The feast began. Platters laden with roasted meats, vibrant vegetables, and steaming breads circulated among the tables. Soft music drifted from a shadowed corner, and the murmur of polite conversation filled the grand hall. Alpha Walter, seated at the head table with Earl Alpha Matthew, Jennifer, and Liana, maintained a façade of effortless hospitality, though his gaze frequently flickered to the uninvited Earl.
Olivia, in the kitchens, worked with a furious intensity that drowned out all thought. The air thrummed with the energy of the feast, the shouts of the head cook, the clatter of dishes. She pushed plates of food towards the footmen, her focus a pinpoint on the task at hand. Simon's school day, his exam, the pending results – all were a distant throb beneath the immediate, tangible pressure of the banquet. She kept her hands steady, her face impassive, a shield against the rising tide of fear.
Finally, the moment arrived. The head cook, sweat beading on his brow, gestured to Olivia. It was time for the cake. She swallowed hard, her heart hammering against her ribs, and carefully guided the towering confection onto a silver tray. Two sturdy footmen, their faces grim with the weight of their responsibility, carried it out of the kitchen and into the dazzling light of the grand hall.
Silence fell as the magnificent cake was presented. It was a masterpiece: layers of perfectly baked sponge, intricate sugared flowers, and a gleaming, delicate glaze. A wave of hushed admiration rippled through the noble guests.
At the head table, Earl Alpha Matthew watched as a slice was placed before him. He took a light sip of his wine, then a small bite of the cake. His eyes, usually sharp and unreadable, widened for a fleeting moment. A subtle, almost imperceptible shift in his posture. He took another bite, slower this time, savoring it.
Then, he set down his fork. "This is delicious," he declared, his voice cutting through the soft murmurs, "better than any I've tasted before." He reached into his tunic, extracting a shimmering one Gold Solari – a coin of significant value (one Gold Solari = 100 copper Solari , copper is the coin usually used by commoners) . "Have this passed along to the person who made it," he instructed, handing the coin to a startled attendant, "with my compliments. And tell them I'll definitely summon them for when I feel like eating something like this again, or when I hold a feast myself."
Alpha Walter, who had been watching the Earl with an unnerving intensity, was visibly stunned. Earl Alpha Matthew was not known for talking so much, let alone expressing joy or such effusive praise. A ripple of quiet surprise moved through the head table. The Earl's words, so direct and public, had just unexpectedly shone a spotlight directly onto the unseen, nameless servant responsible for such perfection.
The feast continued for a while longer, a muted hum of conversation replacing the earlier excitement. Earl Alpha Matthew, after another polite but firm refusal of Alpha Walter's attempts to draw him into further discussion, finally rose from the table. With a curt nod to his hosts and a final, appraising glance around the hall, he was escorted out by his retinue, his blue-gilded carriage soon rumbling into the night. His departure left behind a palpable sense of relief, yet also an unsettling aftertaste of unanswered questions.
With the departure of the esteemed guest, Alpha Walter finally turned his attention to the true purpose of the evening. The school headmaster, a nervous man with thin spectacles, stepped forward. "Alpha," he began, his voice a reedy tremor, "the results of the first-term examinations are here."
The headmaster then began to read the scores, starting with the noble children. When Liana's name was called, and her respectable, though not outstanding, scores announced, Alpha Walter beamed. He clapped his granddaughter on the shoulder, his attention entirely consumed by her modest achievement. He ignored the lower scores that followed, and the headmaster, sensing the Alpha's singular focus, quickly glossed over the servant children's results. Simon's name was mentioned, a quiet, unremarkable number read out, then swiftly moved past. Alpha Walter, true to his nature, seemed to hear only what he wished to hear.
Soon after, the feast wound down. Guests, still slightly unsettled by the Earl's unexpected visit, made their polite excuses and filtered out, their carriages rattling away into the deepening night. The grand hall, so recently alive with strained revelry, quickly became silent, filled only with the faint scent of food and the lingering shadows of power.
Olivia, in the kitchens, felt the slackening of tension as the last guests departed. The head cook gave a weary nod, dismissing the staff. She made her way through the deserted corridors, the Earl's coin now clutched tightly in her apron pocket, a strange, heavy weight. Simon's results, whatever they were, were a worry for tomorrow. Tonight, she only wanted the quiet refuge of their small room, and the soft, steady breathing of her son. The feast was over.
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The grand hall, recently alive with the strained revelry of the feast, now stood silent and empty, save for the lingering scent of rich food and nervous anticipation. As the last carriage rumbled away, Alpha Walter's veneer of forced cheer evaporated. He snapped his fingers, and his assistant, Liam, materialized instantly, appearing from the shadows like a wisp of the fading night.
"Keep a discreet eye on the Earl's movements," Alpha Walter commanded, his voice low and sharp, betraying none of the earlier geniality. Liam gave a curt nod, his form dissolving into a puff of red smoke, leaving no trace behind.
With his assistant dispatched, Alpha Walter turned to his son, Andrew, who still stood stiffly in the emptied hall. Without a word, the Alpha strode towards his private study, a heavy oak door at the far end of the corridor. Andrew followed, his footsteps echoing the growing tension.
Inside the study, the air was thick with the scent of old leather and contained power. Alpha Walter took his seat behind a massive, claw-footed desk, his gaze fixed on Andrew, who remained standing before him. The implicit command was clear: Andrew was not to sit.
"Do you know what you did wrong?" Alpha Walter's voice was a low growl, a sound barely audible, yet vibrating with dangerous restraint.
Andrew hesitated, then shook his head. "I don't, Father."
"Did I not tell you never to wear your emotions on your sleeve?" The Alpha's voice rose slightly, a dangerous edge creeping in. "Always think carefully when you act. If I hadn't covered for you, the Earl would have suspected something was wrong."
Andrew bristled, a flicker of defiance in his eyes. "But Father, I did not like the tone he used when he talked to us at all. He does not even realize the real reason that we have been contributing so much for his domain is because we want to take his—"
Before Andrew could finish, Alpha Walter was on his feet. His eyes, normally a sharp amber, flared to a deep, terrifying crimson. The oppressive pressure he exuded slammed into Andrew, forcing the air from his lungs. Andrew shuddered, his knees buckling, almost collapsing to the ground.
"Never! Speak of this matter again!" Alpha Walter's voice was no longer a growl, but a guttural command that resonated through the room. "If word gets out, then losing our title will be the least of our worries. We might not even get to keep our lives!"
In a blink, he was directly in front of Andrew, his hand clamping down on his son's shoulder. Andrew gasped, a sharp crack echoing in the silent room as the Alpha's grip tightened, bone grinding under his immense strength.
"If my decades of planning go down the drain because of your stupidity," Alpha Walter's voice was a deep, chilling rumble, "I'll deal with you myself."
Then, as suddenly as it had come, the pressure vanished. Alpha Walter released Andrew's shoulder, his eyes returning to their normal shade, leaving his son trembling and gasping for breath.
"Now get out of my sight," the Alpha commanded, his voice cold and dismissive. "And learn to control yourself."
Andrew, clutching his throbbing shoulder, stumbled from the study, leaving Alpha Walter alone in the heavy silence, already plotting his next move.