The Grand Cathedral of Oakhaven was draped in the silver and blue of House Montclair and the newly restored deep violet of House Atten. For the first time in a decade, the Atten sigil—the weeping willow—was flying alongside the Great Houses.
Inside the palace dressing rooms, the tension was thick. Marin sat before a mirror, her breath hitching as Lady Elara (her mother) placed the Montclair Tiara on her head.
"You look like a Queen, my darling," Elara whispered, her eyes misty. "Not just a Knight."
"I don't feel like a Queen, Mother," Marin admitted, her hands trembling. "I feel like a target. Half the nobles out there think Robert is a pretender."
"Then let them think it," a voice said from the doorway.
Robert stepped in, looking every bit the High Noble. He wore a high-collared black tunic with silver filigree, his family’s signet ring catching the light. He looked at Marin, and the "Bond" between them flared with a surge of calming, steady energy.
"They can’t argue with the King’s seal," Robert said, taking her hand. "And they certainly can’t argue with us."
The Grand Entrance
The trumpets sounded—a long, golden blast that silenced the thousands of guests in the ballroom.
King Alaric stood on the dais, flanked by Magnus Montclair. Magnus looked uncharacteristically stiff in his formal regalia, but his eyes scanned the room like a hawk, daring anyone to whisper a word of dissent.
"Citizens of the Realm! Nobles of the High Council!" the King bellowed. "History is often written in blood, but tonight, it is written in hope. House Atten, long thought lost to the shadows of treachery, has been found pure. Its heir has stood the test of steel and heart."
The massive oak doors swung open. Robert and Marin walked down the long red carpet.
Behind them, acting as the "Honor Guard," were the people who had made this possible: Malric and Marcus (looking surprisingly proud), Jessica (clutching a book of ancient laws just in case), and finally Silica and Marley. The girls were dressed in matching white and violet dresses, tossing flower petals with such synchronized precision that it looked like a military drill.
The Announcement
They reached the King. Robert and Marin knelt in perfect unison.
"By my authority," the King continued, "I formally recognize the restoration of the Atten Pedigree. And further, I give my royal blessing to the union of these two souls. Let it be known: Robert of House Atten and Marin of House Montclair are hereby engaged!"
The room erupted. Most of the crowd cheered, but in the corners, the "Old Guard" nobles—friends of the fallen Verath and the imprisoned Verican—muttered into their wine.
The First Dance
As the orchestra began a sweeping waltz, Robert led Marin to the center of the floor.
"Everyone is staring," Marin whispered, her face flushed as they began to spin.
"Let them stare," Robert replied, pulling her slightly closer than decorum allowed. "They're just trying to figure out how a 'Shadow' stole the heart of the Kingdom’s finest Knight."
"He didn't steal it," Marin smiled, leaning into him. "I gave it to him. It was a fair trade."
A Shadow in the Light
The moment was perfect until Robert felt a familiar chill. Through their bond, he sensed Marin’s intuition spiking as well.
Near the back of the hall, a messenger in a grey cloak handed a small, black-waxed scroll to Magnus Montclair. Magnus read it, his face turning from a proud father's smile to a mask of stone.
He looked toward Robert and Marin, then signaled for Malric and Marcus to join him in the war room.
The celebration was still in full swing, with Silica and Marley currently trying to teach the King’s personal guards how to do a "village jig," but the shadows were already returning.
11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2nKKKEO9p
11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvZWKXi1ll
11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2madEX0ZZw
and then Add to home screen.