Polished marble reflected the light from fiery torches and Mage Lights that hung from the walls, ceiling, and columns. On either side of the massive Ballroom, elegant stairs led up to two levels of balconies that overlooked the dance floor and offered comfortable chairs, couches, and tables with refreshments.

At the far end of the graceful Ballroom, a majestic and grandiose stairway, with a size to equal its beauty, led deeper into the Castle, into the section that housed the Duke and his family. However, the majority of the guests came through the massive double gates of beautiful ebony wood, in which were carved beautiful carvings of angels.

Seated on a small balcony above the Duke’s doors, a small orchestra played their graceful music, their instruments enchanted to give the impression of a much larger orchestra playing. Their music flowed down from their raised position, sailing down to the masses below, making it appear as if the music came from the heavens itself.

Alaster had already long since grown bored of the boorish Nobility that had surrounded him since his arrival. He had arrived right on time, hoping to impress the Duke, or at least not offend him. For the last two hours, he had been subjected to the meaningless words of the Low Nobility. Entire speeches made that really only said one thing.

Such wasted time. Such pointless flaunts. Such meaningless compliments. Such useless people.

Alaster had to repeat one of Azemar’s lessons in his head in order to refrain himself from strangling them.

‘Patience even in the face of ignorance.’

Over and over, Alaster ran this thought through his mind, hoping that it would have some effect.

It did not help that each one of the Low Nobles that surrounded him all wanted something from him. A diplomat from a new Alliance meant new opportunities. Opportunities that could greatly benefit their small Houses.

At this stage, they were all attempting to sugarcoat him. Attempting to catch him in their sweet web with compliments and promised favors. Only later would they offer deals and contracts. Only when they felt that this new Lord could provide him with that which they desired, would they attempt to claw their ways in.

Alaster knew this. It irritated him. Yet as much as he wished, he kept his halberd clean and his Mana untouched. Even if their faces, coated in beautiful makeups and magics, looked very punch able.

Alaster’s Forgotten guard, four of them, remained along the walls, serving to reinforce the general security of the Ballroom, but their focus on their Lord. Though none knew the extent of that. They wore dark purple cloaks in addition to their usual armor and gear. Each one held a large heater shield bearing Alaster’s Emblem and a longsword sheathed at their hip.

Alaster’s many Shadow Assassins already surveilled every inch of the Ballroom, leaving not one act unseen. Unfortunately, the third floor balconies seemed to be reserved for those wishing to do just that. Alaster would have thought that Nobles of all people would have the grace to leave such…close relations, when they weren’t at a party full of their peers inside the Royal Castle.

In an attempt to smile genuinely at one of the Nobles’ jokes, Alaster imagined what their carefully maintained faces would look like if he blasted it with a Necrotic Bolt.

How amusing would it be to see the flesh melt off their faces?

How pleasant would the sound of their bones breaking make?

Imagining all the gruesome and painful ways he could kill them make the party almost manageable. Had the Saint attended, it would make it unbearable, as his own body rebelled at his mere presence. Alaster still found himself grinding his teeth.

That is, until his Shadows alert him to the large ebony doors atop the stairs opening. As it did, the music changed slightly to a more regal tune. Everyone’s attention focused on the figures who entered the Ballroom.

“Duke and Duchess Redmond!” A servant loudly proclaimed, announcing them. Not that anyone was not paying attention.

The Duke, dressed in a dark red suit held the hand of his wife, dressed in a matching dress, began to descend the stairs. Alaster had to admit that the Duchess was a beautiful woman, something that was made only more apparent by the dress she wore. Her dark red dress contrasted well with her bright blonde hair.

Everyone bowed or curtsied as they reached the floor. Everyone that is, except Alaster. As a foreign dignitary, it was not required, but it was expected that he would do at least a small bow. He did neither, and it did not go unnoticed.

“Son of the Duke, Lord Luke, and Lady Evelyn.”

The world dropped away, all but the young woman standing atop the stairs.

Alaster’s heart raced.

His head pounded.

His breath came short and shallow.

Darkness hugged the edges of his vision.

The people around him felt like they weren’t real, like they were just illusions.

Was it real? Any of it? Was this all just some dream? Or perhaps nightmare?

‘Get a grip Alaster.’ Came the gentle but firm voice of Belgroth.

That simple sentence, those blunt words, were enough to jostle Alaster out of his trance. By now, the music was already playing normally and everyone had continued to their conversations.

Alaster shook his head clear of the fog and turned back to the stairs, finding them empty. Feeling his heart begin to speed up again, he frantically peered through the eyes of one of his Shadows to find her. He did so easily, causing his heart to calm once more.

“Lord Ashborn? Are you alright?”

Alaster turned to the voice. It seemed that the Low Nobility had continued to talk to him and one of them had noticed that he was not paying attention.

Blinking rapidly and taking a calming breath, Alaster responded, “Apologizes, I was caught up in thought. Please excuse me, I must speak with the Duke for a moment.”

If they were offended, they hid it well, “Of course, of course.”

Nodding politely, Alaster quickly turned away and made his way to the Duke. Weaving through the crowd that only grew more crowded the closer he got. However, none dared to get in his way. Not only did he tower over most of them and moved with purpose, but he was also here on a diplomatic mission from a newly formed Nation.

They were still not quite sure how to handle him or the Alliance he represented.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“Your Highness?”

The Duke paused his conversation with one of the Nobles in charge of the Trade with the Gilaen Empire and turned to the voice, “Ah, Lord Ashborn, I trust you are enjoying the party?”

Alaster politely smiled, “I am trying to, your grace. I have never been a fan of large gatherings. I find that a smaller gathering of close friends tends to hold more meaning. Though I do find the appeal behind events such as this. However, I actually hoped to speak to you about a more private matter.”

“Of course, follow me,” He turned to the crowd of Lords and Ladies that flocked around him, “Apologizes, but duty calls.”

These Nobles were much less skilled at hiding their dissatisfaction than the ones who had crowded Alaster, or perhaps they merely held a stronger foundation that allowed them to be more honest. Either way, Alaster did not care.

The Duke led him to a small side room, apparently prepared for just such impromptu meetings. It was quite small, and only had two chairs and a small table between them. Duke Redmond sat down in one and motioned to the other, but Alaster politely declined.

“This won’t take long. I was just hoping to know of your stance on this so called ‘Saint’.” Alaster wished to ask about his sister, but now was not the time.

Not yet.

The Duke sighed and leaned back in his chair, “I’m sure you saw my stance on him earlier today. I am skilled in hiding my emotions, but not that skilled.

I find him to be an arrogant man who presumes authority.

He claims to be a messenger of the Gods, yet provides no evidence of that. In fact, the Gods have been silent for many years.”

“Please don’t play coy with my, your Highness. You and I both know why they are quiet.”

The Duke raised a curious eyebrow, “Do we?”

“Their war.”

The Duke smirked, “Yes. One of the many secrets we of power hold to protect the masses.”

“Sir, please don’t treat me like that. We hold such secrets to maintain control. We can sugarcoat it however we wish, but that is the truth.”

The Duke sighed, “Perhaps. If there was some way we could assist the Gods, then I would gladly reveal this secret. But there is not, so instead we keep it secret to avoid pointless contention and violence.”

“The Gods don’t deserve our aid. They are the ones who caused this war, let them suffer the consequences of their own actions.” Alaster grunted.

“Many would consider that heresy.”

“And many aren’t worth the air they breathe. Back to the Saint however. He is no messenger, at least not one operating under their commands. What do you know of his intentions.”

Duke Redmond stared at the man before him. A man he had only met earlier that same day. How much did he wish to tell him? How much could he trust him?

The Duke sighed and slouched forward, he did not have many allies and needed as many as he could get, “I cannot prove it, but I believe he is the one behind the growing conflict between the so called ‘Dark’ and ‘Light’ Magics. As to his reasoning, I do not know.”

Alaster scratched his neck, “Yeah, that’s what I thought. What are you doing to combat this spread?”

“What everyone expects me to do. Send investigators to any acts of violence and hope they somehow find evidence of the Saint’s involvement. Only then could I officially object to the Saint, who has the King’s welcome.”

“I don’t like him, and his philosophy is dangerous enough to spread. So I will help you. Tomorrow, when we officially meet, lets also include this matter.”

“I agree. We should return to the celebration; however, else people might assume something is wrong.”

The Duke stood up and together, the two left the room, nodding to the two guards stationed at the door. However, before they could separate, the Duke’s son walked up to them, with her on his arm.

“Is everything alright Father?” Luke asked.

“Oh yeah, everything is fine. Just a quick discussion. You haven’t been formally introduced, Luke, this is Lord Ashborn, representative of the newly formed Independent Alliance of Onigas and Galmore.

Lord Ashborn, this is my son, Luke. The beautiful young lady on his arm is Lady Evelyn.”

His throat tightened, but he made sure to keep his voice level and calm, “And, if I may, what is the connection between the two of you?” Alaster asked the young man.

Awkwardly, Luke rubbed the back of his head, “Uhhh…”

Shaking her head with a slight smile, Evelyn interrupted, “The Duke was kind enough to sponsor me through my schooling here at the Royal Academy.”

Alaster noticed that the music had chanced, from simple but elegant background music to graceful dancing music.

Bowing at the hip, Alaster extended his arm, “May I have this first dance, M’lady?”

Confused, and uncertain, Evelyn looked up at the Duke, who merely nodded.

Luke allowed her to remove her hand from his arm. She placed it in Alaster’s own.

“I’d be delighted Lord Ashborn.”

Together, the two gracefully walked out to the middle of the floor, where a few couples were already dancing. It was a simple and easy dance, meant for the couples to converse more or less in private while remaining in the public eye. Many people used the dance to pit prospective partners together. Though others used it to discuss business ideas with their peers.

Both Evelyn and Alaster had been thoroughly trained in this dance and it came easily to them.

“So how are you enjoying your life here in the Capital?” Alaster asked casually, despite his entire attention being on her response.

“Quite well. I have many friends, good teachers, a good room all to myself. I never have to worry about food or the cold. It’s a good life.”

“Your studies are going well?”

Evelyn smiled with pride, “I am top of my class.”

Alaster smiled his rare genuine smile, “I’m glad.” The smile turned false, “Your family must be proud.”

Evelyn’s own smile turned strained, “I like to think so.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the night of my tenth birthday they sent me away. By the time I woke up, I was already in the Capital, in the very same bedroom I sleep in now. They didn’t even say goodbye. I know they loved me and just wanted what was best for me here in the Royal Academy, but it still hurts they didn’t even say goodbye.”

“Have you ever thought about returning to them?”

She sadly shook her head, “I did once, but its too late now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just a few years ago, a plague swept through my home village of Pinefall. My entire family succumbed to it.”

Alaster felt his body tense with rage, though he remained careful not to let it affect him in any detectable way.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. Now, there is no reason for me to return to Pinefall. I would be a stranger to everyone there.”

“Could you not visit their graves?”

She smiles bittersweetly, “To avoid continued spread, the bodies were all burned. There was nothing to bury, and with no remaining family, there were not even headstones.”

“Lets switch to a lighter topic shall we?” Alaster said with a warm smile.

“It is a party after all.” Evelyn welcomed.

“What’s going on between you and the little Dukeling?” Alaster said bluntly.

Evelyn’s entire face turned red, almost stumbling as they slowly spun to the music, “Wow, you just came right out and said it.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Alaster replied with a teasing smile.

“We are friends.” She said defensively, “Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Well, we are more than friends, but not quite to that stage. I’m sure everyone else already knows, but we are unofficially engaged.”

Alaster felt his heart pulse, “Engaged?”

“Yeah, we’ve been friends since I came here, and we do care for each other. The Duke is happy to support it, but he also gave me a year to think about it before it became official and even then, I could still change my mind.”

“A good man.” Alaster lied.

“Yes, he is. He has always been kind and supportive. Stern when he needed to be, but kind. Now, you asked me, so now I get to ask you.”

“Ask me what?” Alaster looked down at Evelyn.

“Are you involved with anyone?”

Alaster chuckled, opening his mouth to say no, but then the image of a certain woman came to mind. Lunaria. He knew he liked her, but did he like her in that way? Alaster hesitated, consumed by his thoughts as he absently guided Evelyn through the dance floor. Eventually, he realized that it would not even be a discussion if he did not.

“…I, N, Its complicated.” Alaster staggered out.

“How can it be complicated?”

“She has a complicated life, I have an extremely complicated life and before anything could actually be done about…us, I had to leave to come here.

Perhaps we will be able to explore what is between us at a later date, but I do not know.”

“That’s too bad. Love should always be explored!” Evelyn beamed.

Alaster chuckled, “Ah, the naivety of a child.”

“I’m not a child!” Evelyn protested with full cheeks.

In that moment, Alaster saw the small girl who had regularly chased him through the forest around their village home. Clad in a plain dress that had seen better days. Bare feet skipping along the grass with a dirty face as she showed him a flower she had picked.

Now, a beautiful young woman stood before him with elegant braids in her hair, an elegant blue dress, and light makeup.

“How old are you then?” Alaster asked, knowing the answer.

“Fifteen, I’ll be turning sixteen this spring.”

“Oh, apologizes my fair lady. I had no idea I was in the presence of one who had seen so much.” Alaster joked.

Alaster expected she would either laugh with him or playfully pout, but instead she just stared at him strangely for a moment.

“Do I know you? You seem strangely familiar to me.”

Alaster smiled warmly, and as the music came to an end, the crowd lightly applauded the musicians and dancers.

He leaned in close to her ear, “You remind me so much of your mother.”