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So, for this negotiation, she invited mediators, hoping both nations would make compromises to keep the peace and spare the people from the suffering of war again.
The banquet began in the late afternoon, with Liam personally escorting the Starhaven delegation to the palace again.
As they had suspected, the coronation ceremony had already been held. This evening’s gathering was mainly focused on the border negotiations. Upon entering, Sophie and Violet noticed that there were no other foreign emissaries present-only royals, nobles, and officials from various departments.
While they showed no hostility toward the Starhaven delegation, they weren’t particularly welcoming either. Since a translator was needed for communication, conversations remained minimal, limited to simple greetings.
Just as they were settling in, Lisandra turned to the Starhaven delegation and remarked, “Today, we have guests from Nerathia joining us as well. They should be arriving shortly. I believe you will find that you have much in common.”
Davis’ eyes brightened immediately. “Guests from Nerathia? Who might they be?”
His excitement was understandable.
The weapons that Isaac had brought to Starhaven-Adrian’s six-barreled matchlock and cannon carriage-were all based on designs from Nerathia. Davis had also heard that Adrian himself had traveled to Nerathia to study their techniques. As the Defense Minister for Starhaven, he was keen to learn as much as he could from them.
Nerathia had long been a model for Starhaven, not only for their advanced weaponry but also their methods of governance, which were far more progressive. Of course, their systems couldn’t be entirely replicated, given the differences between the two kingdoms, but any opportunity for deeper discussion was one Davis would cherish.
Seeing the enthusiasm on their faces, Lisandra chuckled and replied, “You will know soon enough.”
The banquet itself was likely to be long and tedious, but the prospect of meeting Nerathian guests had raised everyone’s spirits.
Just as anticipation filled the air, a voice rang out across the hall: “Prince Faelan Aldridge, the Halcyon Monarch, and his princess consort, Lady Elysia Hart, have arrived.”
Davis gasped, his hand flying to his mouth in shock. He couldn’t find the words to speak, though his eyes sparkled with uncontainable joy.
Sophie had heard of the Halcyon Monarch from Adrian, who spoke highly of him. To think she would meet him in person today was a delightful surprise. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement as well.
Bun, Travis, and the others seemed far more indifferent. They may have heard of the prince but had not paid much attention to his reputation.
As the hall buzzed with eager anticipation, a procession of people entered, filling the room with their presence.
When Sophie and Violet finally caught sight of the leader of the group, they froze in place, utterly stunned. Wasn’t that the man they had encountered at Victory Pass? The one who had casually joined them for a meal?
As they scanned the other guests, Sophie and Violet’s memories began to stir. They vaguely recognized several faces, especially the men with fierce expressions, whose appearances jolted fading recollections. Today, however, the men were dressed in fine, new clothes. They looked nothing like the grimy, ragged figures they had been at Victory Pass.
Faelan was not the king of Nerathia, but his status there was unrivaled, and his reputation was well-known in other kingdoms as well. This made him a figure of great respect, so it was no surprise that everyone in the room rose to welcome him, including Lisandra.
Faelan held Elysia’s hand and stepped forward, a broad smile on his face. He scanned the room briefly before bowing respectfully to Lisandra.
“No need for such formalities. Please take your seat, Your Highness, Your Grace,” Lisandra said with a smile.
Faelan nodded, then turned his gaze to Sophie and Violet.
“Commander Devin, Ms. Spencer,” he greeted, smiling. “It seems we’ve crossed paths again.”
Sophie and Violet returned the greeting with a formal bow, realizing that their identities had already been discovered long ago. The meal they had shared together had likely been part of a carefully planned move to establish a connection.
Lisandra was a bit surprised. “Have you met before?”
Elysia smiled and said, “When we passed through Victory Pass, we were starving.
It was Commander Devin and Ms. Spencer who kindly gave us a meal.”
“Ah, I see,” Lisandra responded with a smile. “It seems fate brought you together.”
Elysia nodded seriously. “Indeed. To share a meal with someone is no small thing. It must be destiny.”
An Orivenian prince spoke briefly with Elysia in Westic, and she responded in kind. Sophie didn’t understand the exchange, but judging by the overly eager smile on the prince’s face, it was undoubtedly some form of flattery.
The black-clad attendants accompanying Faelan seemed well-trained. Once seated, they remained utterly silent. Their eyes were fixed outwards, seemingly uninterested in the conversations around them.
Outside, palace servants began filing in to serve the food.
Having attended several palace banquets before, Sophie knew that eating was secondary. The main focus was the exchange of compliments and subtly laying the groundwork with indirect words. As for what to say, she had her own plan in mind.
But when Faelan casually said, “Let’s eat,” all conversation came to a halt.
Even when Lisandra raised her cup to propose a toast, the people from Nerathia continued to eat without lifting their heads. The cups left on the side were quickly emptied as soon as the palace attendants refilled them.
No one had a chance to speak, as even Faelan and his wife were engrossed in their food, not giving anyone a glance or showing any intent to talk.
Lisandra couldn’t just toast to Sophie and the others, so she simply enjoyed the wine on her own.
Both Sophie and Violet felt an oddly familiar sense of d?j? vu. It had been the same at Victory Pass. Just like then, the Nerathians were now eating in silence without saying a word.
In banquets like these, no one truly ate with much enthusiasm. Most dishes were merely tasted before being set aside, barely touched before servants whisked them away.
But the Nerathians were different. They treated every dish with genuine respect, cleaning their plates entirely, no matter what was served. Their wine glasses, once filled, were immediately emptied again. The palace servants attending to them must have been exhausted, constantly refilling their glasses and replacing empty plates.
Violet recalled their meal at Spring Pavilion. Just like tonight, not a single scrap had been left behind. She wanted to say something to Sophie, but the only sound in the hall was the clinking of cutlery and the quiet shifting of plates. Speaking now would be too conspicuous.
Still, one glance between them was enough.
Violet’s thought was clear-the Nerathians’ presence at this banquet must be tied to the negotiations. Sophie agreed.
However, their exact role remained uncertain. Were they here to mediate and broker peace? If so, the treaty could be finalized swiftly.
Or were they here to back Orivenia? If that was the case, then this would become a drawn-out battle. With Nerathia behind them, Orivenia would have little reason to compromise, and Starhaven’s position at the table would be far weaker.
The realization must have struck the Starhaven envoys as well. Davis and the Diplomatic Affairs Minister, Alden Grey, who had earlier been brimming with excitement, now wore more somber expressions. They barely touched their food, though with everyone else still eating, they had no choice but to follow suit.
It was, without a doubt, the strangest banquet they had ever attended. An eerie, foreboding silence hung over them like the calm before a storm.
There were 32 courses in the palace banquet, but each portion was very small. The servants came in one after another, placing dish after dish on the table, then quickly clearing them away. When someone tried to raise a glass for a toast, it was just like earlier with Lisandra. They took a quick glance around, drank their wine, and then set the glass down to continue eating.
Finally, the last dish was served, and just as quickly, the Nerathians finished. Only then did the rest of the hall dare to stop eating.
Faelan dabbed at the corner of his mouth with a napkin before smiling and speaking in fluent Westic. Sophie listened as the translator relayed his words. He was offering polite praise-commending the exquisite flavors of the meal, the fine quality of the wine, and expressing gratitude for Lisandra’s warm hospitality.
Sophie recalled how fluent in Stellish the Nerathians had been back at Spring Pavilion, speaking as if they were native-born Starhaveners. Now, Faelan spoke Westic just as effortlessly.
A thought suddenly struck her: Adrian had once mentioned that the Halcyon Monarch and his princess consort traveled between many kingdoms, and their time in Nerathia was actually limited.