Chapter 590: Yet to arrive
"The Royal Councillors have arrived!" she announced clearly, her magically amplified voice carrying throughout the massive chamber. "All those present, please take your assigned seats. The proceedings will begin shortly."
The remaining murmurs quickly faded as everyone began settling into their seats.
The reception hall outside quickly emptied as everyone made their way into the Royal Court.
Most of those present were barons and counts who oversaw smaller regions in and around Haven, with the most notable figures among them being Duke Dawncrest and Patriarch Luke Kletis.
Rarely would one ever see one of the three Grand Dukes in such a setting.
After all, they were mostly separated from the affairs of the kingdom, and unlike normal noble titles, their positions were earned rather than inherited, granted as a gesture of respect for their overwhelming strength as mages and warriors.
Their positions were so lofty that they were almost something of a myth among the lower-ranking nobles present here,
Regardless, there were a rare few among the counts who possessed strength rivalling even Dawncrest’s own.
But simply because strength alone was not enough to make the jump and become a duke, they remained within the lower ranks. Of course, their status would never be the same as that of ordinary counts or barons.
The Kingdom of Veloria had twelve dukes, and each of them usually oversaw a large district within one of the kingdom’s major cities.
Smaller territories, meanwhile, were placed under the jurisdiction of barons and counts, sometimes within a major city, but more commonly encompassing an entire large town and a number of smaller villages surrounding it.
Clans, however, were separate from actual noble houses because they were not officially granted territory by the Crown to rule or oversee.
Rather, they garnered their own loyal stewards and followers, building influence through their strength, wealth, and reputation.
In some cases, powerful clans could even gain the support of an entire territory despite holding no official authority over it.
The Kletis and Moon Clans were among the most prominent examples.
Of course, Luke Kletis was the only representative of these major clans who had actually made an appearance today.
That was until a very unlikely pair walked into the Royal Court just as the doors were about to be closed.
Patriarch Moon entered first with calm, even steps, walking on his own.
He took a seat near the back since he didn’t actually have an assigned seat within the court.
His presence immediately brought with it a chorus of murmurs from those already seated. After all, the fact that Patriarch Moon had suddenly decided to attend raised quite a few questions.
Another figure entered shortly after him.
This one was burly, with a round stomach, accompanied by a beautiful woman by his side.
Gale and his visibly distressed wife.
Most of those present were quite familiar with Gale, after all. He supplied much of the nobility with a fine range of goods and condiments now and then, and his wealth and connections had made him a recognisable figure despite his lack of a noble title.
The sight of him brought a faint smile to Cain’s lips.
After all...
He was playing his part quite well.
His first task had been simple: make an appearance only after most of the court had already taken their seats, ensuring that as many people as possible noticed his arrival.
More importantly, both he and his wife needed to look visibly distressed.
And his wife, in particular, looked quite tearful.
Cain’s smile deepened slightly.
’Perfect.’
However, a chorus of shocked gasps suddenly began to echo from the back when another figure stepped inside moments later.
"It’s His Majesty, the King!"
It wasn’t clear who said it first, but everyone’s attention immediately snapped toward the entrance.
And sure enough, the majestic figure of King Alexander could be seen calmly walking into the Royal Court.
Everyone in the room immediately rose to their feet.
Even the six councillors stood from their seats.
The entire chamber fell silent almost instantly as Alexander made his way down the central aisle, his presence alone enough to completely change the atmosphere within the court.
Cain’s faint smile disappeared.
Luke Kletis, on the other hand, merely raised a brow, a hint of interest appearing in his eyes.
Nobody had expected the King himself to attend today’s proceedings.
The woman in formal attire at the front was momentarily stunned, but she quickly regained her bearings, immediately announcing the King’s presence as necessity dictated.
"His Majesty, King Alexander of Veloria!"
Her amplified voice echoed throughout the Royal Court.
Everyone remained standing as Alexander calmly made his way down the central aisle, his footsteps echoing through the otherwise silent chamber.
His arrival had clearly not been part of the expected proceedings.
Even some of the councillors exchanged brief glances among themselves before quickly returning their attention to the approaching King.
Alexander, however, seemed completely unbothered by the attention.
He continued toward the front, eventually ascending the short flight of steps separating the councillors from the rest of the court.
The grand throne that so rarely saw its intended occupant waited directly behind them. For the first time in quite some time, the King calmly lowered himself into it.
A short moment passed as the King’s advisors bowed and respectfully greeted their esteemed ruler, and Alexander spared them no more than a glance.
Further toward the back, along the row where the small group of court mages was seated, Nyxara suddenly felt short of breath.
Her heart began thudding rapidly in her chest, and without even realising it, her grip loosened around her mage’s staff.
Fortunately, Tami caught it before it could hit the floor.
"Are you okay?" Tami asked as she passed the staff back to her.
Nyxara quickly took it.
"Y-yeah... I’m just a little surprised that the King actually made an appearance."
"Aren’t we all?" Tami replied.
Her gaze lingered on Nyxara for a moment longer than necessary, a faint hint of curiosity in her eyes.
Nyxara pretended not to notice.
Tami eventually turned away, focusing her attention on the front like everyone else.
Nyxara did the same.
Or at least, she tried to.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her staff.
She hadn’t seen Alexander in quite some time, not since Persephone had long since returned, but even now, she still couldn’t quite get a hold of her emotions whenever she saw him, even from a distance.
Not after that night...
Nyxara subtly took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
’Get a hold of yourself...’
She watched as Wendy, the woman leading the proceedings, returned to her position at the front.
"We are honoured to have His Majesty, King Alexander, among us today," she announced with a respectful smile. "As you all know, His Majesty is quite a busy man, but today, he has spared us some of his valuable time."
Nods of approval followed throughout the court, while Alexander himself remained seated calmly upon the throne, resting his elbow on the armrest and his head on his palm.
His gaze was completely detached, looking off into the distance, at some unseen sight.
It was no surprise that his handsome features and gait put most of them here on edge; after all, the presence of the Saint was something most of them here were used to seeing.
"Without further ado..." Wendy continued, allowing her gaze to sweep across the packed chamber. "Let us begin today’s proceedings."
She briefly glanced down at the documents in her hands.
"Today’s primary matter concerns the incident that took place within Grimholt Academy, involving Duke Cain Dawncrest and the academy student, Elion Nova."
The atmosphere within the court immediately became more attentive.
Wendy raised her gaze again.
"Both parties were formally summoned to appear before this court a few weeks ago, and today is the final day for judgment to be passed."
Her eyes moved toward the front rows, easily finding Cain among those seated.
"Duke Cain Dawncrest is present."
Then she looked across the rest of the chamber.
There was a brief silence.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"However..." The silence stretched on. "It appears Elion Nova has yet to arrive."
A wave of murmurs immediately spread throughout the court. Wendy allowed it to continue for a few moments before raising her hand.
"Silence, please."
The murmurs gradually died down.
"Elion Nova was given the same deadline as Duke Dawncrest. As the final day of that deadline has not yet passed, he cannot currently be considered absent from his summons."
A few nobles nodded at that, while others looked considerably less impressed; after all, many of them here were powerful and incredibly influential figures who had lived for decades.