Status Updates From Sworn To War (Courtlight, #9)

Ciardis is getting to be more conniving and has apparently developed leadership. Also the star of a plan. “I’ll crisscross the lands. Re-open the old watch towers. Set mage guards at access points of great magic. Call the landed nobility to provide their strongest people. We will need to have them gather at a focal point.”

She looked him in the eye and said, “You aren’t just draining their gifts. You’re draining everyone’s. Silently, like a disease that no one knows is lurking there. It’s killing the magic in the very air.”

He wants to steal something from the dragons

if she didn’t know any better, she would say he addicted to something. Interesting. Also why was the first emperor one of the dragon’s favored sons??

City wiped out by the dragons

“These builders you reference… we’ve always known someone came before us, but you and I both know that our predecessor was the first to claim these lands from Sahalia.” Maradian smiled. “The first human, yes. The first individual? No, Nephew, that is not so.” Underground city is important

So the emperor has a deeper goal and wants more power