The banquet hall was suddenly fell into silence because of some kid who chose to hide himself and dare to observe the king and all other Nobles.
When Daniel chose to come forward and gave his respect to The king
A collective, hushed gasp swept through the room, followed by a wave of urgent whispers, primarily from the cluster of young noblewomen at the adjacent table.
Princess Cordelia Blackwood: By the gods… who is that?
Princess Rosalind Stormcrest:He looks handsome…
Princess Brienne Stormcrest:No, he looks like a wolf. A very handsome, unkempt wolf.
Princess Sylvia Graves:Did you see his eyes? Like ocean blue jewels.
Princess Amara Graves:I've never seen a guy as attractive as him
Aurelia, sitting beside her father at the high table, felt a hot, possessive spike lance through her. She saw the frank admiration in the princesses' eyes, the way their fans fluttered just a bit faster. Her hands clenched in her lap.
King Oren Evercrest: Bold. To spy on a king's banquet from the dark. Your name, kid?
Daniel:Daniel, Your Majesty. No house. No title.
King Oren Evercrest:Daniel. And what was your purpose here, Daniel of No House?
Daniel:Observation, Sire. Ensuring the peace of the house. A promise
King Oren Evercrest:A promise to whom?
Daniel:To myself, Sire. The baron and his family always treated me and my mother like family with love and care .
The King leaned back, steepling his fingers. His gaze was a physical weight, scanning Daniel's face, lingering on the strong jaw, the high cheekbones, the shape of the brow. Around the hall, nobles exchanged loaded glances. Duchesses murmured behind their hands. Old lords squinted.
Earl Leoric Graves: (Whispering to the Marquess) Magnus, look at him. The jawline… it's uncanny.
Marquess Alistair Stormcrest:The set of the shoulders, too. But the hair… the hair is all wrong.
Duke Magnus Blackwood:Spitting image, if you ignore the hair. If he had the crimson…
Princess Cordelia Blackwood:What are they whispering about? What's wrong with his hair? It's beautiful. Like field covered in snow ..white
The King's own eyes narrowed, the same calculation Leslie had seen now turned fully upon the young man. The iconic, fiery Evercrest hair was absent. This was the only flaw in the mirror.
King Oren Evercrest: Your boldness and fearless nature intrigued me boy. Why not Join us Sit. Break bread, and explain this 'observation' of yours under better light.
A thrill shot through Aurelia. She couldn't help herself.
Aurelia: Here! There is a space here, by me!
Prince Cedric Veridian:(His smile stiffening)
Lady Aurelia, the seating is arranged by rank. A man of 'no house' cannot simply…
Aurelia:It is my birthday, and our guest of honor just invited him. The chair is empty.
The princesses' faces soured instantly.
Princess Rosalind Stormcrest: How presumptuous.
Princess Brienne Stormcrest:She's marking her territory like a common hound.
Princess Amara Graves:After she just danced with Prince Cedric, no less. Fickle.
Prince Cedric's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing between Aurelia's eager face and Daniel's impassive one. The slight was as public as it was brutal.
All eyes were on Daniel, waiting for him to accept the incredible honor—to sit at the high table, next to the beauty, under the King's own invitation.
Daniel: I must decline, Your Majesty.
The silence that followed was absolute, stunned. Leslie, who was pouring wine for the Duke, froze, the decanter shaking in her hand. Oh, my boy. What have you done?
King Oren Evercrest: …Decline?
Daniel:Yes, Sire. With the deepest respect. I cannot sit and feast while my mother serves at the table.
He turned his head slightly, his gaze finding Leslie where she stood, pale and statue-still by the sideboard. His expression, which had been unreadable marble for the King, softened into profound, undeniable tenderness.
Daniel: She has worked since dawn to make this night perfect. Her feet ache on this stone. Her hands are raw from scrubbing. To sit in comfort while she stands in service… that is a dishonor I will not bear. My place, while she works, is not here.
The shock in the hall transformed. It melted everyone's heart and every one murmurs of profound surprise. The hardened faces of the older nobles softened. The princesses stared, their previous irritation replaced by something warmer, deeper.
Princess Sylvia Graves: He loves his mother…
Princess Cordelia Blackwood:That is… the most noble thing I have ever heard.
Princess Amara Graves:A man of true honor. Not just pretty armor.
Aurelia's heart swelled until she thought it would burst. Her earlier jealousy was washed away in a wave of fierce, proud love.She looked at Daniel, and her eyes shone with unshed tears. This. This is the man I chose.
King Oren Evercrest studied Daniel for a long, silent moment. He looked at the love in the young man's eyes for the serving woman, and then back at the familiar, kingly bones of his face. The contradiction was a labyrinth.
King Oren Evercrest: Loyalty to blood before ambition for favor. A rare compass. Your honor does you credit, Daniel. Very well. You may stand down. But you will not leave the manor tonight. I would have more words with you.
Daniel:As you command, Sire.
Daniel bowed, not the deep bow of a subject, but the respectful nod of one free man to another. He turned and walked back into the shadows, not needing to hide this time, every eye following him with new, intense interest.
Daniel: Sensei do you thing i did well
Sensei: I think King is now in doubt because of hair only ..if it wasn't for your hairs ..he would have claimed you right here and now .
The party resumed, but the air had changed. The music seemed frivolous now. The conversations were hushed, revolving around the mysterious, handsome commoner with a king's face and a servant's heart.
Prince Cedric spent the rest of the evening nursing a wounded ego and a goblet of wine, casting dark looks at the shadowed corner where Daniel now stood, a silent, watchful sentinel. The princesses' glances towards Aurelia were like she chose to dance with Prince while she is openly showing interest for Daniel...They could have danced with the prince instead to begin with
When the final toast was made and the King rose to depart, the birthday party ended without further incident. But as King Oren Evercrest's royal carriage rattled away from the Saint-John manor into the dark, his mind was a storm of doubts.
King Oren Evercrest: (To his Captain of the Guard, inside the carriage) That young man. Daniel.
Captain:Sire?
King Oren Evercrest: His mother. The servant, Leslie. I know her from the past encounter. I want to know everything. I mean Everything.about them . These past 11 years what she was doing ..with whom she has that kid … Where that boy truly came from. Send the quiet ones. The ones who leave no dust stirred.
Captain:At once, Your Majesty.
King Oren Evercrest:(Staring out at the passing shadows) A face resembles me so much .. eyes were like his mother but white hair ..I have to find out if there was someone in her life with white hair or is it some trick ..coz boy's age and his encounter with Leslie falls into perfect time line events ..we will soon know the truth