Tentative silence fell over the grand hall of House Vaelis.
The nobles whose faces framed the walls of the chamber were quiet, eyes darting between Selene, their long-lost noble daughter and Aric, the outsider whose arrival had rekindled her life.
And at the head of it all was Duke Vaelis, his expression inscrutable, his freezing gray gaze fixed upon Aric with all the gravity of a monarch sizing up a usurper.
Aric smirked inwardly. Good. He knows I'm dangerous.
This was more than a family reunion. It was the opening shot in a fight for control.
Duke Vaelis sat with his fingers drumming against the gilded armrest of his throne.
"You say you saved my daughter," he said, haltingly. He spoke in a calm voice but there was steel behind it. "Why?"
Selene froze beside Aric, but as always he met the Duke's gaze unflinchingly, at ease.
"She was worth something," Aric replied flatly. "And I never waste precious things."
A murmur rippled through the collected nobles.
The Duke's eyes narrowed just a bit. "And what do you expect in return?"
Aric smirked. There it was.
"Nothing," he lied. "For now."
The Duke studied him a long moment, then turned his stare to Selene.
"My daughter," he said, calmly, "does this man speak the truth?"
Selene paused for only a moment before nodding. "Yes, Father. He saved me."
The Duke reclined in his seat, his expression inscrutable. Then he beckoned to a hovering servant.
"Bring wine. My daughter's home and it's time to celebrate."
The feast was prepared in less than an hour.
The hall was filled with long tables, golden plates and crystal goblets, servants flitting between tables as they served the best dishes. The Duke's welcome was opportunistic — a display of wealth and power.
But Aric knew better. This was not a welcome. It was a test.
As he entered, noblemen and women whispered amongst themselves. Some feigned politeness. Others didn't even try to disguise their curiosity — or their suspicion.
One of them was watching him closely, Aric noticed.
A woman.
She sat to the right of the Duke; her emerald-green gown hugged her curves, her long auburn hair draped elegantly over her shoulder. Her gaze was keen, evaluating, but beneath it there was something more — intrigue.
Selene tensed beside him. "That's Lady Isadora Ravencourt," she said softly. "One of my father's most trusted advisers."
Aric smirked. Interesting.
On the surface, the banquet was going just fine.
Aric observed, eavesdropped, learned the players in the room.
Duke Vaelis was strong, but his court was a nest of vipers. All the lords wanted greater power. The ladies spoke of secret plots. And now all of them were aware of him.
After a while, the Duke looked at him.
"You happen to be a warrior?"
Aric smiled. "Among other things."
The Duke raised a brow. "But what, really, do you want in my kingdom?"
Silence. The question we all tune in for.
Aric sat back in his chair, raising his goblet of wine. He swirled the liquid in his glass, considering.
"Power."
The hall stilled.
The Duke's face remained unchanged, but the air in the room shifted.
And Lady Isadora… she smiled.