This is a 12,000 word short story set in the world of
The Song of the Burning Heart.
Jezebel is the star of the
The Flame,
the controversial play at the Three Dragons Inn. The play depicts the death of King Reuel I and his family by dragon flame thirty years prior. When the reigning Queen of Ragar Or--the deceased king's sister--decides to attend the play, Jezebel and the other actors worry that their lives may be in danger. But the mysterious proprietress of the Inn, Shayla Long Eyes, contends that all will be fine. Taking Jezebel aside, Shayla hatches a plan to make the Queen's show an unforgettable one. Jezebel goes along with it, but as the show draws near, Jezebel begins to suspect that there is larger plot at play, one directed by the proprietress she has long failed to properly understand.