Kai stood before a full-length mirror, feeling the formality of his noble attire weighing heavily on his shoulders. He wore something suitable for the ball that was supposed to be held today and was checking if everything was in order— just in case.
His eyes took in all the details of his garb.
The crimson tunic, embellished with delicate silver embroidery that glimmered under the lamp, fit perfectly against his broad frame. The tailored trousers complimented the tunic, which made him content with his fitting.
It wasn't odd and at the same time, he wouldn't stand out.
To complete the outfit, he already had a few generational pieces of jewellery prepared. He wasn't used to wearing anything that wasn't an artifact of sorts, but it was common to wear rings or a bracelet at such events.
This should be alright, Kai thought to himself.
From the side of the mirror, he saw Malden, perched on a sofa checking the parchment in his hands. He was recounting everything that Kai had asked him to get.
"Well?" Kai prompted.
Malden's eyes shot up immediately. "You look astonishing, My Lord… Like a prince." He said with a grin on his face.
Kai gave a short nod to his compliment. But it wasn't that he was referring to.
"About the list?" He asked.
"I've got almost everything on the list, Lord Arzan," Malden said and kept the piece of paper on the stack of thick parchments.
As they had gotten into the capital, Kai had given specific work to everyone and Malden was asked to get various items and resources he would need to fight against the beast wave.
Malden had been scrambling to get everything on the list and had done a good job if he could believe his words.
"Is that right?" Kai asked again, to confirm his previous statement.
"Construction materials for the blacksmith— the Minotaur nearly drooled when he saw the reinforced steel beams and other mana-conductive materials. Vials and alchemical supplies galore for Orion and his group, the larvae materials I sold before to a few alchemists and shops around here came in hand in securing these. We can defend the walls of Veralt with these and speaking of the walls, I managed to snag a few seasoned wall builders. They're already heading back under escort." Malden listed down everything, a proud grin forming on his pudgy face.
Kai nodded in approval, a flicker of satisfaction warming his chest. The construction of the wall was already underway. The more manpower meant that the rest of the work should be completed soon.
He needed to deal with the wards and the extra protection he could bring them once he was back.
"Good work," he said, then recalled a specific item on the list. "Did you manage to find those seeds I mentioned?"
A frown creased Kai's brow as Malden shook his head. "The shadow seeds? Couldn't find any in the market. Not surprisingly, those things aren't exactly in high demand. But I did manage to secure a hefty batch of the full-grown shadow seed plants from a merchant who deals in them."
"Good work, Malden," Kai acknowledged him again, seeing the glint of satisfaction in Malden's eyes. The man was greedy for compliments. "Hurry up on that. Make sure they're delivered safely."
"Yes, Lord Arzan. Will do."
Good enough.
Kai walked around the small space in the room and sat on the opposite sofa to Malden. Beside the pile of Malden's list, there was the list Killian had procured. It included all the names and titles of those who would be attending the ball.
Since it was a royal ceremony, he knew he had to know who was who. Especially with him being exposed to a lot of important people, it would be lacking on his part if he didn't know their names or step on their metaphorical toes.
Elite society was always very quick to take offence and he didn't wish to make more enemies than intended in the ball.
According to what he knew, Arzan hadn't been to such an event in years. The nobles had forgotten his name and this was a way for him to reassert his presence.
However, he felt bored, even looking at the name list.
His gaze drifted down further, noting the absence of the other members of royalty. Except for the first prince, Eldric Sullivan Lancephil, there was only one royal who was going to attend.
She was a princess— Princess Amara, the youngest sibling.
Princess Amara… Why doesn't it ring a bell?
Kai thought hard about the name, reflecting on the various scribes he had read, the journals written by Arzan, and even the conversations he had since coming to the capital. But none of them had mentioned Amara.
It was as if her presence was bleak and no one gave her much heed to talk about her. Even in Killian's list, there was no information on her other than her title as a princess.
"Princess Amara will be attending the ball tonight," Kai said, looking at Malden for a brief second and pulling his eyes back.
By now, he knew Malden's behaviour. The man often waits till he hears something he knows so he can sprout what he does, or when he hears about something he doesn't, he'd question more on it to know.
"Princess Amara… Not much in the public eye, is she? I heard rumours that she has some illness, something that keeps her confined to the palace. She shows her face once in a while in balls like these but largely stays away. It's known that the king doesn't like her much, but the reason behind it is unknown. Though, I heard it's because she's not his bio—" He stopped himself just in the knick of time. "Could just be gossip, of course."
Kai almost smiled at Malden's word vomit but shrugged, tossing the list back onto the table. "Gossip or not makes no difference to me. Just another name on a list."
He looked up, catching Malden's curious gaze. Kai acted nonchalant about the information on the princess. He didn't want to do anything with her and she probably had died before Eldric had risen as a king if the rumours on the illness were true.
"By the way, Lord Arzan. About the beans you had requested…" Malden echoed.
"Yes?"
"What are they used for, exactly? Are they used as an alchemical product? I've not heard about using shadow seeds in anything other than staining wood or insect control. Oh, and for odours."
A slow smile spread across Kai's face.
"Actually." He chuckled. "Many underestimate the humble bean, Malden. But there's more to them than meets the eye. Not many know this, but you can make a rather… invigorating beverage from them. Once we get our hands on those shadow seeds, I'll show you what I mean."
Malden raised an eyebrow but nodded anyway.
"That's alright, looking forward to it, my lord. Who cares about a bean now when we've more pressing matters at hand? Now, this ball… it's not just about social niceties as far as I'm aware," he said, hesitating a bit before continuing. "Will you use it to make political connections?"
Kai shook his head at that thought, not giving anything away. "Not quite. Right now, I'm just a name on a list. I haven't made any real moves yet, and don't have the clout to pull off political machinations. But that could change with time and it probably would."
Malden leaned forward. "Yes, I believe so. With the king ageing and no clear heir chosen, the competition's about to heat up. The ball will be a hotbed of speculations and observations, everyone trying to gauge the prince's strength and weakness, trying to form a connection with him."
"Succession is certainly getting interesting. It's getting into the middle phase. A lot of things are happening around it and the kingdom." Kai paused. "Keeping a close eye on these events would be… prudent." He almost let him on his thoughts but soon cowered his words.
For Kai who wanted to change history, he needed to start from the Lancephil succession since it was one of the most pivotal parts in history. But he couldn't rely on his historical knowledge for it and needed real-time information.
Unfortunately, that was the hard part.
Malden chuckled, a knowing look on his face. "Don't worry, Lord Arzan. My network of informants keeps a keen eye on the political climate. Merchants are the most impacted by such things after all. Though let's be honest, half the information you get from whispers and backroom deals is twisted or outright lies. Especially with something as big as the succession," he added, scratching his stubble. "Everyone's got their agenda, pushing their own narrative. Discerning truth from fiction can be a real headache."
Kai leaned back.
"So, if hushes and networks aren't reliable… What then? What's the best way to get an accurate picture of the succession?"
"Well… Accurate information about the succession? Lord Arzan, that's a unicorn you're hunting for." He laughed at that. Kai soon understood where the man was coming from, but Malden continued. "The only breaths that carry any weight come from the princes' inner circles, their most trusted retainers. Maybe the King himself, or the Prime Minister if he's still in the loop."
He wiped a tear from his eye, his laughter subsiding into a chuckle as if he was imagining a way to get such information.
"If you want accurate information, you need someone who knows the ins and outs of the palace. Back in the day, I heard maids used to do it for gold but so many of them got executed that no one dares to do so now." Malden paused, carefully selecting his next words. "Lord Arzan, I believe we are outsiders in the current succession, wild cards in this high-stakes game and getting such a person to give information is like searching for a dragon, but every noble, especially those who are neutrals wants to capture that dragon."
***
The evening arrived rather soon and the air vibrated with a cacophony of sounds— the rustle of silks, the clinking of glasses, and the drone of a hundred conversations at the same time.
It had been quite some time since Kai walked through the large doors that were decorated with floral arrangements.
When he walked inside, the crystal chandeliers cast a brilliant glow on the ballroom and gained his attention almost immediately— illuminating the swirling forms of dancers and the rigid postures of nobles clinging to the edges of the room.
But after staring at everything for a while, it all looked normal. He wasn't awestruck anymore by any decorations. In fact, Kai felt like a bear at a tea party.
He stood stiffly in a corner, the drink in his hand slowly burning his throat.
Around him, cliques of nobles formed and dissolved like swirling smoke, their conversations punctuated by forced laughter and empty compliments.
He slowly took their figures into detail, thinking of who could be who.
But soon, a hush fell over the room as a figure in a crimson and gold uniform, adorned with glittering medals, strode in.
Now we're ready to begin the ball.
That was Prince Eldric, his face a mask of practised charm. Beside him walked a slender figure draped in a shimmering silver gown. Princess Amara, the name echoed in Kai's mind.
Her face, pale and drawn, bore the mark of illness. Yet he noticed the fire in her eyes, the way she held her head high despite her obvious frailty. Still, he could feel that she was pushing herself as she walked.
A plump butler with a groomed moustache cleared his throat. "Presenting," he said aloud, his voice echoing through the hall, "His Royal Highness, First Prince Eldric Sullivan Lancephil, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Amara!"
The room erupted in a flurry of bows and curtseys.
-
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