Ariadne nodded. While it got easier to talk about the realities of her life before and who she was, it was never exactly easy to talk about--or think about--the Red Dragon. Important, of course. Because his deeds needed to be remembered. But that wasn't quite the same thing.

"He calls himself an Emperor," she said. "Mostly because he's slaughtered the monarchs of most of the kingdoms in the realm. Taken their seats, or else put his own administrators in control. My homeland was actually one of the first he conquered." As much as Alastrians could ever have a homeland. She touched the park of her tree against her back. "Burned the forests when I was a little girl."

And though they weren't royal, he'd slaughtered her family as well.