In a silent meeting room, a middle-aged man with blond hair and green eyes stared at his butler in disbelief.
"What? Did they go to court?" he asked, his voice filled with restrained irritation.
"Yes, sir. The request has already been formalized and accepted" replied the butler, firm but visibly uncomfortable.
Reven was stunned. It didn't make sense.
"That's not typical of the Udrak. They usually settle with blood. Dueling. War. That's how that kid killed his own brothers and took over the family" he muttered, more to himself.
Something was wrong.
On paper, his plan was foolproof: marry Philip to someone from the Rolsvince, allow the influence of this union to engulf the Udrak from within and thus gain a power base without depending so much on his own house. All subtle, all clean.
But then came the war against the Black Lotus.
They won, but at what cost? The resistance was brutal, desperate. The survivors of that cursed lineage had successfully taken refuge among the Udrak - which in itself was a very bad sign.
The Black Lotus family was stubborn to the extreme, refusing any form of surrender, and fighting to the last man to preserve their heritage. House Primavera won, yes - but lost two Combat Masters and half their troops in the process.
It wasn't a victory. It was a warning.
Reven no longer had the confidence to go head-to-head with lunatics who accepted death as their currency. He had his own enemies, and the loss of two pillars of his power had caused visible problems in his territories.
No one expected the Lotus to go this far - to burn everything for pride. But they did.
And then came the disaster in the province of New Moon.
That land had never been completely under his control, but now... His own son had fallen there. The Udrak resisted. And worse: there were rumors of the involvement of occult forces. Traces of a strange power were noticed, and wiser nobles began to retreat.
If there really was a wizard behind it - and if he was powerful - there was nothing left for them to do but cry out for mercy and beg for help from the Royal Household.
So even though he was furious, Reven held back. He needed to test the waters before drowning in them.
Casa Violeta was his tool for this. A calculated step.
He expected a direct answer, a challenge, a duel within a year - enough time to measure the risk. To find out if that mysterious power really existed or if it was just a trick of the Udrak.
But to his shock, House Udrak chose an unexpected path.
"Find out which families will be present in court," he ordered, rising slowly from his chair, as if the very movement already commanded respect. His hands rested on the back of the seat for a moment, his eyes fixed on the fireplace, where the flames danced, reflecting off his family ring. "And prepare presents. Nothing modest. I want them to be so lavish, so offensively grandiose, that the Udrak can't even pretend they can compete. If necessary... open the family vault"
His voice was low, but sharp as a razor. Each word carried the weight of centuries of accumulated power.
"Yes, sir" replied the butler with a slight inclination of his head, already turning with precision to carry out the order. He knew that tone. It wasn't a request. It was a verdict.
The man watched him for a moment, then added, like someone reviving an old strategy:
"As for the heir... contact the Black Emblem again"
The butler hesitated for a brief second, imperceptible to anyone except his master.
"We're going to finance another assassin. And this time, I want certainty. No traces. Nothing that leads back to us"
"Yes, master" replied the butler, once again with trained reverence, before disappearing through the door like a shadow trained to obey.
Reven sighed heavily. He didn't know how much time he had left. The Udrak were dangerously close to something they didn't understand.
If that family could figure out how to use the ring...
Casa Primavera would be finished.
He couldn't allow that.
(They're just ignorant peasants. There's no way they can learn to wear the ring...) he thought, trying to convince himself. But the discomfort wouldn't go away.
Dealing with a bunch of country people should never have been such a problem.
"But still... a superior archer, at that age..." he muttered to himself. "What a problem..."
-Full Moon School-
The candlelight flickered ahead as I followed the maid down the stairs. The castle seemed even older than I remembered - each step creaked as if protesting our presence. She walked slowly, her heavy dress brushing against the stones and the candlestick firmly in her hands. The flame cast shadows on the walls, which stretched out like crooked fingers trying to grab me.
My black suit was tight on my body, the new fabric still stiff on my shoulders. The pocket watch attached to my belt swung subtly with every step. I was impeccable - and uncomfortable.
When we reached the end of the stairs, she led me down a narrow corridor. At the end, an ajar door let in a shaft of light. The deep voice coming from inside reached me before I even got close.
"I'll be waiting here, young master" said the maid, bowing respectfully.
I nodded, without saying a word, and moved on.
I stopped in front of the door. The words I heard made me freeze for a moment.
"I gave the order. They won't dare ignore me. He went against the rules from the start and will take responsibility. I don't care about his family in the past. What matters is who they are now"
I recognized that voice - it was my old math teacher. A man so silent that, even in class, you only realized he was there when he spoke. And when he spoke, it was impossible to ignore.
Another voice replied, just as authoritative.
"They used the Rolsvince and turned my city upside down. I agree with you. This is my territory, not theirs. The Black Lotus had an excellent iron export deal. They destroyed everything because of some stupid inheritance... and got away with it"
"It will take twenty-eight days to get to the capital with the best horses. We'll receive each one as they approach" said the professor, and then I felt his gaze cross the door. "Come in, boy"
I took a deep breath, straightened my jacket and pushed open the door.