From Introduction: The New King When Giomel ascended to the throne, few thought he was ready to be king. But in truth, it was the other way around. His court was not ready for him. A younger son, he had always assumed his older brother would inherit the crown, and so he devoted himself to studies of magic, obscure history, and the occult. He was no battlefield general, no politician, no speech-maker. And yet, his head was not devoid of ideas either. Where once he had been content to let the world unfold around him, the taste of power set fi re to his ambitions. He looked over the kingdom that was newly his and thought it weak, vulnerable, just like its neighbours. But if they were weak, they could make him strong. He would not even have to invade them—a projection of strength would make them flock to his banner, and kneel before him gladly. If he did it right, they would be beneath his boot before they even knew it. But where to start? Giomel proclaimed himself the new Monster King, and surrounded himself with a terrifying retinue of warriors, the Ruby Guard. He wanted to be feared, and their fearful appearance worked. Bedecked in long, foreign feathers, with the helmets of their bronzed and gilded armour made to look like hideously twisted faces, these bodyguards cut a striking figure. But when the serrated blades of their swords cut flesh, the true horror starts, as their blood magic does its work. How could any assassin reach the king when the heat is leeched from their body faster than the liquid from their veins? As their limbs grow heavy, the Ruby Guard can finish their work with ease. The first step in King Giomel’s plan is complete. He has protection from assassins and his name rings out. But he still has no monsters, not real ones at least. But he has made it be known that any of those not human who wish to conduct trade with the people of his realm are welcome, and he has embraced the envoys of strange beings as equals. Who knows? Perhaps not long from now there will be monsters among his Ruby Guards, and his new name will be more than empty words and bluster.