Royal guards stationed at the ballroom entrance stepped aside and lowered their heads in synchronized bows; the orchestra continued playing, yet its strings seemed quieter beneath the pressure entering through the doors.
Relaxed conversation vanished within a heartbeat.
Hajin watched from a corner beside Didi while three distinct groups crossed into the chandelier light.
"The three pillars," Didi said, losing every trace of her earlier amusement.
She released Hajin's hand and straightened, her expression settling into the unreadable mask expected of a royal heir facing rival powers.
'All three together. Father will hate the message.'
The kingdom's three strongest houses had arrived beneath one roof, transforming the banquet into a public measurement of alliances, weaknesses, and future succession struggles.
Courtiers shifted throughout the ballroom, moving closer to whichever bloodline currently protected their interests.
