Chapter 108

The imperial banquet was meant to be a show of strength.

The grand hall was alive with the glow of golden chandeliers, their light flickering against the polished marble floors. Nobles from every corner of the empire filled the vast space, their elaborate gowns and embroidered tunics a display of wealth and status. The long banquet table stretched the length of the hall, adorned with silver platters of roasted meats, steaming vegetables seasoned with exotic spices, and goblets filled to the brim with rich, dark wine.

It was a feast meant to impress. A spectacle designed to reassure the court, to display unity.

But Aeliana knew better.

This was not a celebration.

It was a trap.

She sat beside Tharx at the head of the table, her gown regal, her posture composed, her expression carefully controlled. But beneath the layers of silk and the mask of calm, she was watching. Waiting.

So was Tharx.

He did not drink. He did not eat. His golden eyes flickered over the gathered nobles, his fingers idly resting against the rim of his goblet, his entire body poised like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.

They had chosen this event carefully.

House Drevan was gone, its entire bloodline erased before they could face justice. But Tharx and Aeliana had not been fooled.

Drevan had been a pawn, a piece of the game that had been sacrificed to keep the real players hidden.

Whoever had ordered his death was still out there.

And tonight, they would make themselves known.

Aeliana had spent days preparing for this.

She had studied the guest list, memorized the names, the alliances, the potential enemies. Every noble in this hall had sworn fealty to Seraphina.

But words were easy.

Loyalty was another matter.

She took a slow sip of wine, her gaze flickering toward the servants.

If an assassin was here tonight, they would not wear a noble's face.

They would be someone overlooked. Someone forgotten.

And so she watched.

Not the lords, not the commanders.

She watched the ones who poured the wine.

The ones who refilled the plates.

The ones who moved through the hall as silent shadows.

Aeliana let her gaze drift across the room as though she was admiring the grandeur of the evening.

Across the table, Lady Verath tilted her head, watching her carefully.

"Not drinking much tonight, are we, Empress?" she mused, lifting her goblet toward Aeliana in a mock toast.

Aeliana smiled, but it was a thin, sharp thing. "I find that the more I drink, the less I notice the important things."

Lady Verath arched a delicate brow. "How terribly boring of you."

"Perhaps," Aeliana said lightly. "But then again, it is usually the ones who are bored that die first."

Lady Verath's lips parted slightly, her expression flickering with something unreadable before she let out a soft, forced laugh.

"A fair point," she murmured, taking a sip of her wine.

Aeliana let her smile linger a moment longer before turning away.

She wasn't sure if Lady Verath had anything to do with the threats against Seraphina, but she had learned that people often revealed themselves when they thought they were being tested.

And tonight, she was testing everyone.

Aeliana's gaze drifted across the room once more, her focus shifting to the nobles engaged in light conversation, laughter bubbling over the sounds of clinking glasses and soft music from the court musicians in the corner. But none of it felt real.

The tension beneath the surface was palpable.

Even the most seasoned politicians were careful tonight. Some stole glances at Tharx, gauging his mood, measuring their words before speaking.

Even those who had spoken freely in the past were quieter.

Tharx noticed it too. He leaned in slightly, his breath warm against her ear as he murmured, "They are afraid of something."

Aeliana's lips barely moved as she responded, "Or someone."

His golden eyes flickered toward her, unreadable, but he nodded slightly.

Aeliana's fingers tapped against the stem of her goblet, her thoughts churning.

She had expected to see hidden tension.

But this?

This was something else entirely.

The first thing she noticed was the movement.

A flicker of motion from the far side of the room.

A servant, carrying a tray of steaming dishes, weaving through the crowd with precision.

Too smooth.

Too calculated.

Aeliana narrowed her eyes.

Something was off.

The servant passed too close to Seraphina's attending nurse, the one who stood near the edge of the room, watching over the child even now.

Too close.

Aeliana tensed.

Then-

A flicker of metal.

A knife, hidden beneath a sleeve.

She moved instantly.

But just as she did-

The lights flickered.

A sharp inhale, a moment of darkness.

The chandeliers above dimmed, their glow sputtering for the briefest second before flaring back to life.

It was nothing.

A small disruption.

To the nobles, it meant nothing.

But to Aeliana?

It meant everything.

It was a distraction.

And in the space of that single breath, the servant was gone.

Aeliana's pulse hammered.

She turned sharply, her gaze scanning the hall.

The nursemaid-unharmed. The blade had not been used.

Because that had not been the target.

Seraphina.

Aeliana's stomach dropped.

She turned to Tharx, her voice sharp as steel.

"Where is Seraphina?"

Tharx's eyes narrowed. He turned to the nearest guard. "The nursery."

Aeliana was already moving.

Her footsteps quick, silent.

And then-

From the corner of her vision, she saw it.

A masked figure, slipping out of the hall.

Moving toward the nursery.

Her blood turned to ice.

They had fallen for it.

They had been watching the wrong part of the game.

And now-

Seraphina was alone.

Aeliana's breath shook.

They were too late.