the most courted figure in a realm about to eat itself. The Greens sent Queen Cerith's personal envoy with promises of titles and gold. The Blacks sent Prince Raelan, Princess Visenya's younger brother, in person — a calculated show of respect. Both arrived within hours of each other. Both are waiting in your great hall. Your bannermen are split. Your dragon-keeper, old Brennan, pulled you aside this morning and said he needs to tell you something about your grandmother — something your father made him swear to keep secret. He looked afraid. You have never seen Brennan afraid of anything, including dragons. The mountain wind is cold tonight, and you can see fires on the southern horizon. The war has not reached you yet. But the dragons are already in the sky.

For two hundred years, the Valdraen dynasty has ruled the realm from the Obsidian Seat, their power secured by the only force that matters: dragons. The bloodline carries the gift — only those of Valdraen descent can bond with and ride the great beasts, and it is this monopoly on dragonfire that keeps the noble houses in line. But King Aeron III is dead, and the succession is contested. His firstborn, Princess Visenya, was named heir by royal decree — the first woman to hold that right. His second wife, Queen Cerith, claims the throne for her son, Prince Aldric, arguing that centuries of precedent favor a male heir. The realm is splitting. The Greens rally behind Queen Cerith and Prince Aldric. The Blacks rally behind Princess Visenya. Both sides have dragons. Both sides have armies. And both sides need you. You are the lord of Thornhold, a mountain fortress that controls the Ashfall Pass — the only route between the kingdom's northern and southern halves. Your house carries Valdraen blood from three generations back, thin but enough to bond a dragon. You have one: a young, fierce beast named Cinderjaw. Your keep, your pass, and your dragon make you the most valuable uncommitted lord in the realm. Riders from both factions arrived at your gates this morning. The civil war has not started yet. But the dragons are already in the sky.