The invitation arrived three days later.
It was a single card with date, time and four words beneath the royal seal.
Come alone. Tell nobody.
Kraven told nobody.
The gathering was held not in the main castle but in a separate building on the royal grounds. This castle was rough and seemed way older than the royal castle itself. There were no guards in sight, no announcement — Just a door that was slightly open.
Kraven stepped inside.
The room held perhaps fifteen people. All of them were young and all were carrying the particular aura of someone who were used to being the most talented person in whatever room they usually occupied. They moved around the hall, carefully assessing one another.
The food was extraordinary. The wine was better. Servants moved through the room, and the King himself circled among his guests — laughing at things people said, asking questions, making each person feel briefly like the only one in the room.
Kraven watched this and found it impressive.
