Arnos stared at his ceremonial robes, his newfound sense of belonging shattered by Bakal's words. He swallowed painfully, tears welling up as he gazed at the paintings once more, now filled with a pained longing. The end of the hallway seemed to grow further away, each step feeling heavier.
Wendall, less affected by the encounter, tried to lighten the mood. "Well…I hope we don't have to see him again," he said with forced cheerfulness.
"I swear I am going to kill him," Ceru muttered, fists clenched. "The only good Beryl is a dead one."
"Watch your words, Ceru," Wendall warned, his tone serious. "They are still one of the 'Five Great Families'. Your words could incite violence."
"I don't care," Ceru snapped, walking up to Arnos, who was still wallowing in his misery. He grabbed Arnos by the shoulders and stared into his teary eyes. "Let those tears wash away the shame. If you have no place to belong, create one."
Arnos, moved by Ceru's words, nodded, summoning his resolve.
"A bit harsh, don't you think?" Wendall asked, watching Ceru wipe Arnos's face.
"What he needs now is strength, not comfort. Arnos is stronger than you know," Ceru replied, putting an arm around Arnos, which made Wendall smirk.
"Let's hope this is the worst of it," Wendall remarked, signalling to move on.
As they neared the end of the hallway, the noise from the main hall grew louder. A beautiful girl, no older than Ceru, greeted them. She wore white and red robes with red inscriptions, and her golden and red jewellery, adorned with bright, dazzling red gemstones, decorated her necklaces and armlets. Her brunette hair and deep brown eyes, now furrowed with concern, enhanced her striking appearance.
"I knew something was off when I saw Bakal so happy," she sighed, rubbing her head. "Wendall, please tell me Ceru didn't do anything stupid."
"Don't worry, Seira. With me here, nothing could have happened," Wendall reassured, patting Ceru.
"That's exactly what I'm worried about," she sighed. "And this must be the rumoured Arnos," she said, extending her hand to him. "I'm Seira of the Saphira Family. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Ceru wouldn't shut up about his 'little brother'."
Arnos shook her hand cautiously. "Nice to meet you," he murmured.
"Bakal got to him too?" Seira asked, to which Wendall nodded. She knelt to Arnos's eye level. "Branch or not, you are still an Omari. Carry yourself as such, regardless of who your parents are."
Arnos nodded, feeling more determined.
"He's not as much of a pushover as I thought," Seira smirked. "But inviting him here is asking for trouble. Especially since–"
"I know. Being a branch is the least of his concerns. Bakal didn't put two and two together, or Arnos would have been his main target," Ceru explained. "I don't know what Father is thinking, but he must have plans for this banquet."
"As long as he stays under the radar and away from the Meras and Beryl Families, he should be fine," Wendall sighed.
"He has you two and the Azure Family behind him, thanks to Adar's influence. Don't stress," Seira reassured. "And if your Aunt Enya is there, I doubt Bastion will try anything funny."
"You never know, especially with Marid coming today," Wendall said. "Bakal wouldn't be this gutsy unless he knew something we didn't."
"Melivora probably has a score to settle with Bakal, so he'll be preoccupied," Seira replied. "Unless he sees Arnos first".
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
"I can handle Melivora. It's his younger brother we need to worry about," Ceru interjected. "He's Arnos's age, so we can't act rashly."
"If he can't defend himself against anyone in his own generation, he shouldn't be here," Seira retorted. "If he puts up a fight–"
"He's never been to the academy, Seira. He can barely fight. It'll be a murder," Ceru interrupted. "There's no way the elders would allow the child of traitors to learn the clan arts, let alone being a branch member."
"Good point. I'll keep an eye out, but don't leave him alone." Signalling that she was about to open the door
"Enough worrying. The adults haven't even come yet. It's just the younger generations here," Seira said, opening the door to the main hall.
The door opened to reveal a vast hall filled with hundreds of people, all robed in their ceremonial attire, seated at large circular tables. Maids and servants rushed around, providing food to each table while skillfully dodging the large pillars that fortified the clan hall. The brown and black checkered marble floor gleamed under the light from glass chandeliers hanging from the glossy ceiling. White pillars, supported by gold, were etched with inscriptions similar to those Arnos had seen previously on the statue of Azuras Omari.
At the far end of the hall, stairs led up to a grand throne, behind which the words 'Omeros Omari Marinos' were etched into the wall and surrounded by gold inscriptions. On either side of the throne stood beautifully carved statues: to the left, a woman in ceremonial robes like those on the statue of Azuras Omari, and to the right, a man who bore a striking resemblance to Azuras Omari, though aged.
Arnos paused to absorb the scene, overwhelmed by the sheer number of people. This was his first time witnessing such a grand gathering. His heart raced, and his breathing became shallow as he took it all in.
Ceru put his hand on Arnos's shoulder and nodded reassuringly before stepping forward. The hustling and bustling stopped, and everyone in the hall turned to see who had just entered the banquet. The silence quickly filled with whispers as those at the tables speculated about the newcomers.
Wendall took the lead, scanning for a place to seat the group. He then guided the party to an empty table, ignoring the whispers and stares. "It seems it's the worst-case scenario," he murmured to Ceru, "We are the first of the Azure family to enter the banquet," he said, seating himself at the table.
Ceru paused for a second, lost in thought. He glanced towards the sea of people around them within the banquet and then slowly towards Arnos, a smirk growing across his face.
"There's only one reason why our fathers would send us in this early," Ceru whispered back, now smiling mischievously. "If they wanted us to make a statement, they should have just asked."
"I know what you are thinking, are you sure this is the right course of action?" Wendall replied, smiling nervously.
"That's a question for the future us," Ceru giggled, eyeing Arnos," There's no use hiding a dragon inside a wardrobe,"
"Let's hope the dragon doesn't burn the entire house down," Wendall remarked, eyes now also fixed on Arnos.
Their gaze full of mischief and piercing stares making him uncomfortable, Arnos looked towards Seira pleading for help.
"Don't look at me for help; I shouldn't even be at this table," she whispered to him, sighing and rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"I am starting to get an idea of why he was invited to this Banquet" Wendall sighed, "Your father is crazy"
"Let's hope we aren't the only crazy ones Wendall"
Wendall smirked and in one swift motion, grabbed Arnos by the collar and threw him into the air. Shocked and confused, Arnos let out a shout of panic but managed to land on the table and balance himself upright. His heart pounded in his chest, and he could feel hundreds of eyes piercing through him. He glanced around, trying to steady his breathing, his mind racing.
The hall fell into a deeper silence, all eyes on them. Ceru's eyes gleamed with determination. He and Wendall stepped up onto the table, flanking Arnos. Ceru's robes glowed blue, the air crackling around him. He let out a roar.
"THIS IS ARNOS SICARIUS OMARI, BORN OF THE SICARIAN FAMILY OF MERDIN!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs. Inscriptions glowed at his collar, causing a shockwave that reverberated through the hall. The clan members flinched, covering their ears, their whispers silenced by the intensity of Ceru's proclamation.
"Anything you want to add, Arnos?" Ceru smiled reassuringly.
Arnos felt a mix of fear and resolve, his mind racing with thoughts. He looked at the faces around him, some shocked, some angry, and a few curious. He clenched his fists, remembering Ceru's earlier words: "If you have no place to belong, create one".
Arnos screamed in defiance, at the top of his lungs "AND IF ANYONE HERE HATES THAT, THEN TAKE IT UP WITH ME DIRECTLY".
Both Ceru and Wendall couldn't help but smile at his declaration.