The Grand Hall of the Western Wing glittered like a golden snare.Chandeliers spilled light like liquid fire.Velvet drapes masked the ancient stone walls, hiding scars from long-forgotten coups.Silver platters shimmered. Goblets brimmed.And beneath it all, the stench of ambition choked the air thicker than the perfume.
It was perfect.
I had chosen this night carefully — just enough time for Cullen's corpse to send ripples, but before those ripples could settle.Every guest here tonight was either an ally to be bound tighter…Or a snake to be marked for the axe.
The Western Dukes arrived first.Lord Albrecht in his crimson silks, rings heavy enough to snap a lesser man's fingers.His eyes, cold as polished iron, flickered over me as he offered the customary bow.
"Prince Leonhart," he rumbled."Your invitation was… unexpected."
"Opportunity waits for no man, my lord," I replied smoothly, guiding him deeper into the hall."A shame others have forgotten that."
Others — like the Eastmarch lords now under Evelyne's sway.The jab landed. I saw it in Albrecht's twitching jaw.
Good.
More followed.Minor counts.Trade guild heads masquerading as nobles.Even two foreign envoys — one from the Eastern Isles, the other from the merchant republics — who watched everything with predator's patience.
The game board was filling.
And then… she arrived.
Evelyne.Wearing midnight blue this time, edged with silver embroidery that caught the light like tiny knives.Her hair was swept up, exposing the proud line of her neck — a subtle message. Vulnerability as defiance.Her gaze found mine across the hall, and though her lips smiled… her eyes promised ruin.
"How delightful, Leonhart," she cooed as she approached, taking her place by my side as custom demanded."A gathering so soon after recent… unfortunate events.One might almost think you mean to distract from whispers of treachery."
The courtiers nearby tensed — subtle, but noticeable.The first hint of blood.
I smiled, tilting my head just so."Why, my dear Evelyne, I merely seek to bring the court together in these uncertain times.Unity is… vital."I let the word drip like honey laced with arsenic.
She laughed softly, every note calculated."Unity, yes. Though some would say certain alliances are forming too quickly. Too conveniently.One might suspect desperation rather than strategy."
Our audience pretended not to listen, but their ears strained at every syllable.
And then — the first crack.
Lord Albrecht, emboldened by the tension, leaned forward."If I may, your graces — the West has long stood neutral in your… spirited competitions.But with foreign powers eyeing our borders, perhaps it is time to consider firmer allegiances."
His meaning was clear.He was open for bidding.Tonight. Now.
I inclined my head. "Wise as ever, Lord Albrecht. And know this — any who stand with me will find their coffers full and their enemies… impoverished."
A ripple of laughter. But behind it, sharp glances exchanged.
Evelyne's smile tightened."Oh, but surely, my lord, wealth alone cannot buy loyalty.Not when the crown itself may soon shift.What use is silver if the throne turns its back on those who chose poorly?"
The temperature in the hall dropped by degrees.The foreign envoys exchanged whispers.The minor lords shifted, suddenly uncertain.
This was it.The real battle.Not swords.Not poison.But this — words sharpened into spears, each strike seeking to bleed away influence and pull wavering allies to one side or the other.
A servant brought wine.I raised my goblet.
"To new beginnings," I declared, voice ringing through the hall."May those who seize the moment thrive, and those who hesitate… fade."
The subtle threat was heard.Glasses lifted.Some hands shook.Some eyes darted — to Evelyne, to me, to the exits.
As the banquet wore on, the undercurrents grew darker.Albrecht left early — too early.He would be weighing offers, selling his loyalty to the highest bidder by dawn.
The foreign envoys lingered longer than they should have.Spies, both of them. No doubt carrying tales back to their masters before the sun rose.
Evelyne and I stood together one last time as the hall emptied, masks cracking only when we were alone.
Her smile dropped."Bold. Risking everything so soon."
I stepped closer, just enough to feel her breath hitch."And you're the one who started this bloodletting.Did you think I'd just let it slide, Evelyne?"
Her eyes flashed violet fire."I thought you'd at least be subtle."
I chuckled darkly."Subtlety is for shadows.Tonight was a declaration."
She leaned in, voice low and dangerous."You're making enemies faster than you can count.Even you can't fight them all."
I smirked, my pulse a steady drumbeat of hunger."Watch me."
We stood there, breathing the same air, hearts hammering with the same rhythm — battle and desire so entwined neither of us could tell which was which anymore.
The war had broken free from the shadows.And now, the court would have no choice but to choose sides.
Outside, the palace bells tolled midnight.And with their echo, the real game began.