Chapter 589: Join Hands?
Cain’s eyes narrowed.
"No."
The official bowed.
"As you wish."
He quickly departed.
Cain continued walking. Yet despite his outward calm, his thoughts were anything but.
’These damned bloodsuckers! Messing up my plans!’
Still, none of it changed what needed to happen today.
He had spent the past several days speaking with those whose support mattered and calling in old favours.
Reminding certain families of debts they had conveniently forgotten.
Ensuring that when the matter was finally placed before the court, his actions in Grimholt would not be judged without context.
The court was led and overseen by a group of six permanently positioned councillors and advisors to the king himself.
Even the highest-ranking nobles could not disobey an order enforced by the combined authority of these six.
Only the king possessed more power when it came to matters of the court.
Beyond the reception hall, two additional halls were positioned further up on either side, while dead centre, at the far end of the reception hall, stood another pair of large doors that led into the Royal Court itself.
The interior was even more grandiose than the reception hall, and as people began to trickle in, they took their seats along the many rows built into a massive terrace structure, lined with comfortable seats arranged in a concentric pattern.
Red carpets covered the floors, while enormous banners bearing the crest of the royal family hung from the distant walls.
The further down the stairs one went, the closer one would get to the lofted seats below, where the six councillors sat facing the congregation with a massive semi-circular table before them.
Three seats were positioned on the left, each at the same height, with three more mirroring them on the right.
And directly in the centre, slightly elevated above them all, stood a grand throne reserved for the king himself, though it was rarely, if ever, occupied.
The king usually preferred to host matters important enough to require his personal presence within the comfort of his castle, seated upon his actual throne, rather than coming all the way down to the Royal Court.
For now, all seven of these seats were empty, of course.
Dawncrest nodded toward some of his closest allies as he made his way down to his assigned seat near the front, while he could also see some of his greatest rivals sneering at him in contempt.
However, he suddenly paused in his tracks when he spotted a figure he would never have expected to see at a gathering like this.
’Patriarch Kletis...’
The man was seated with one leg crossed over the other, with a pair of mages seated beside him as escorts. He smiled lightly at Dawncrest when their gazes met.
Cain’s eyes narrowed.
’What is he doing here?’
The man was the leader of one of the few clans that could actually rival a duchy in terms of pretty much everything, but Kletis was particularly troublesome because he was also quite close to King Alexander.
Xavier and the Kletis boy were peers as well, so the two of them were used to crossing paths with each other. This time, however, the circumstances were not exactly amiable for Cain.
Deciding to approach, Cain beckoned for Liora to go ahead of him before walking toward Kletis.
"Cain, my friend. It’s always a pleasure when you grace us with your presence," Kletis said respectfully as he rose to shake Cain Dawncrest’s hand.
Cain scoffed but returned the handshake.
"If I might ask, what are you doing here, Luke?"
"Oh, come now, dear friend. This is quite the predicament you’ve put yourself in here. I’m rather curious to see how everything will unfold."
Luke increased the strength of his grip and pulled Cain closer, leaning toward his ear.
"And also to help a friend... in the unlikely event that you need it."
He pulled away again, that same pleasant smile remaining on his face.
"Of course, I’m sure you’ve made sufficient preparations so that you won’t need said help..."
Cain’s eyes trembled slightly.
"What did you say?"
Luke laughed it off, lightly placing a hand on Dawncrest’s shoulder.
"Nothing important. I’m simply saying that, in the event that our goals align, it’s quite obvious that the wiser thing to do would be to join hands."
Cain couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.
’What is he playing at here?’
Had he just gained an unlikely ally?
"What do you—"
He was about to ask, but Luke immediately cut him off.
"More importantly, have you heard?"
Cain frowned.
"Heard what?"
"The entrance to the Legacy World moved coordinates."
Cain’s interest immediately piqued.
"What? Has this whole matter gotten you so rattled and occupied that you’ve barely had time for anything else?"
Cain would have liked to deny it, but Kletis was right.
"As a matter of fact, quite a lot of people are already aware of this by now. What they don’t know, however, and what has been kept quiet for the last few days..."
Luke’s smile widened slightly.
"...is that the entrance is actually somewhere very close to Haven."
Cain’s eyes narrowed into pinpricks.
It didn’t need to be said that he didn’t doubt Luke’s words for even a moment. The man would never lie about something of this magnitude.
Of course, despite the fact that they were speaking in a public space, not a single sound escaped the small bubble Cain had formed around them, and Luke had also formed another layer of his own over that.
To everyone else, all they saw was a pair of powerful figures speaking privately with one another, perhaps one attempting to garner the support of the other.
Nothing unusual there.
Luke glanced toward the empty seat beside him.
"Come now. Sit with me before the proceedings begin..."
Cain hesitated for only a moment before taking the offered seat. Luke sat down beside him, crossing one leg over the other once again.
His escorts had long since excused themselves the moment the two men began speaking.
Cain wasted no time.
"How close?"
"Close enough that when the exact location becomes public, Haven is going to become very crowded."
...
"What do you think they’re talking about?"
"Hmmm...?" Nyxara’s head snapped toward the person who had just asked her the question. "Oh, it’s just you, Tami..."
Tami placed a hand over her ample chest, looking genuinely wounded.
"Just me...? That hurts, you know..."
Nyxara ignored her court mage friend and looked back toward the curious pair that everyone else seemed to be eyeing.
"So, any idea what the powerful man over there could be gossiping about?"
"Who knows..." she said with a small shrug. "That’s everyone’s guess."
Tami followed her gaze toward Cain and Luke.
"Still, it’s strange, isn’t it? Patriarch Kletis and Duke Dawncrest whispering into each other’s ears like old lovers."
Nyxara slowly looked at her.
Tami smiled innocently.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Nyxara turned back toward the pair.
She had indeed been looking at the pair, but her thoughts were elsewhere, which was why she had been startled when Tami suddenly appeared by her side.
What exactly had she been thinking about, however?
Only she knew.
Just as Tami began to yap about random things, the smaller doors at the front of the court suddenly opened.
Six elderly men walked out one after another, each wearing extravagant grey robes fashioned according to the preference of the wearer.
The conversations throughout the court immediately began to die down.
A middle-aged woman dressed in formal royal attire stepped forward shortly after them.