As the nobles circled Sarah Millbrook like predators, three figures stood apart from the fray. Silent, watching, but impossible to ignore.
Lucian Valorian leaned slightly against a marble pillar in the upper balcony, arms folded. The air around him thick with something ancient and sharp. Every so often, his molten gaze flicked toward Alex, cataloging details with the precision of a master strategist.
Beside him stood Head Captain Aldric, clad in ceremonial black and gold armor, a subtle sigil of the Crown embossed on one shoulder. Impossibly still, but his eyes missed nothing as they tracked the political maneuvering below.
On his other side, Colonel Hestian, broad shouldered, with the bearing of a man used to command, watched the noble houses bicker with a visible curl of distaste on his lips.
"She's a walking time bomb," Hestian muttered under his breath. "If any of these houses get their hands on her without supervision... the regional power balances could shift overnight."
"That girl doesn't need a patron," Aldric said quietly. "She needs protection. And oversight."
Lucian's voice was barely audible, but it carried the weight of absolute certainty. "The boy as well. There's something different about young Ashford. His awakening, the way he carries himself... it's like he's playing by completely different rules."
Aldric's hand moved to a communication stone at his belt, the crystal glowing with soft blue light. His voice dropped to a whisper as he spoke into it, but Alex's enhanced hearing caught fragments: "Two SS ranks in one day... situation is beyond precedent... immediate intervention required..."
The response crackled back, barely audible even to Alex: "Bring them both... personal assessment required... elevation approved for the girl's family... secure the assets immediately..."
Assets. The word hit Alex like a physical blow. They weren't people anymore. They were strategic resources to be catalogued and controlled.
Below, the noble vultures continued their feast, unaware that the game had already changed. Duke Ravencrest was making increasingly desperate offers to Sarah's parents, who had been quietly escorted into the hall by armed guards disguised as servants. Duchess Wintermere was promising training and protection while carefully not mentioning the gilded cage that came with it.
And through it all, Sarah stood frozen in the center of it all, looking like she might shatter at any moment.
That's when Captain Aldric moved.
He descended from the balcony with military precision, each step echoing in the vast hall. The nobles didn't notice at first, too focused on their prey to sense the apex predator approaching.
"Nobles," he said calmly, his voice cutting through the chatter like a blade. "I understand today's awakenings have stirred considerable... ambition." He paused, letting the word settle into the silence. "But some matters now exceed the jurisdiction of house politics."
The room went still.
Duke Ashford frowned. "Captain Aldric. Are you here in an official capacity?"
"I am," Aldric said evenly. "By direct order of His Majesty."
Whispers erupted like wildfire. Alex watched the nobles' faces shift from predatory confidence to wary calculation. The Crown had just entered the game, and that changed everything.
"The king? Already?" Duchess Vaelthorne's tone was sharp. "That seems rather... precipitous."
"His Majesty takes matters of national security very seriously," Aldric replied, his tone suggesting that questioning the king's timing was inadvisable. "Particularly when they involve magical classifications we haven't seen in generations."
He turned slightly, facing Alex and Sarah. The girl looked ready to collapse, while Alex fought to keep his expression neutral despite the cold dread settling in his stomach.
"Young Lord Ashford. Miss Millbrook. You will accompany me to the capital within two days. A private audience has been arranged. The king wishes to assess your circumstances personally."
Sarah's face went white as parchment. "The king actually wants to see me?"
"Yes, Miss Millbrook. And in recognition of your status and future role in the realm, His Majesty has authorized immediate elevation of your family to the title of Baron. A holding and stipend will be arranged before the week's end."
That caused another ripple through the crowd. Alex heard Duke Ravencrest's sharp intake of breath, saw Duchess Wintermere's carefully constructed smile crack at the edges.
Duke Ravencrest stepped forward, his merchant's instincts warring with political necessity. "You would elevate commoners to the peerage without council discussion?"
"The Crown does not require consensus to secure national assets," Aldric said without apology. "And an SS rank time manipulator is now a matter of national security."
Alex caught the phrasing: assets. Sarah wasn't a girl anymore, not in their eyes. She was a resource. A variable the Crown didn't trust to leave floating among the wolves.
Sarah's parents, who had been huddled together near the entrance, looked stunned. Her father, a weathered man with carpenter's hands, stammered, "Baron? But we're just... I make tables and chairs, Captain. Nothing more than that."
"You are the parents of an SS rank awakened," Aldric said with unexpected gentleness. "That makes you valuable to the realm. The Crown protects what it values."
Duke Ashford was watching Aldric carefully now, political calculations flickering behind his eyes. "And my son?"
"The Crown has no quarrel with House Ashford," Aldric said, tone measured. "But protocol demands a direct report. Lord Kael just awakened an SS rank classification under unusual circumstances. His Majesty wishes to understand the full scope of his abilities."
'Unusual circumstances.' Alex's blood turned to ice water. They knew. Somehow, they knew something was wrong about his awakening, about him. The question was how much they suspected.
From the balcony, Lucian Valorian's burning gaze felt like a physical weight on Alex's shoulders. The legendary warrior hadn't moved, but Alex could feel him cataloguing every micro expression, every tell that might reveal the truth.
"Two days seems insufficient time to prepare," Duchess Vaelthorne interjected smoothly. "Surely young Lord Kael would benefit from proper tutoring before meeting His Majesty? House Vaelthorne would be honored to provide guidance during this transitional period."
"Two days," Aldric repeated firmly. "No extensions. No delays." His eyes swept the gathered nobles with predatory precision. "And no interference. These awakened are now under Crown protection until further notice."
The threat was clear and unmistakable. Any noble house that tried to circumvent the king's will would find themselves facing the full weight of royal displeasure.
Sarah looked between Alex and her parents, desperate confusion written across her features. "I don't understand any of this. Yesterday I was helping my mother with the laundry, and now you're telling me I have to meet the king? That we're going to be nobles?"
"Yesterday you were Sarah Millbrook, carpenter's daughter," Alex said, his voice flat and matter of fact. "Today you're Sarah Millbrook, SS rank time manipulator and potential Baroness. The world changes when you're not watching."
She stared at him with something between gratitude and terror. "What's going to happen to us?"
Alex wished he had an answer that wouldn't terrify her more. 'Nothing good,' he thought, but instead offered what little comfort he could: "We'll figure it out."
Captain Aldric's sharp eyes noted the exchange with interest. "Young Lord Ashford seems to understand the gravity of the situation. Miss Millbrook, you would be wise to follow his example."
The captain's gaze swept the hall one final time, ensuring every noble understood the new reality. The feeding frenzy was over. The Crown had claimed its prizes.
"Carriages will arrive at dawn the day after tomorrow," Aldric announced. "Be ready."
As he turned to leave, Duke Ravencrest made one last desperate play. "Captain, surely the girl would benefit from experienced guidance during the journey? House Ravencrest would be honored to provide an escort of suitable standing."
Aldric's smile was sharp as winter steel. "The Crown provides its own escort, Your Grace. I trust you understand."
The dismissal was absolute. The nobles had been outmaneuvered completely, their carefully laid plans shattered by royal intervention. Alex watched their faces as they realized they'd been playing for scraps while the Crown claimed the entire feast.
But as the captain strode from the hall with military precision, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just traded one prison for another. The nobles wanted to use them. The Crown wanted to control them.
'The only question is which fate proves worse,' he thought grimly.
From the balcony, Lucian Valorian finally moved, pushing away from his pillar with fluid grace. His eyes met Alex's across the distance, and for just a moment, Alex saw something that might have been understanding. Or perhaps warning.
Then the legendary warrior was gone, vanished into the shadows like smoke.
Two days. Alex had two days to figure out how to survive whatever waited in the capital.
Looking at Sarah's terrified face, he realized he wasn't the only one running out of time.*****
Miles away, in a tower that officially didn't exist, a figure in dark robes set down a communication stone, its blue glow fading to darkness.
"Two SS ranks," they murmured to the shadows. "How very interesting."
A raven perched nearby tilted its head, intelligent eyes gleaming.
"Send word to our friends in the capital," the figure continued, fingers tracing arcane symbols in the air. "The pieces are finally moving."