The last line was written with fire. The letter burst into flames right in her hands as she finished it. Rosamunda was amazed as she was the first time. The letter was no longer the first time. But she hoped each time that the flaming orange line at the bottom would turn out to be just innocent magic. The line glowed and wriggled under her fingers like a fiery snake, burning slightly, hissing, multiplying and crawling between all the lines. As soon as she read the letter to the end, the flames spread to the whole text. The paper was burning. Why didn’t it burn at the very beginning, if the fire had actually been applied to the letter? Doesn’t the dragon’s breath make everything burn instantly? Is that magic? Rosamunda knew magic intimately, but she did not know it.

      The letter burned once again. And who delivered it? Rosamunda had found these letters in the most unexpected places. And there’s no way of proving they were there. Only the ashes remain.

      It’s a threat! Someone is pretending to be a dragon to get something from the Queen.

      He is in her inner circle. He knows she writes poetry and they keep it from her subjects. A poet queen is no good. She should be in politics. But politics is boring. The letter plays up this problem as well. The author hints that all tragedies are caused by her inattention. True, the hints are in the form of allegories. So what! It’s still understandable. Someone, who is close by, is watching her and judging her. That someone must be at court.

      We need to check everyone. Find out who’s delivering the letters.

      Where do they even come from? It’s like they come from a void in a closed room when no one’s around. For example, when Rosamunda entered her chambers, the place was empty, but when she looked around, there was a letter on the table, and the fiery line in it had a rich orange color.

      It would hardly occur to any of the courtiers to play with fire. It would be the same as setting up a fire right on the carpet in her bedroom. It is too risky. A prank like that could set the whole place ablaze. That kind of fire play can only come from someone who’s in control of the fire. The letter’s already burned, but the line «you have many bodies and many faces» came to mind. Is that an allegory, too? Is it a metaphor? She herself was strong in poetic expressions, but this was more like a riddle. What could the lines possibly mean? Many bodies and many faces! Does one have such a thing? There’s only one body. Even werewolves only have one, they just change when they transform.

      And what does it mean, «You have many names»? Her name is Rosamunda. There’s only one name! And it is one title. She is Queen Rosamunda of the Dolian family. And she is currently the sole ruler of the thriving kingdom of Dauran.

      «Your Majesty!» The worried young page ran in without knocking and immediately blushed with embarrassment, remembering that he had violated court etiquette. But the situation must have been extreme, and that’s what pushed him to do it. He was out of breath and even scared.

      «What’s wrong? Did a dragon chase you too?» Rosamunda joked to cheer the boy up, but he was even more frightened by her joke. He even shuddered.

      «Oh, you already know!» The page stared at her with such admiration and fear as if the queen had become clairvoyant. Just a little more and he put her palm up to predict his own fate. Rosamunda could hardly keep from scolding him.

      «Know about what?»

      «There are fires!» The page was again greatly embarrassed. «There are grand fires!»

      «Is it in the alchemists’ lab again? I shouldn’t have let them experiment here.»

      «No, it’s in the northern provinces.»

      «What do you say?» Rosamunda shuddered this time. How much it resembled the text from the letter.

      «By the way, you are expected in the council chamber to discuss the situation. I was told to tell you that it is urgent. And your presence is required, Your Majesty.»

      The page stuttered and blushed. He had already made many blunders, but Rosamunda paid no attention.

      «Tell them I’ll be there soon,» she waved her hand in glittering ringlets only to send the annoying page away. It was a good thing he hadn’t noticed that her fingertips were burned. People usually look at the jewelry rings, not the fingers themselves. It is unlikely that the page who left was an exception and will now gossip that the queen was burned just as her northern lands burned. There must be no gossip. No one should suspect her secret fascination with the basics of magic.

      She didn’t want to attend the council, but she would have to. After all, she is the queen. Even if no one is interested in her opinion, according to etiquette she should sit at the head of the table. What’s a council without a queen? And what kind of queen is a queen who doubts her own abilities?

      Rosamunda looked at the ashes on the carpet. The sight of it somehow made her fearful.

      How to slay a dragon

      «It must