Edmund looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I appreciate the offer, Princess Elara, but I must decline."
Her smile faltered. "Decline? Why?"
Edmund turned to Sasha, extending his hand. "Because I've already promised this dance to someone else."
Sasha's eyes widened in surprise, but she took his hand, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor. The room buzzed with whispers and surprised murmurs as they began to dance.
Edmund moved with confident and light steps while Sasha matched his movements perfectly.
Her face beamed up with smiles as they moved together.
As they danced, a few lighthearted moments passed between them. "You have become quite the dancer," Sasha teased.
Edmund chuckled. "I had a good teacher."
From his elevated seat, the vampire emperor watched the scene unfold with a look of distaste. His purplish eyes followed Edmund and Sasha's every move.
It was unknown what he was thinking at this moment, nonetheless, things continued as they should.
The dance ended with a flourish, and the room erupted in applause once more. Edmund and Sasha bowed to the audience, their faces flushed with exhilaration. As they returned to their seats, Edmund couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph.
The banquet continued with conversations and celebration. Edmund mingled with the guests, his mind constantly alert for any sign of trouble.
The atmosphere was electric with anticipation as the time for Edmund's display of his essence powers approached. Lord Alistair, the master of ceremonies, stepped forward, raising his hands to signal for silence.
"Honored guests," he began, his deep voice resonating through the hall. "We have come to the moment we have all been eagerly awaiting. Our crown prince, Edmund Rigorial Alucard the Twenty-Seventh, will now demonstrate the strength of his newly awakened essence."
With a grand gesture, Lord Alistair created a surrounding of interesting constructs, each designed to challenge different aspects of Edmund's abilities. His eyes turned Icy blue as frost spread out from his body at a rapid pace, causing the temperature in the surroundings to reduce greatly.
The icy constructs created included moving targets, sturdy obstacles, and intricate mechanisms that required both power and precision to navigate.
Edmund stepped forward with a clear and focused mind. He could feel countless eyes upon him, including those of his father, the vampire emperor, seated high above the rest. Next to the emperor, Empress Melisande had just arrived. Her presence was instantly noted by everyone in the hall as she greeted her husband who barely spared her a glance.
Melisande was a vision of dark beauty with raven-black hair cascading down her back and sharp calculating eyes. She took her seat beside the emperor, her gaze fixed on Edmund with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.
Edmund acknowledged her arrival with a brief nod but kept his attention on the task at hand.
"Show them what you're capable of, Edmund," Sasha whispered from the sidelines, her voice filled with encouragement.
Taking a deep breath, Edmund began his display. He moved with an agility that he had honed through rigorous training in the last two weeks.
With a swift motion, he activated his blood essence while holding onto reinforced sharp blades that cut through the moving targets with ease.
The audience gasped in astonishment as the blades sliced through the air, hitting their marks with deadly accuracy.
This display was very necessary for the vampires to witness the strength of the royal family and be assured that they were safe under the umbrella of one that would be strong enough to protect them one day.
Next, Edmund demonstrated his ability to manipulate blood and the blood of others into different shapes and forms when his own merged with them.
He created a swirling vortex of blood that enveloped one of the icy constructs, crushing it with sheer force. The construct shattered, pieces flying in all directions, but Edmund remained unscathed.
The most impressive part of his display came when he combined his blood and light essences. He channeled the light essence into the blood, causing it to glow with an ethereal light. The constructs around him were bathed in a radiant glow, and Edmund directed the glowing blood to form intricate patterns in the air, creating a mesmerizing spectacle that left the audience in awe.
"Remarkable," Lady Vivienne murmured, her eyes wide with admiration.
Even Master Lucius, known for his stern demeanor, allowed himself a small smile. "I didn't realize he could do this."
Edmund had hidden his light essence under the guise of blood, letting others believe he just used a unique form of blood essence abilities that weren't privy to ordinary vampires.
While everyone fell for it, this act did not go unnoticed by his father.
As Edmund completed his performance, the hall erupted in applause. However, among the human nobles, there were murmurs of derision and scoffs.
"Impressive, but he's still far behind his peers," one noble sneered.
"Awakening his essence at nearly 17? How pitiful," another laughed.
Edmund ignored the jibes, standing tall and proud. He had proven his capabilities, and that was what mattered.
As the applause died down, a servant approached him with a tray, offering a ceremonial juice that was traditionally taken after such a performance.
Edmund's senses tingled with warning. He knew there was something in the drink, but before he could take any action, a loud, drunken voice echoed through the hall.
"That is lackluster for a crown prince!"
All heads turned toward the source of the voice. Lucien staggered into the hall swaying with every step. He was visibly intoxicated, his eyes gleaming with a mix of anger and mischief.
"Lucien," the emperor's voice boomed from above, filled with disapproval.
Lucien ignored him, focusing entirely on Edmund. "I challenge you, Edmund," he declared, his voice carrying through the hall. "Let's have a duel right here, right now, so everyone can see who truly deserves the crown prince title."
Edmund's was taken aback. This unexpected challenge was the perfect opportunity to avoid drinking the poisoned juice. Edmund stepped forward and pretended to knock into someone, causing the cup to fall from his grasp.
"Oops," he voiced while the drink spilled onto the ground.
Maids swiftly rushed to cleanse the floor as well as his clothing and boots.
Melisande clenched the armrest of her seat in anguish upon witnessing this.
Noticing the emperor turned to her slightly, she managed to suppress the anguished bloodlust rising within her.
'That Fool!' she cursed her son internally.
"Are you sure you want us to duel whilst you're in such a state, little brother?" Edmund questioned with a calm tone.