The silence that followed Raileigh's introduction was suffocating.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
It was the kind of silence that appeared when everyone at a table simultaneously realized that someone had just thrown a lit match into a room full of oil.
Elias slowly looked at Raileigh.
Raileigh smiled back.
Cheerfully.
Completely innocently.
As though he hadn't just announced to the royal family that the son and heir of Lord Alaric Dukker was his best friend.
'You son of a bitch.' Elias resisted the urge to say it aloud.
Everyone knew that Lord Alaric Dukker was the kings closest retainer, closer than any of the other Lords and even his wives. Even before that he had a reputation of being powerful both in terms of his martial prowess and his authority as a noble.
Everyone also knew or had heard that when Alaric had returned to Aethelberg after a long period of absence dealing with the aftermath of the attack on his city Blackwood he had brought his son along. Not only that but he had made the boy sit on his seat in the privy council and remained standing, an act that announced to everyone that Elias was the heir to his fathers legacy.
By publicly saying that Elias was his 'best friend' he had named him as an ally an by extension had the support of the Lord Alaric. Some might have just brushed it off as nothing if not for the fact that they themselves had Lords and officials supporting them in their struggle for the throne and of all of them...
..Raileigh had just announced that he made an alliance with the best one. Or so Elias inferred.
" Tch." Elias kissed his teeth , annoyed.
Jamie, meanwhile, had apparently decided that political tension was an excellent seasoning for lunch and just continued eating.
"So," the Raileigh, leaning back in his chair and gesturing toward the spread of food before them, "shall we eat?"
The tension broke—barely.
Leon was the first to recover. He smiled, a practiced, political expression that didn't quite reach his eyes, and leaned forward.
"Elias Dukker," he said, his tone warm and welcoming.
"I've heard much about your father. Lord Alaric is a remarkable man and you seem to have inherited that charm." He chuckled.
"Tell me, how is life in Blackwood?"
"Its fine I guess, I haven't been there in a while so I guess its the same way it was when I left."
"Shouldn't you know more about the territory, as someone who has inherited his fathers influence?" Orion said.
"I don't know about that."
Hermes smiled.
"Modest."
"Mostly tired." Elias responded biting a sausage.
Mirelle laughed.
The small sound broke some of the tension.
"I like him."
Queen Mira smiled.
"So do I."
Elias took a breath. He was annoyed that Raileigh had dragged him into this barely an hour after the agreed to help each other. He was also tired—bone-deep tired—from the fight and from the revelations. The plan was to put on the front of a courteous noble. But then he decided it wasn't worth the effort and just acted as himself.
Phoebe finally lifted her eyes from her plate.
"But seriously, you live in Blackwood?"
"Where else?"
"So tell us what is it like?"
Elias thought about it.
"Depends on the time of year."
Phoebe blinked.
"That's all?"
"There are trees."
A pause.
"Lots of them."
Phoebe stared at him. Then, unexpectedly, smiled.
"I think I'd like it there."
"Well, if you enjoy beasts running around and occasionally encroaching on human territory to cause damage, please be my guest." Elisa said taking a sip of some juice.
Queen Seran laughed.
"I think we've found someone who doesn't enjoy unnecessary conversation."
"Straightforward," Kush observed, his tone neutral. "I can respect that."
Orion grinned.
"Excellent."
He leaned forward.
"What do you actually enjoy?"
Elias paused, considering the question.
"Artificing."
Several heads turned.
"Really?" Mirelle asked.
"Yeah."
"Combat?" Bjorn asked.
"Sometimes."
"Books?" Naomi asked.
"Yes."
"Travel?" Selene asked.
"Not particularly."
She frowned.
"How can you no like travelling? Going from place to place seeing new things and getting new experiences."
"Its too much work going from place to place and getting those experiences. I'd rather just read about them in a book and let my imagination do the rest." Elias responded. Naomi nodded, totally agreeing with what Elias had said as a fellow book lover. Selene just scoffed.
"You're no fun. You too Naomi."
Elias looked at her shrugged and continued to eat which annoyed her for some reason.
"What about music?" Mirelle asked.
"No."
Mirelle looked disappointed.
"Food?"
Jamie suddenly looked up. Elias glanced toward her and grinned.
"...Apparently."
Jamie nodded approvingly and returned to her meal. Queen Vesper laughed.
"Your friend seems remarkably honest."
Raileigh beamed.
"I told you."
Hermes cut into his food.
"Its good you have such honest friends even despite their station. It's way harder to be so truthful when one has things to lose."
The table quieted again. Elias glanced at Hermes while taking another sip of juice.
It was clear that Hermes wasn't interested in conversation. He was measuring him and not being subtle about it.
How much do you know?
How much influence do you have?
How committed are you to Raileigh?
Even though Elias wasn't too familiar with this worlds political landscape, he did read a lot both in this life and the previous. Elias also wasn't stupid or naive either.
'I need to get back at Raileigh for dragging me into this.' Elias sighed.
Leon noticed.
"How do you find Aethelberg?"
"Large."
Viola's visible golden eye brightened.
"That's an understatement but I hope it wont overwhelm you my dear." Her voice carried a teasing warmth.
Elias glanced at her. She was watching him.
Closely.
Almost too closely.
Something about her reminded him of Aina.
Not physically.
The atmosphere.
The calm.
It was uncanny.
Viola smiled.
"You've been staring at me for a while now. Has my beauty enamored you?"
Elias returned his attention to his food.
"You remind me of someone."
"Oh, and who might that be?"
"A very bizzare person."
"I see. I thought you were going to propose on sight. You are still young after all though I wouldn't be opposed to it in ten years or so." She said teasing.
This warranted a glare from Jamie but Elias grunted, smiled and continued eating.
Leon spoke again.
"I see you really do have a bond with my little brother. For a moment there I thought he paid you to be an actor in some farce." He chuckled.
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know what you mean by that but yes I have the misfortune of being his coequal."
Raileigh gasped.
"Hey, that's rude!"
Elias ignored him.
Leon smiled.
"My brother can be difficult."
"I noticed."
"He can also be selfish."
Raileigh looked offended.
"Brother Leon!" He whined.
Leon raised a hand.
"I'm speaking."
Elias stared at Leon. The Crown Prince's expression remained pleasant but there was a subtle change in the atmosphere.
"Raileigh as young as he is determined to take the throne."
"Yes."
That answer surprised Leon.
"You agree?"
"I've heard him say it."
"Do you support him?"
There it was.
A direct hit on the crux of the matter.
The room became quieter.
Even Jamie, the only source of sound as a result of a chewing raised her head at the sudden drop in noise. Elias looked around the table. Every prince was watching him. Even the queens were eyeing him though they were being more discreet about it.
He sighed.
He could say he was merely a guest and that he had no political ambitions and that his friendship with Raileigh was only a superficial agreement.
That would be safer.
Probably.
'But then what?'
Denying the relationship now would accomplish nothing since it would be a lie.
It would only make him look weak and because of the nature of their agreement Elias would then have to work twice as hard to compensate. Not to mention that these people gathered here probably wouldn't be convinced and would just pester him by his association.
' Ugh, what a hassle.' Elias sighed again.
"I've made an agreement with him."
Hermes' eyes narrowed.
"What kind of agreement?"
"That's between us."
Kush folded his arms.
"And you intend to honor it?"
"Yeah, noble pride and whatnot." Elias replied putting his fork down and gesturing vaguely.
Leon studied him.
"Even if it creates problems for your family?"
"I don't see how it can." Elias raised an eyebrow.
Leon smiled as if giving him one last change and asked, "Do you understand what you're involving yourself in?"
"You royals really have the tendency to underestimate people. That may come back and bite you one day."
Leon's eye twitched.
"Is that a threat."
"Take it however you will." Elias shrugged.
There was a pause.
"Don't get me wrong, I see where your coming from. Aside from the numerous things wrong with him-"
"Hey!"
Elias ignored Raileigh's protest and continued.
"He really is one selfish...individual."
"I'm not selfish." Raileigh said.
"You engineered this entire situation to put me on the spot without telling me."
"I really wanted my siblings to mee you and Jamie."
"And so you invited us from the goodness of your heart?"
"..."
"See?"
"OK, fair enough." Raileigh said in confessed, though his expression was anything but remorseful. Elias resisted the urge to punch him. Leon cleared his throat and spoke again.
"It's good that you are aware of the current scenario but let me just draw your attention to the fact that ,y brother's ambitions will create enemies."
"I know."
"You could become one of them."
"It's not the first time I've been in danger."
Leon paused unsure whether Elias was bluffing before continuing
"Why allow yourself to be dragged into his ambitions?"
Elias leaned back.
"Because he's already dragged me in."
Raileigh grinned.
"And besides everyone is selfish so I don't know why your making a huge fuss out of this."
Silence.
"Excuse me?" Hermes said.
"All of your are selfish, putting your ambitions before family ties. You're all sitting here, trying to bring each other down for a glorified armchair. I get it, you have your reasons. Some of you want the power. Others want the influence. Others wants recognition, and still others want security."
He shrugged.
"That's fine."
His voice remained completely casual.
"But don't pretend Raileigh is uniquely selfish while the rest of your are sinless."
The bluntness of the statement hit the table like a physical shockwave and the princes stirred. Bjorn's eyes narrowed. Kush's jaw tightened. Even Selene glared at him.
"Personally don't even understand why anyone wants it."
"The throne?" Viola asked.
"What else?"
He folded his arms.
"You're basically signing your life away to be the one making decisions for a whole nation like they're petulant children."
He gestured vaguely.
"That's a burden of millions of lives on your shoulders. Every mistake becomes your responsibility. Every successful decision becomes something everyone expects again.
And when things go wrong?"
Elias shrugged.
"Everyone blames the person sitting in the chair."
Orion smiled faintly.
"That's certainly one way to look at kingship."
"It's a hassle."
Mirelle giggled.
Elias continued.
"And its not just the people you're ruling you have to care for. The nobles expect you to solve their problems while passing laws that benefit they alone. Military commanders expect resources. Merchants expect favors. In short, everyone wants a miracle."
He sighed.
"Then everyone complains when you make the wrong decision."
Hermes stared at him obviously surprised by his perspective.
"You speak as though leadership has no value."
"I didn't say that."
Elias picked up his cup and took a sip.
"I said I don't see the point and would rather do my own thing than be burdened with the weight of responsibility. But hey, if you want the chair, more power to you."
He raised the cup in a toast and took a sip.
"I'm only gonna help Raileigh out regardless. Simple and short."
Nobody laughed.
"My, my," Viola purred, her voice dripping with smooth amusement.
"Such brutal honesty. You have quite a backbone, my dear boy. It's almost... refreshing to see someone so thoroughly exhausted by our family's circus." she chuckled.
Leon smiled. It was a polite smile. But something behind it had changed.
"And you, Miss Thorne?"
"Hm?" Jamie looked up.
"Do you share your companion's cynical view of the crown, or are you simply here for the festival pastries?"
Jamie paused, a pastry halfway to her mouth. She swallowed deliberately, wiped a crumb from her lip, and stated with absolute, unshakeable deadpan earnestness,
"Wherever Elias goes, I go."
"Why?"
She shrugged.
"Because we're friends."
"I like her." Viola muttered. Hermes on the other hand just scoffed.
"That's hardly an answer."
"It is for me." Jamie responded.
Raileigh laughed.
Hermes' irritation deepened.
"You all seem remarkably comfortable."
He looked toward Elias.
"Especially considering you've allied yourself with a boy who has barely begun understanding the world."
Elias didn't react and picked up his fork again to eat more which prompted Hermes to continue.
"Your friend has no understanding of what the throne requires."
Elias continued eating. Hermes' eyes narrowed.
"Are you listening?"
"No. Gods you're noisy."
Hermes snapped.
"No one seems willing to correct you brats. you know absolutely nothing, talking all big as if you have an understanding of the gears that push this nation meanwhile you are just ignorant. Don't let you accelerated growth as a result of awakening fool you into thinking that you have power. Elias Linford Dukker." He spat the name.
"Hiding behind your fathers influence and calling the throne a 'glorified armchair'? You disrespect the sacred prestige of House Zeppelin, and you—"
"Ignore him," Elias said putting down his cutlery and wiping his moutstopping Raileigh who was about to say something.
"He's probably the no one takes seriously. Let him bark a bit then he'll keep quite."
The table collectively gasped. Hermes's face flushed a violent, mottled crimson.
Ignoring Hermes entirely, Mirelle cleared her throat and smoothly pivoted the conversation, desperately trying to salvage her brothers dignity.
"Well, ignoring... certain disruptions... are any of you planning to attend the lantern ceremony this evening? The floating lights across the sea are quite a sight."
Orion smiled warmly. "I plan to be there. It's always a peaceful sight to see during the festival."
"Count me in," Selene chirped, happy to move past the awkward tension.
Rowan nodded quickly. "M-me too."
Slowly, the rest of the table surrendered to the change in conversation.
Recognizing that Elias as Raileigh's ally— they knew that making an enemy of House Dukker was politically disastrous—the princes and queens quietly dropped the confrontation for the time being, returning to their plates with subdued, cautious expressions.
Hermes sat there, fuming, realizing that his attempt to rally the table had failed completely because everyone else valued their own skin and reputation more than his bruised ego.
Seething at being entirely ignored, Hermes snapped. His dark eyes locked onto Jamie, who was done eating and now casually storing the food she couldn't eat in her copper ring storage, pouring honey over a roasted duck breast before throwing it in.
"You," Hermes hissed, his voice trembling with humiliated rage.
"Common trash sitting at a royal banquet. What right do you even have to breathe the air in this hall? So what if your father was the Hunter Chief of Blackwood. Hehehe, I heard about him, your father—that he died pathetically during the monster incursion a few months ago. Probably died trying to run away—"
"Shut up Hermes." Kush said.
"Yes, that's quite enough, brother." Leon added sternly.
Hermes ignored them, drunk on his own malice.
"What, am I wrong? She's nothing more than a stray leach trying to—"
Before Hermes could finish the sentence, Jamie stood up.
Her movements were unhurried, almost lazy. She wiped her hands on a linen napkin, stepped away from her chair, and began walking down the long expanse of the mahogany table toward Hermes's seat.
Hermes sneered, puffing out his chest.
"What? Are you going to grovel and suck up to me too—"
Jamie's Flow-Reinforced fist connected with his jaw.
CRACK.
The kinetic shockwave of the blow sounded like a cracking whip, sending a spray of teeth, saliva and blood across the polished floor as Hermes's head snapped back. His eyes rolled up, and he crumpled to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
The table erupted. . Kush and Bjorn slammed their hands on the table, shouting in alarm.
"How dare you!"
"She attacked a prince!"
"Guards!"
Raileigh stood.
"Wait!"
Elias reached out and caught his sleeve.
"Don't."
Raileigh looked at him in disbelief.
"But she—"
"Look."
Before the guards could close the distance, Jamie exhaled softly. Before the guards could close the distance, Jamie exhaled softly.
A wave of intimidation washed over the table—a subtle but undeniable pressure that instilled fear in everyone present. The golden eyes of every single prince and queen went wide with terror.
The impact was immediate and devastating. Several of the weaker-willed princes and queens staggered backward, collapsing onto the ground gasping for breath completely overwhelmed by the crushing weight of the emotional aura. Even the armored royal guards charging down the hall froze mid-stride, their knees buckling as they crashed to the floor, their sabers clattering against the marble tiles in a cacophony of metal.
The grand dining hall became dead, suffocatingly silent.
Only Leon and Viola sat seemingly unaffected.
Without looking back at the wreckage she had caused, Jamie turned on her heel and began walking toward the exit.
Elias stood up, stretched his arms overhead with a lazy yawn, and followed her.
Raileigh sat for a second, blinked at the sea of unconscious and terrified royals, and burst out laughing, springing to his feet and trailing after them.
As they strolled out through the archway, Jamie burped and patted her stomach, groaning softly.
"Ugh... I am stuffed. I couldn't possibly eat another bite."
Elias reached over, gently brushing a stray crumb from the corner of her lip with a casual familiarity.
"When on earth did you learn to weaponize your synesthesia like that?"
Jamie puffed out her chest.
"Oh, you wanna know huh?" she asked smugly.
"You'll be surprised to know what else I can do with it."
Raileigh put a hand on both their shoulders as they disappeared down the corridor, their carefree chatter echoing away into the palace halls.
Back in the ruined dining hall, the heavy aura finally dissipated.
She rose gracefully from her seat and left with her mother and attendants, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She and her group were unaffected, her Arcane Eye having shielded them from Jamie's Synesthesia.
Leon remained seated, his hands clenched into fists beneath the table and his face was a mask of barely controlled fury.
Viola glanced over her shoulder at him.
'Interesting.' she smiled.