The main dining hall of House Eiskar held the weight of centuries in its ice-veined walls. Twenty-foot windows lined the northern wall, enchanted against the eternal winter while welcoming the aurora's ethereal light. The central table, carved from ancient whitewood and inlaid with patterns of frost, stretched like a frozen river through the hall.

I took my place - far down the table, where the food would be coldest by the time it reached me. No longer the insult I'd once perceived it to be, but a perfect vantage point to observe. Few bothered to watch the family failure, which made watching them so much easier.

Franz sat near the head, naturally, with Helena to his right. Mother's place at the very head remained empty as usual - she preferred her private study for dinner, reviewing family matters while eating. Liliana sat halfway down, already cultivating her circle of age-mates from branch families. Various cousins, uncles, and aunts filled the spaces between, all arranged in perfect hierarchical order.

The first course arrived - a clear soup of winter roots and herbs, steam rising in carefully controlled patterns that spoke of magical temperature regulation. I watched Franz casually wave his hand over his bowl, adding a perfect layer of frost to chill it to his preference. In my past life, I'd studied the theory behind such casual displays for decades. Now, with power humming beneath my skin, I had to resist the urge to demonstrate my own control.

"I heard you visited the library today, brother," Helena commented, her voice carrying just far enough to be heard while maintaining the appearance of private conversation. "Still hoping to find magic in books?"

I carefully spooned my soup, noting how the other diners pretended not to listen while leaning slightly closer. "Knowledge takes many forms, sister."

"But power takes only one," Franz interjected. "As this morning's training demonstrated."

The second course arrived - roasted quail wrapped in thin-sliced mountain vegetables, the meat perfectly prepared despite the logistics of cooking in our perpetually frozen realm. The servants placed slightly larger portions before those with stronger magical abilities - a subtle reinforcement of hierarchy I'd never noticed in my past life.

More family members arrived as the main course was served - venison in wine sauce, root vegetables glazed with imported honey, and steamed greens that cost a fortune to grow in our climate. Erik and Marcus von Eiskar, from the eastern branch, took their seats with casual arrogance. Behind them came Sophia, who despite her position in a lesser branch, commanded respect with her S-rank potential.

"Cousin Aleister sends his regrets," Erik announced, helping himself to the venison. "He's overseeing the arrival of the Western Eiskar contingent for the ceremony."

"How many this year?" Helena asked, her tone carefully neutral despite the political implications.

"Seventy-three candidates of testable age," Wilhelm replied. "Including twelve from recognized cadet branches, eight from merchant-class legitimized lines, and..." he paused delicately, "three from recently acknowledged bloodlines."

I hid my interest behind my wine glass. Seventy-three. More than I remembered. House Eiskar had been busy expanding its influence through strategic marriages and careful legitimization of powerful bastard lines.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"The southern branch is sending their prodigy," Sophia added. "Young Regina. They say her ice manipulation rivals pure-blood levels."

A subtle tension rippled through the dining hall. Regina, I remembered her from my past life. Her suspicious death in a "training accident" had sparked minor political upheaval.

"Speaking of talent," cousin Marcus spoke up, wine making him bolder than usual, "I hear this year's ceremony will include the Mirror Trial. Though some might wish to spare themselves the embarrassment of participating." His eyes fixed pointedly on me.

The Mirror Trial. That was new - in my past life, it hadn't been part of my ceremony. A complex test that revealed not just magical strength but potential for growth. Interesting.

"Resources well spent," Wilhelm countered, "to properly assess ALL branches of the family tree."

More relatives arrived - distant cousins from the northern territories, their clothes still frosted from travel. The dining hall had taken on the atmosphere of an impromptu family council, with various factions clustering together.

"I heard the Frostweave bastards are being tested too," someone muttered. "Four of them this year."

Marcus, emboldened by more wine and the general atmosphere of mockery, raised his voice. "Perhaps we should start taking wagers on the rankings. Though some positions are... rather predictable."

I set down my wine glass carefully. In my past life, I'd left the table at this point. This time...

"An interesting proposal, cousin," I said, my voice carrying just enough to draw attention. "Care to make it official?"

A ripple of surprise ran through the nearby diners. The family failure never pushed back.

Marcus smiled, seeing an opportunity for entertainment. "What could you possibly have to wager, cousin?"

I met his gaze steadily. "My complete servitude to you, should I rank below twentieth place in the ceremony."

A burst of laughter around the table. Even Franz looked amused.

"And what would you expect in return?" Marcus asked, playing to his audience.

"Should I rank first," I said quietly, "you serve me for an equal duration."

The laughter died. Helena's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, while Franz's wine glass developed a rim of frost.

Marcus flushed red. "You dare suggest you could rank first? You can barely form ice crystals!"

"Is that a refusal, cousin?" I kept my voice mild. "Perhaps your confidence in your superiority isn't as strong as your words suggest."

More cousins were watching now. Marcus, ranked fifteenth among the family's young mages, was being challenged by the acknowledged failure. His pride wouldn't let him back down.

"Done," he snapped. "I'll even put it in writing. It will be worth it to finally put you in your proper place."

I smiled slightly, selecting another piece of perfectly preserved fruit. "Shall we have the terms drawn up tonight, then? To make it... official?"

Franz laughed. "Brother, if you're so eager to become a servant, there are easier ways."

"Perhaps," I replied, maintaining my calm. "But where would be the entertainment in that?"

The conversation shifted as servants brought out more wine, but I could feel the undercurrents I'd created. Helena watched me with new speculation, while Marcus alternated between smugness and faint worry.

I finished my meal in silence, letting them think what they would. In my past life, I'd spent decades learning every aspect of ice magic theory. Now, with both knowledge and power, I could appreciate just how much they all had to learn about true strength.

The aurora lights painted the corridors in sheets of green and blue as I made my way back to my quarters later. Twenty-nine days until the ceremony. Time enough to lay the groundwork for what was to come.

Behind me, the dining hall's conversations continued, my family plotting and planning, never suspecting that their greatest threat sat at the far end of their table, eating their perfectly chilled food, and counting every slight for future reference.

Let them laugh. Let them wager. Let them think me desperate or deluded.

In twenty-nine days, they would learn that some ice burns colder than they could imagine.

And I would begin collecting on debts long overdue.