Chapter 8 — Blades in the Balcony
The Grand Feast of Crowns was more ceremony than celebration.
The nobles sat on tiered balconies, each draped in their house colors. Below, servants moved like clockwork, carrying platters of spiced meats, sugared fruits, and crystal decanters of wine worth more than most commoners earned in a year.
Kael had been given a seat at the lowest noble tier — a gesture meant to acknowledge his survival in the arena, without granting him too much honor. Every noble within earshot made sure to let their stares do the rest.
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> Side: "Fifty-two poisoned dishes in circulation. None near you. Yet."
Kael: "You're a real comfort, Side."
Side: "It's my charming personality."
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The speeches began. One by one, each of the Five Crowns rose to toast the unity of the realms, the valor of the Festival, and the "glorious diversity" of their kingdoms. It was all theater. Every word was aimed at the other crowns, not the crowd.
Kael drank his wine sparingly, scanning the room.
That's when he saw it — the glint of steel from the balcony above.
The assassin moved like water, slipping between shadows. A dagger flashed, catching torchlight, aimed straight for the Black Crown's exposed throat.
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Kael didn't think — he moved.
Spatial Step flared, the world blurring, and he appeared two balconies up, one hand already on his sword.
The assassin twisted mid-strike, clearly trained for interruptions. But before the blade could redirect, another shadow moved faster.
Veythar.
The First General's human guise didn't so much strike as erase the space between himself and the attacker. One moment the assassin's wrist held the dagger, the next it was gone — and so was the assassin's balance.
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Kael's blade stopped just short of the man's throat.
"Drop it."
The dagger clattered to the floor. Guards swarmed in, dragging the man away. The Black Crown's masked face never turned toward Kael, but the smallest nod came — the second in as many days.
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Later, as the feast resumed, Veythar took his place against the wall like an unremarkable aide. No one suspected the silver-eyed shadow at Kael's side.
> Side: "If you keep making the Black Crown owe you favors, he'll either knight you or have you killed."
Kael: "Then we make sure he's not sure which to choose."
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