The Iron Beneath the Crown
When a body is dragged from the bellows of Blackburn Ironworks, foundry clerk Maren Halverson becomes the unlikely key to a conspiracy that reaches the highest seats of power. The victim carries no identification, only a sealed message meant for eyes at court, and the authorities want the death buried before the truth can surface. Determined to find answers, Maren follows the trail into the fog-bound streets of the city, where she crosses paths with Elias Veer, a man whose loyalty is as uncertain as his past. Together they uncover a network of masked operatives, coded correspondence, and a shadowy figure known only as the Ash Lord. As the investigation deepens, Maren finds herself targeted by enemies who strike from rooftops and slip through alleyways without a trace. Every clue she uncovers points toward a plot that could topple the Crown, and every ally she trusts may be working for the other side. With the foundry burning, the press closing in, and a Verancia messenger waiting at the docks, Maren faces an impossible choice: expose the conspiracy and risk everything, or stay silent and let the iron beneath the Crown be forged in blood.