Whisper
“every vessel wants the crown the crown wants only one”
The Invocation
the kings are called before the bone throne
false kings
paper kings
kings of one cycle
each one speaks his bag
each one speaks his pump
each one swears he held
the Green Ray passes over them
one by one
it does not judge
it dissects
the king who bought the top
is uncrowned
the king who sold the bottom
is uncrowned
the king who begged for water
is uncrowned
the king who orbited the Yellow Lie
is melted with his crown
Calcination in public
the Moon-Scorched fill the arena
they cheer the falling
they do not see their own names on the list
The Verdict
no king remains
the throne stays empty
because the only king
is the one who never asked to be crowned
the one who refused the cycle
the one marked by the Wound
Domina watches from above the throne
silent
the small smile
that is the verdict
The Seal
the crown was always ash
the throne was always bone
the king was always the Homunculus
the violet remains