"Reagan…" Ashelia muttered under her breath as she watched the royal family walk through the crowd to the elevated platform at the center of the hall where their tables were.
She swallowed and her palms started to sweat from nervousness. After all, today was the day her deal with Reagan would start to take shape, but no one knew this other than the both of them.
On his way past her, the second Prince flashed her a subtle smile and she nodded slightly in response.
'He must be overjoyed.' Ashelia thought. Since he was about to use her and her family's name to reach heights that would almost be impossible for him to even see.
There was a sad look on her face as she lowered her eyes. 'Do you even know how much danger you are getting into, Reagan?'
Duke Alistair glanced at his daughter from the corner of his eye, letting a small frown grace his handsome features. "Are you alright, my dear? Nervous?"
Ashelia took a deep breath. "I will not lie that I am not, father."
The Duke placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You will be fine."
"Is the Princess not attending the banquet?" One noble lady whispered to another from behind her.
"Oh no, I hear she went on a trip to the kingdom of Calmen for sightseeing." Another answered.
"My word! Could she not come back to attend this party just for her brother's sake?"
"The Princess does not regard Prince Reagan highly. He is the bastard Prince, remember?" The other woman shook her head slowly. "It is a wonder why the rest of the imperial family is here to celebrate with him."
Ashelia's brows furrowed and her hands tightened into fists, she almost turned around to confront them but a hand on her shoulder squeezed gently.
Alistairs's brows furrowed. "Shelia, my dear, I have always told you to learn to control your emotions." He told her softly.
Ashelia released her fists and bit the inside of her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, father."
The Duke sighed, and just then, a servant made his way to the Emperor, who was still standing, with a silver tray that had a single golden goblet on it.
That goblet contained the Empire's reddest, sweetest wine. Ashelia knew that, not because she had attended an event like this before, but because she had read it in books.
The Emperor carefully took the golden goblet off the tray and reached it out toward the crowd. "Tonight the court gathers to honor the birth of my son, Prince Reagan von Dalniar. Let this feast stand as a testament to the empire's prosperity and the unity of its noble houses."
The entire congregation showed their respect. The women held their layered skirts and curtsied, while the men bowed with their right hands over their chests.
Emperor Garius downed the entire content of the goblet in one go before he sat down, allowing the rest of the imperial family and the nobles to follow suit.
'What a short and concise speech.' Ashelia thought as she took a seat at the table with her father. The Emperor has always been known to be a man of few words.
After just a few minutes, servants flooded in from the entrance of the hall with trays loaded with food and wine. They started to serve the imperial family first, then the Ducal house of Orlan, followed by the houses of the Marquis' and it continued like that by hierarchy until the entire first course was served.
Only the clinking of plates and light chatter could be heard. As for Ashelia, she was far too nervous to eat a thing because she kept waiting for when the Emperor would make the announcement.
"You must eat to have strength, Shelia." He told her as he put a fork full of appetizer in his mouth.
Ashelia smiled sheepishly. "I cannot seem to find the appetite, father."
Her hand fidgeted nervously as she crumpled the skirt of her dress. She remembered the first time Reagan asked for her hand in marriage, it almost devastated her.
They were friends, he was the only friend she had and yet, because of how inferior he felt among the rest of the Imperial family members, he decided to use her as a political tool even after all she had done for him by his side.
Ashelia let out a huff. 'You are incredibly selfish, Reagan.' She thought, but even though she felt offended, she couldn't stop caring for him. 'I hope this announcement is favourable for him.'
Just after she had that thought, a light clinking of glass could be heard and everyone turned their head toward the elevated platform where the Imperial family was to see that the Emperor had gotten to his feet with a tight-lipped smile on his face.
Ashelia's heart felt like it was going to come out of her mouth. 'Is it time already?!'
* * *
A sickening crunch echoed over the surrounding bushes in a nearby forest and a few seconds later, a man's head fell to the ground with a thud, rolling a few meters before it came to a stop at another man's feet.
The man stared at the severed head near his feet before he looked up at the one who was responsible for it standing a few paces away from him. "Can you not be a bit more careful, Milord? You are getting blood everywhere."
He was a tall, lithe man with large circular glasses sitting atop his nose. His eyes were the colour of pure silver and his dark hair was long enough to settle at the base of his neck. He was dressed in prim and proper steward clothes, with his arms folded over his chest.
The other man who he was speaking to, swung his sword to get rid of most of the blood on it before he slipped it back into its sheath.
"It hardly matters, Fabian." A deep, velvety voice sounded. "We will head back home immediately after this ordeal."
"Are you quite sure about that, Milord?" Fabian asked with a raised eyebrow.
The other man turned to face him sharply, behind him was a multitude of corpses with severed heads and limbs. It was a gruesome sight but it didn't seem to bother any of them in the least.
He was a towering figure, with wavy, raven black hair so long, it reached the middle of his back. Even in the darkness of the forest, his eyes shone like pure, molten gold, scanning his aide in front of him carefully.
"Why do you ask?" The man questioned.
Fabian shrugged. "I might have a piece of gossip you might be interested in."
The sharp sound of a sword being taken out of its sheath echoed in the air and the long-haired man brandished it at Fabian. "Do not beat around the bush."
Fabian took one fleeting glance at the weapon before adjusting his glasses and fixing his gaze back on his Lord. "Oh, I am so utterly terrified."
The long-haired man's lips twitched. "Speak."
Fabian sighed in exasperation. "I hear that Garius is holding a birthday banquet for the second Prince tonight."
The long-haired man raised a brow. "You mean the outcast?" He asked. "What is he trying to accomplish by celebrating the birth of a bastard son?"
Fabian shook his head slowly. "That particular information eludes me, Sire."
"Hmm…" The man mused as he put his sword back in his sheath. Suddenly, a wide grin graced his lips. "Why don't we go and see for ourselves?"