The dining hall of the Valencress palace was a cathedral of quiet opulence, exactly as he remembered it from his previous life. Sunlight filtered through high, arched windows, dancing off the polished mahogany of the massive dining table. It was laden with seven distinct dishes—a feast that could feed a dozen men—yet only a handful of people sat to consume it.
At the head of the table sat the gravity that held the room together: King Aldric Valencrest.
Even in his forties, the King of Valtheral looked less like a man and more like a mountain. His dark silver hair was streaked with faint black strands, and his glowing golden eyes were set deep beneath a heavy brow. He ate with the mechanical efficiency of a warrior, his sharp jawline and high cheekbones reflecting a life lived in the sun and shadow of the battlefield.
To his left sat the twin queens, a study in silver and symmetry.
Seraphina Alrai, the 1st Queen and mother of Aether, looked to be in her thirties. Her silver-blue hair flowed down her shoulders like a slow-moving river. She possessed icy blue eyes that were calm, yet piercing—eyes that seemed to see through every lie Aether had ever told.
Beside her sat her younger sister, Elara Alrai, the 2nd Queen. While they shared the same regal bone structure, Elara was a spark to Seraphina's frost. Her hair was a brighter, golden-silver, and her eyes were the color of deep emeralds.
It was a strange, historic union; a king who had saved their lives and had fallen for both sisters, eventually marrying them both to bind the kingdom of Vatheral to the Alrai bloodline.
The Right Side of the Table
Opposite the queens sat the next generation of the Valencress name.At the first chair sat Kaelion valencrest, the 1st Prince. At twenty years old, he was the perfect mirror of his father. He had inherited the King's dark silver hair and that same unyielding, golden gaze. He sat with a rigid, soldierly posture, already carrying the weight of a crown he did not yet wear.
Next to him was his sister, the 1st Princess,'Lyra valencrest'. At nineteen, she was the vibrant image of her mother, Elara, though she carried the signature golden eyes of the Valencrest line.She doesn't like to talk much to strangers—but understands everything abouts family
At the fourth and fifth chairs sat the youngest of the Valencrest bloodline: the 3rd Prince and his younger sister. At twelve years old, they were a perfect blend of their parents' striking features, but it was their eyes—that piercing, unmistakable gold—that marked them as true children of the crown. They whispered to one another, their movements lively yet disciplined, a stark contrast to the heavy silence held by the elders.
Then, there was the gap.
The third chair sat conspicuously empty, a hollow space in the middle of the line until a pair of calm, measured footsteps echoed against the stone floor. Aesir walked with a newfound grace, his stride lacking the hesitation that had once plagued him. As he reached his seat, a maid appeared instantly, her head bowed as she began to serve his dish.
Before sitting, Aether offered a calm greeting to everyone at the table. He didn't wait for a reply, but simply began to eat, his movements precise.The clatter of silverware against porcelain was the only sound in the room.
In his previous life, this silence had felt like a suffocating shroud. Today, however, as aether looked at his family—his stern father, his dual mothers, and his high-achieving siblings—it felt like a puzzle he finally had the pieces to solve.
He looked down at his own plate. The food was warm, but the atmosphere was cold.
"The awakening ceremony ," King Aldric said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate the very water in the crystal glasses. He didn't look up from his meal. "I trust you haven't been 'lazing' your way through the preparations, Aether?"
The 1st Prince, Kaelon, didn't hide his small, disparaging smirk.
Aether met his father's golden gaze. "I'm ready, Father. In more ways than you know."
silent follow afterward.