Chapter 147: [X] - 147: The Banquet
Cut back to Alex’s room.
A maid entered, she bowed low and waited until both of them looked at her.
"Your Highness, the banquet is ready."
"The guests are waiting in the main hall."
Alex gave the mirror one last glance.
He adjusted the ceremonial crown by a fraction until the weight sat evenly, then turned toward the door.
’This crown looks quite fancy, I don’t hate it though, it’s cool, I really look like a prince at this moment!’
Zara fell into step half a pace behind him without needing to be told.
The dark suit moved cleanly with him.
The hair she had ruffled earlier still refused to sit perfectly, but there was no time left to fix it and no point in trying.
The quiet calculation that had started when she mentioned the treasury was still turning in the back of his mind.
’Let’s see if it works...’
They left the private wing together.
The grand hall was already full.
Suspended mana crystals hung in careful formations along the high ceiling, casting a steady, even light across the long tables.
Winter season dishes occupied every surface that was not reserved for rare wines and polished silver.
The scent of roasted meats, spiced root vegetables, and the sharper edge of aged spirit mixed with the faint ozone of the hall’s reinforced wards.
Nobles from across the capital and several neighboring territories filled the space in formal attire.
Their conversations stayed at the polite volume expected when the royal family had not yet made their entrance.
The air itself felt thicker with the number of active mana signatures present, a low pressure that only people used to large gatherings would notice.
The noise dropped the moment the main doors opened.
"King Alessio Von Winterfang and Queen Vespera Abyss have arrived!"
Vespera and Alessio entered side by side.
Every person in the hall stopped speaking at once and bowed deeply.
The movement was almost uniform, the result of long practice and the understanding that failing to show proper respect in this particular hall carried consequences.
The royal couple moved toward the head of the hall with the practiced ease of people who had done this exact walk more times than they could count.
No one rose until they had taken their places and given the smallest of acknowledgments to the room at large.
The atmosphere shifted from anticipation to formal attention in a single coordinated motion that left no room for lingering side conversations.
A short time later the doors opened again.
"The Third Prince, Alexander Abyss has arrived!"
Alex walked in with Zara beside him in her formal Shadow Guard attire.
The hall bowed a second time.
Formal greetings and well wishes for his birthday began flowing toward him from every direction before he had taken more than a few steps past the threshold.
"Happy birthday, Third Prince!"
"May the year ahead bring strength and clarity!"
"The Abyss bloodline continues to prosper!"
Alex answered each one with the same measured nod and short courtesy he had practiced for occasions exactly like this.
’Haah... let’s entertain these people a bit.’
The words came easily because he had said them before.
The smile he wore was the correct one for a ten year old prince accepting birthday wishes from people who measured everything he did.
No one openly analyzed the boy standing in front of them.
Yet many pairs of eyes lingered longer than politeness strictly required.
Even at ten years old the density of mana around him was already unnatural.
Experienced cultivators felt the quiet pressure the moment he entered the hall, a steady presence that did not match the soft features or the still growing frame of a child who had only just reached his tenth year.
They kept their expressions neutral.
The observation continued anyway, quiet and continuous, the kind of assessment that happened behind polite smiles and carefully chosen words.
The introductions began almost immediately.
Representatives from the Abyss bloodline approached first.
An older man with the Abyss crest worked into his formal coat stepped forward, offering a deep nod that stopped just short of a full bow.
"Third Prince, it is good to see you standing taller than last year."
"Your training has clearly not been neglected, has the year treated you well enough that we can expect further progress before the next gathering?"
’What kind of question is that? I mean there is nothing wrong with it but...’
’...sigh, I should answer him.’
Alex returned the nod with the correct degree of respect.
"yes Uncle, the year has been productive, I have continued the foundation work without interruption and my progress has been steady."
The man studied him for a fraction longer than necessary, then stepped aside with a polite smile.
A branch family head followed, her voice warmer but still measured.
"Happy birthday Third Prince! Your mother speaks highly of your focus."
"Tell me, do you find the palace facilities more suitable now that you are older?"
"They are good for sparring with others." Alex answered. "I use it when my work requires it."
She inclined her head, filed the answer away, and moved on.
Distant Winterfang branches followed, their greetings warmer and filled with the careful language of people who understood the weight of the household they were addressing.
A middle aged woman in Winterfang colors offered a genuine smile.
"Prince Alexander, you have grown again! I remember when you barely reached my waist."
"How is your health this season? The winters here can be harsh on the young ones if they push their foundations too hard."
"My health is excellent, Aunt, and he cold does not interfere with the work, thank you for asking."
"That is good to hear."
They asked about his health, about whether the year had treated him well, about small things that sounded polite and carried secondary meanings.
Then came the Bloodworth guests.
On this particular day the Bloodworth side showed no open hostility.
Smiles were present.
Polite conversation was the order of the evening.
A tall man with the Bloodworth insignia approached, his tone carefully neutral but not cold.
"Third Prince, happy birthday."
"The Bloodworth household extends its formal congratulations on your tenth year and I trust the celebrations have been to your satisfaction so far?"
"They have."
"Of course, and your progress is of interest to more than one household."
"Should you ever find yourself in need of sparring partners outside the Abyss and Winterfang circles, we maintain several training facilities that accept guest practitioners of appropriate rank, the offer stands."
Alex met the man’s eyes without shifting his expression.
’I would really like to curse the living daylights out of this guy.’
’Does he think I am stupid or what? Go train in a Bloodworth sponsored training hall? I would rather not train a day than go to you people!’
"I will keep the offer in mind, sparring against different styles has value."
The man smiled, a thin, practiced expression, and stepped back into the flow of well wishers.
Questions about his training, his health, and his hopes for the year ahead arrived in a steady, well practiced stream that left little room for silence or for Alex to step away from the line of well wishers.
Alex answered them all.
The greetings, formal questions, and obligatory small talk stretched on until both his patience and his social energy began to run low.
The crown sat heavier now than it had at the mirror upstairs.
Physically, it was the same weight, but these people were adding to its burden, fueling his boredom with every politically aligned question hidden in their well wishes.
’I hope all of this ends soon...’
The dark suit, which had felt correct when he put it on, no longer felt quite as comfortable under the constant attention.
By the time the formal portion of the banquet started to wind down and the first groups of guests began taking their leave, he was visibly tired of the entire performance.
The constant, low level attention from every corner of the hall had settled into something that pressed against the edges of his concentration and made the scheming thought from earlier sit a little more firmly in place.
Zara remained beside him the entire time, silent and watchful.
She had done this before.
She knew the rhythm of these events as well as he did and saw no reason to add unnecessary words to an already long evening of smiles and carefully measured answers.
As the hall emptied, Alex noticed his mother and father standing together near a side alcove.
Their heads were angled toward each other as they chatted casually, completely at ease in the peaceful atmosphere.
Only a handful of people were still present, most of them occupied with final farewells or the quiet work of clearing the nearest tables.
The light from the suspended crystals had shifted slightly as evening deepened, casting longer shadows across the polished floor.
Alex walked over.
When he was close enough that the remaining attendants would have to strain to overhear, he looked at both of his parents and began to ask—
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End of Chapter 147: The Banquet
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