The Blood Eagle Grand Duchess's "succession ceremony" had been rushed and rudimentary, but that wasn't a problem.
Given that the Blood Eagle Clan had dwindled to barely ten people, it would have been truly awkward to hold an extravagant ceremony and not have enough people to fill it. What was more, with the Plantagenet Kingdom watching them like a hawk, the Blood Eagles had to keep to the shadows and tread carefully.
But for those who were truly loyal, even a simple ceremony served a very important purpose.
Especially after Lady Triss, the Blood Eagle Grand Duchess, had restructured the family and handed nominal control of two-thirds of Transia to Murphy and Femis respectively. This had legally confirmed Murphy's rule over the area around Cadman City.
As for the Earl of Sicob, which occupied the northernmost third of Transia, the situation there was more complicated. Even at the height of the Blood Eagle Clan's power, its relationship with them had been quite delicate. So Triss had no intention of dealing with those troublesome matters just yet. In fact, she had no intention of dealing with them herself at all.
She was sure her little Murphy would be happy to do it for her.
Legitimacy was worth less than toilet paper when it served no purpose, but in certain situations, it was worth its weight in gold.
Like right now.
At dawn, beneath the shadow of one of the few intact buildings in Cadman City's outer district, Murphy watched as three Bloodbound Knights escorted a carriage carrying Miss Femis's beloved walnut coffin away.
They were clearly escorting her to the Dark Mountains to meet Lord Payn.
Knight-Lord Palanno had left Cadman City the previous night, after the ceremony. His mission to deliver warnings required him to make the rounds of all