/-Unknown pov-/
The Five Great Houses of Castle Court stood as the backbone of Castle Court, each one holding power, and purpose. As the royal horns blared steadily every five seconds, six banners unfurled high in the air, catching the wind and drawing all eyes upward.
There was red, blue, yellow, green, violet, and one unlike the rest.
The sixth banner was black, shining with an elegant blend of all the colors to reveal the vibrant black silhouette of a raven.
Now, that banner didn't belong to any of the Five Houses. It represented the Crown itself—the Royal Insignia of the ruling house, Raventhorn.
Although technically born from its own bloodline, Raventhorn wasn't spoken of as a House among the five. Its banner always flew highest, placed above the rest as an absolute sign of authority in hierarchy.
It was impossible to deny that the royal banner was the most striking of them all. The raven's dark eyes seemed to stare into the soul of every man, woman, and child watching from the courtyard below.
It watched everything.
But never befriended anyone.
Among the banners that followed, the red flag stood out boldly, displaying the fierce insignia of a red wolf mid-leap—House Thorne.
House Thorne was the most influential among the Five Houses, and they didn't hide it.
Lord Alrik Thorne, head of the House, stood beneath his banner. He was a tall, commanding man, dressed in deep crimson robes that matched the rich curls on his head. His smile stretched across his face like it had been forced to stay there too long.
It wasn't a smile of pride, but one plastered there out of frustration and the reason for his tension stood just a few feet away.
Eris Thorne, his daughter, had just turned twenty-five. Her youthful face was dotted with light brown freckles, a soft imperfection to the rich red of her hair that fell in waves just past her shoulders.
Her green eyes were always sly in watching, but in this moment, they flickered toward her father's stiff smile.
She read him easily.
Whatever he wanted, it wasn't going to be asked aloud. It was written in his look, plainly. Eris raised an eyebrow at the silent demand, and without saying a word, she made her way to her father's side.
Lord Alrik's smile softened. "Remember."
Eris gave her father a single nod, understanding exactly what he meant.
All of this passed in the five seconds they were given to fall back into order.
The horn blared again, and the procession continued.
Across the courtyard, the people gathered under the blue banner were in complete disarray. Those from House Elrean, the owls, were dressed in beautiful blue cloaks but they moved about in confusion. Their formation was loose, and their ranks were disorderly.
Even the children, no older than five, ran wild between their parents' feet as their mothers reached out in vain to catch them.
It was… terrible.
Lady Cale Elrean, visibly irritated, closed her eyes and let out a heavy breath. Her lips pressed together as her gaze landed on her eldest son, who immediately shrank back and tried to hide behind his father's tall frame.
Lord Cale only chuckled deeply. "Yith, try to control your siblings, will you? You know very well that once we enter the castle, they can't run around doing whatever they please.
They're your responsibility now. Be a big boy, and don't give your mother any more trouble."
But fifteen-year-old Yith wasn't in the mood to be lectured. He folded his arms and muttered under his breath, "Why do I always have to be the one controlling those brats?"
Lord Cale smiled again, gentler this time. "Because you're the head of House Elrean. Whether you like it or not."
With a huff, Yith turned around to face his younger brother and sister. He deepened his voice. "Get back here!"
The horn sounded once more, and the line moved forward again.
Under the yellow banner, displayed by the yellowish seahorse insignia, stood the people of House Varek. In comparison to the disorderliness of the previous house, they appeared calm and composed from afar… almost holy.
Their postures were straight, and not a single step seemed out of place.
But everyone knew they weren't worth all that fuss.
Lord Vikar Varek, head of House Varek, grinned down at the young female servant standing beside him. His eyes danced on her full lips and her voluptuous tits, poorly hidden beneath the modest servant gown.
"You're new here, aren't you?" he asked, with a smirk tugging at his lips. "The Queen must've sent you to make our arrival more pleasant. Whatever I need, you say?" His grin widened, and his eyes roamed without shame.
The servant lowered her gaze politely. "Yes, my lord. The Queen has assigned a personal servant to each house to assist during today's ceremony."
Vikar nodded slowly, but his mind had already wandered elsewhere, imagining far more than assistance. Every version of her ended with her naked in his bed, legs spread, moaning his name.
Before he could speak again, a tall handsome man stepped out from behind, wiping the grin off Vikar's face.
"Lord Vikar," the man said curtly, "the King's men are still stationed throughout the castle. Their ranks haven't changed. The Queen simply assigned a servant to each House as a gesture of hospitality."
Lord Vikar sneered. "No doubt she's planted her spies among us, too. Who knows what else she's planted." He turned to the man and gave a faint, dismissive nod. "Thank you, Malric. That will be all."
But his smile was gone. He was anything but fine.
The horn blared again, and the procession moved forward once more.
The grey banner of House Vaskar, the jaguars, rose above a silent group. Known as the military arm of Castle Court, House Vaskar prided itself on discipline.
Their Lord, General Loric Vaskar, Commander of the King's Army was noticeably absent, yet it felt as if he was present.
His two wives and their children marched in sync with expressionless faces. They knew what was expected of them and what name they carried.
House Vaskar wasn't made of loud voices and flowing robes… They were built for war, even in ceremonies. Their women moved their children like little warriors because according to them, they were here to protect the Royal family against cunning foxes who were trying to take over the Black Throne.
The horn blared again.