Chapter 59: The game of influence
It had been a month since Lucen gave Aldric a few Territory War boards and pieces. By now, the game had spread like wildfire across Stellhart. You could see people playing it in taverns, in homes, even on crates by the roadside, anywhere a board could be placed.
In a certain tea party attended by the children of nobles, hosted by the youngest daughter of Marquess Varne Crowlorne, Lysette Crowlorne.
She was the beloved daughter of the Marquess. She was a bright spark in the often gray world of nobility.
Her golden blonde hair shimmered like sunlight, and her deep blue eyes always seemed to be plotting something fun.
Unlike her stern father, Marquess Varne Crowlorne, Lysette was cheerful, outgoing, and far too curious for her own good. She spoke to knights, servants, and nobles with equal ease, often making friends wherever she went. Beneath her playful charm, however, was a sharp mind and quick wit, traits she hid behind her laughter.
While her tea parties were mostly seen as social playdates for noble daughters, Lysette cleverly used them to gather little pieces of information, stitching together whispers and rumors like embroidery on a handkerchief.
Of course, she also used this tea party to have fun talking to other noble ladies.
Yet this time, there was something different at this tea party as she took out a curious-looking board with an insignia that looked similar to the Thornehart family’s, but this one had a fang instead of a shield wrapped in thorns.
"Oh, what’s this? I think I have seen that item while passing by a nearby village." The daughter of a viscount spoke.
"That’s Territory War, isn’t it?" another chimed in. "It’s become quite popular in Stellhart, the Iron Duke’s domain. But... yours looks different, Lady Lysette."
Lysette grinned. "By chance, I met the merchant selling the game. He told me he had a special board—one of only a hundred ever made. I was already interested in the game before that, so I told him I didn’t care about the price and bought it on the spot."