Chapter 70: The Birth of a Dynasty
After the ceremony, I was led into a dark room, a place shrouded in mystery, where the air seemed thick with forgotten secrets.
The room was filled with ancient artifacts, each object steeped in millennia of history, and frescoes carved into the black rock, depicting scenes of distant battles and ancient pacts.
Lysara walked beside me, like a faithful shadow, silent as always.
Yet, in the subtle gleam of our family crest, draped over her like a second skin, her mere presence was enough to affirm that she was now an integral part of the Thalaris Von Estarion.
She had not received the title of Grand Varkh, no, but bearing that name bestowed upon her a status that placed her within the highest circles of nobility, those of the Dukes themselves.
It was not a territorial house, but a house of immense prestige, almost intangible.
A house free of any formal allegiance, yet whose influence extended beyond borders, capable of swaying the course of a war, of influencing entire kingdoms without ever submitting its freedom.
We were ushered into a softly lit chamber, its atmosphere heavy, almost palpable, as if each wall absorbed the light.
There, in the shifting shadows of the room, stood a stretched figure, draped in infernal silk veils of abyssal black.
The demon, Varxis, stood waiting, a presence both imposing and ethereal, like a shadow woven of mysteries.
His name was known in the darkest circles, personal secretary to the High Council of Lords, a position steeped in power and secrecy.