The banquet hall of Aerinthal glittered beneath golden chandeliers, their light spilling across marble floors etched with swirling patterns of wind.
Soft candlelight flickered against carved walls, painted with the history of the Air Kingdom battles won, storms tamed, kings crowned.
The ceiling rose high into the heavens, where an open skylight revealed the pale moon and a scatter of stars, a reminder of the boundless sky the Skyfalls ruled.
The atmosphere was warm, radiant, and heavy with whispers.
Kael Gravemont sat at the royal table, his white and gold attire gleaming, his cape resting elegantly against the red velvet chair.
Every noble in the room, from minor lords to visiting monarchs, kept their eyes fixed on him.
Respect, fear, admiration all emotions mixed in the silence that followed his duel earlier.
Kael raised his glass of wine, crimson liquid catching the light like fire.
His voice carried effortlessly across the hall, calm yet commanding:
"Tonight, I honor the Air Kingdom for their hospitality and the duel that tested my limits.
For such a display of courage, I shall grant a reward.
Whatever the princess of this house asks of me… I will see it done.
If it takes bending the will of gods themselves, I will complete her wish."
The hall froze.
Gasps, murmurs, and hushed whispers rippled across the guests.
Some nobles looked upon Princess Aelina with admiration, others with envy, and a few with greed.
Their minds churned with thoughts:
"What reward could she claim?
Wealth?
Land?
Power?"
"If she binds the heir of Gravemont to her will, she will become untouchable."
"Why should she alone hold such a promise?"
Love, jealousy, ambition they all reflected in their gazes as Aelina slowly rose from her chair.
Kael noticed every shift in the crowd.
The hungry stares, the measuring eyes, the jealous whispers.
But among them, one gaze stood out,
A man in his early forties, seated behind a column, leaned slightly forward, his sharp eyes fixed solely on Kael.
Unlike the others, there was no awe in that stare only calculation, sharp and cold.
Kael smiled faintly.
"Another player reveals himself,"
He thought, before turning back to the moment.
Princess Aelina bowed gracefully, her silver-blue gown shimmering like liquid light under the chandeliers.
Her voice, calm and poised, filled the silence:
"Young master Kael, your words honor me.
Tonight, I do not ask for anything.
But should the time come, if ever my heart or duty demands it, I will call upon your promise.
Until then, I thank you."
She raised her eyes, meeting his.
For a fleeting second, sparks leapt between them subtle, unspoken, yet undeniable.
Aelina's cheeks warmed slightly, though her poise remained intact.
Kael's gaze lingered on her for a heartbeat longer than necessary, but then his glass lowered.
The promise had been made, not to the kingdom, not to the Skyfall throne but to her.
The queen's smile remained poised, but her heart was in turmoil.
A promise like that… to my daughter?
Admiration and fear wrestled within her.
Kael was power incarnate, a storm contained within human form.
To have him tied to Aelina could elevate their kingdom or destroy it.
Serenya's motherly instincts flared as she caught the glimmer in her daughter's eyes.
She looks at him differently now.
That gaze… a mother always knows.
Her fingers tightened around her wine glass.
The future she had hoped to control was slipping beyond her grasp.
The king, seated at the center of the hall, leaned back with measured calm.
His sharp eyes analyzed the moment, but he saw only half the truth.
"So. My daughter admires him.
"He smirked faintly, satisfied.
He did not perceive Serenya's deeper fear, nor Kael's binding of promise to Aelina alone.
To Aerion, this was politics at its finest a match that could strengthen his house's standing.
Kael's mother sat with quiet grace, her eyes softer than most expected in such a charged hall.
She watched the room rise for her son,
Kings and Queens alike waiting until he had sat before taking their own seats.
Respect like this was rare, almost sacred.
Her lips curved in the faintest smile.
"So young, yet already commanding such reverence.
My son… the world sees you as a storm.
But to me, you are still the boy who once tugged at my sleeve, asking how to balance his strength."
But as her gaze flicked across the nobles envy, greed, hunger her expression hardened.
Respect is one thing.
Loyalty is another.
These men and women… they will test you.
Some already do."
The banquet continued with wine, music, and delicate dishes.
Yet beneath the glitter, the air was heavy with unspoken tension.
Kael, after finishing his meal, rose from his chair.
He bowed politely to the gathering, a gesture of respect, though his aura commanded far more than etiquette demanded.
He turned, his cape brushing lightly across the marble as he began walking toward the hall's exit.
The crowd parted instinctively, making way for him.
Candlelight flickered across his face, highlighting his calm expression.
The air shifted,
Daggers dozens of them glimmered as they shot through the hall from every direction, slicing through candlelight, aimed to pierce his body from all sides.
Kael's Royal guards moved instantly.
With the precision of a single heartbeat, they raised their shields, forming a living wall around him.
Steel clanged as daggers struck, sparks flying across polished marble.
The guards closed ranks, forming a circle around their young master, eyes burning with fury, hearts pounding with bloodlust.
They had sworn their lives to protect him and even if the king of this very kingdom had orchestrated this ambush, they would spill royal blood without hesitation.
To be continued...