Chapter 43: The Uninvited Guest
The morning of the Celebration dawned clear and bright, a perfect, polished gem of a day. The Silverfang Keep was no longer a fortress preparing for a party; it was the heart of a burgeoning empire on display. Banners snapped in the brisk wind, the scents of roasting meat and spiced wine from the sprawling feast tents warred with the smell of fresh sawdust from the newly erected tournament grounds, and the air thrummed with the sound of a thousand voices.
Lyra stood with Kael on a raised dais overlooking the main thoroughfare, watching the delegations arrive. Her silver gown from the previous evening had been replaced with functional yet regal fighting leathers, dyed a deep charcoal and edged with silver thread. A moonstone pendant, a gift from Kael that morning, rested at her throat. She was dressed for both ceremony and conflict, a statement in itself.
