Chapter Seven: The Court
1008 Words
Lucas caught his colleague just before the corridor turned toward the council hall.
“Darin.”
The guard stopped, adjusting the strap of his spear. “You’re late for the western gate.”
“I know.” Lucas lowered his voice. “Trade posts with me.”
Darin frowned. “With the council hall?”
“Just for today.”
Darin studied him.
“You hate standing inside those meetings,” he said. “Nothing but old men arguing for hours.”
Lucas shrugged. “Better than freezing at the gate.”
Darin snorted.
“Fine. But if Captain Varek asks, you asked for the swap.”
“Deal.”
They exchanged positions quickly.
Darin headed toward the outer gate.
Lucas walked the opposite direction.
Toward the council hall.
His pulse picked up slightly.
If anything important was happening in the palace, it would be discussed here first.
And today—
The entire court seemed restless.
The council hall was already loud when Lucas took his position along the back wall.
Ministers filled the curved benches, robes brushing against polished stone as they shifted and murmured. The Queen Dowager sat elevated beside the empty throne, her expression calm and unreadable.
At the center of the hall stood Lord Aderin.
Tall.
Still.
Watching the room like a man already certain of the outcome.
A minister near the front rose first.
“We must address the proposal concerning the Crown Prince’s marriage.”
The room quieted slightly.
“The suggested union,” he continued, “is between His Highness and Lady Aina, daughter of Lord Aderin.”
Lucas’s attention sharpened.
Aina.
The name settled in his mind instantly.
The woman at the gate.
The woman in the corridor.
So that was her name.
Another minister spoke.
“This alliance strengthens the kingdom. The southern provinces are the backbone of our trade routes. Binding their loyalty to the royal house benefits everyone.”
A voice from across the chamber responded dryly.
“Everyone.”
A few ministers exchanged glances.
The man leaned forward slightly.
“I suppose some houses will need time to adjust to this… new arrangement.”
The first speaker frowned.
“What arrangement?”
“Oh, nothing unusual,” the man replied mildly. “Only that the southern provinces seem to gain influence with remarkable consistency these days.”
Quiet murmurs spread.
Another minister added carefully, “Influence follows responsibility. The south feeds half the kingdom.”
“Yes,” someone else said. “And commands a generous portion of its soldiers.”
A soft ripple of tension passed through the benches.
Lord Aderin remained silent.
Watching.
A younger council member spoke next.
“No one doubts the loyalty of House Aderin.”
The pause that followed made the statement sound less certain.
“But perhaps,” he continued, choosing his words carefully, “the Crown should avoid leaning too heavily on any single house.”
“Leaning?” another minister repeated. “Or partnering?”
“Partnership implies equal footing.”
“And you believe the Crown lacks that?”
“Not yet.”
The chamber stirred again.
Another man spoke with quiet sarcasm.
“Well, if this marriage proceeds, perhaps the southern provinces will feel even more… invested in royal affairs.”
“Is that meant as criticism?” someone asked.
“Merely observation.”
The arguments grew louder.
Ministers talking over one another.
“Marriage alliances have always secured peace.”
“Peace should not require surrendering balance.”
“Balance? Or jealousy?”
“Careful with that accusation.”
Lucas kept his posture rigid.
But the tension in the room had sharpened.
No one was openly accusing Lord Aderin of ambition.
But everyone was circling it.
Finally—
A chair scraped sharply against the stone floor.
One minister stood.
His voice cut through the room.
“Let us stop pretending.”
The arguments died instantly.
He looked directly toward the Queen Dowager.
Then toward Lord Aderin.
“This marriage is not about trade or grain shipments.”
The hall held its breath.
“It is about power.”
Several ministers shifted uncomfortably.
The man continued anyway.
“When the Crown Prince marries Lady Aina, House Aderin will no longer advise the throne from these benches.”
He pointed toward the royal platform.
“They will advise it from beside it.”
A stunned silence spread across the chamber.
Lord Aderin’s expression did not change.
Not even slightly.
The Queen Dowager slowly raised her hand.
The silence deepened.
“This council has debated the matter enough.”
Her voice was calm.
But final.
“The Crown Prince will marry Lady Aina Aderin.”
No one moved.
“This alliance strengthens the kingdom and secures unity between the throne and the southern provinces.”
Her gaze swept across the ministers.
“The decision is made.”
She paused.
“And it will not be argued again.”
The room settled into reluctant silence.
Some ministers looked satisfied.
Others clearly did not.
But none spoke further.
The discussion moved on.
Lucas barely heard it.
His mind was still on the name.
Aina.
Future wife of the Crown Prince.
The same woman who had stood in front of him and challenged him like an equal.
Footsteps approached quietly behind the guard line.
Lucas didn’t turn.
Servants moved through the hall often during council meetings.
But the figure stopped beside him.
A palace eunuch.
Thin.
Older.
Sharp eyes that seemed to miss nothing.
The man looked at Lucas once.
Then again.
His gaze lingered.
Too long.
Lucas kept staring straight ahead.
The eunuch leaned slightly closer.
His voice was barely a whisper.
“…That face.”
Lucas’s heartbeat slowed.
The eunuch’s eyes widened just a fraction.
Recognition flickered across his features.
Soft.
But unmistakable.
He whispered again, almost breathless.
“…Impossible.”
Lucas didn’t move.
Couldn’t.
The eunuch studied him another moment.
Then he murmured one quiet word.
“Prince.”
And suddenly—
Standing inside the council hall had become the most dangerous place Lucas could possibly be.
- Writer
