Vatore leaned back in his seat for a few moments, then he straightened up to review the letters he had gotten again. The Crown of Vallyn wasn't just to run the kingdom, it also crowned the strongest Vampire of the time - it was the reason why so many wanted to get their hands on it.
But he could now see why Ramiere had pulled out of the race for the Crown at the last minute. It wasn't just because his good friend respected him and had accepted that he had been surpassed in strength, it was also because the Crown was no better than a shackle.
Vatore was used to dealing with enemies decisively, now he was forced to do so through several layers of ceremony and unnecessary social ethics. What should have been a small matter had stretched out for so long simply because he couldn't leave the castle without good reason - and that good reason was something akin to the complete annihilation of Vampires.
