Chapter 193: _Blood Is Thicker Than Politics Elian’s POV
"Well, well..." Kyren grinned from ear to ear when they all arrived at the dining room. "After how our last breakfast together went, I didn’t imagine you’d want me to eat here again, Alpha King." Elian glanced at him before turning his eyes to Arian who had a friendly smile on his face. But beneath the Alpha king’s jovial mask, Elian could easily pick up the tension. [Ugh, that man and his secrets...] "Now, don’t be like that, Lord Kyren." The Luna Queen chimed before her husband could speak, clasping her hands from the other side of the long table. "We’re like family now and you’re our guest." Kyren merely gave a nod before sitting at one end of the table, leaning back on his seat comfortably. Elian sat at the rogue king’s right while Lucian, unnervingly doting, sat beside Elian. The Alpha king sat at the other end while his wife sat to his right, not looking like someone who had a brush with death twenty days ago. As for Axel and Aurora, the former sat opposite Elian while the latter sat beside her mother. "Like family, eh?" Kyren repeated the Luna queen’s words with a soft chuckle, grabbing a glass of wine. "You have no idea, my lady." Elian’s brows furrowed while Arian coughed, placing his hand on his chest like he was choking. The Alpha king’s face was flushed red while Aurora poked around the barbecue fish in front of her. They were acting weird...
"Well, well..." Kyren grinned from ear to ear when they all arrived at the dining room. "After how our last breakfast together went, I didn’t imagine you’d want me to eat here again, Alpha King." Elian glanced at him before turning his eyes to Arian who had a friendly smile on his face. But beneath the Alpha king’s jovial mask, Elian could easily pick up the tension. [Ugh, that man and his secrets...] "Now, don’t be like that, Lord Kyren." The Luna Queen chimed before her husband could speak, clasping her hands from the other side of the long table. "We’re like family now and you’re our guest." Kyren merely gave a nod before sitting at one end of the table, leaning back on his seat comfortably. Elian sat at the rogue king’s right while Lucian, unnervingly doting, sat beside Elian. The Alpha king sat at the other end while his wife sat to his right, not looking like someone who had a brush with death twenty days ago. As for Axel and Aurora, the former sat opposite Elian while the latter sat beside her mother. "Like family, eh?" Kyren repeated the Luna queen’s words with a soft chuckle, grabbing a glass of wine. "You have no idea, my lady." Elian’s brows furrowed while Arian coughed, placing his hand on his chest like he was choking. The Alpha king’s face was flushed red while Aurora poked around the barbecue fish in front of her. They were acting weird...
’What did you mean by that statement, Kyren?’ he kept a smile when he slithered into the Rogue king’s mind.
Kyren seemed amused, dropping his glass of wine. ’Oh, just more politics. You’re really getting used to doing that, by the way.’
’That wasn’t just politics, Kyren.’
The rogue king’s crimson eyes locked on him, causing Elian’s heart to skip a beat.
But Kyren didn’t seem vexed. Not in the slightest. Just the same old amusement etched on his face.
’If it was something important to you, believe me, I’d tell you.’ Kyren finally blurted, swerving his head back to the rest of them. ’For now, let’s just say the Lunarian royal family and I have a lot more in common.’
A lot in common?
Elian clicked his tongue, staring at Kyren for a few seconds longer than necessary before finally tearing his gaze away, focusing on the meal before him.
"Anyway." The Alpha king cleared his throat awkwardly, tapping his fingers on the table to draw attention to himself. "I’m glad Arcadia and the Dark Lands finally came to a compromise."
Elian could barely swallow his meal.
Compromise wouldn’t be the right word in this context.
"It’s merely a cease-fire, Alpha king," Kyren remarked casually, as if it were just another inconvenience. "Both sides should be back at duking it out soon enough."
Elian’s fork hovered halfway to his mouth.
He wasn’t sure if it was Kyren’s nonchalance or the way the Alpha King’s jaw flexed that made him more uneasy. The air between both men was thick—like a string pulled too tight.
One wrong word, and it might snap.
"Still," Arian said, forcing a light laugh, "it’s progress nonetheless. The people need peace after so much bloodshed."
Kyren hummed, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Peace is temporary. Conflict just takes a nap."
Aurora glanced up from her plate, her brows knitting. "That’s... a rather grim outlook."
"It’s the truth," Kyren said, cutting into a piece of steak. "One man’s peace is another’s prison. And men like your father..."
He stopped himself, letting his knife clink lightly against the porcelain.
The Luna Queen smiled tensely while the atmosphere became more awkward.
Kyren just smirked and popped a bite into his mouth.
Elian exhaled softly.
[Oh, for the love of the moon! Someone say something normal...]
Lucian seemed to have read his thoughts because he suddenly leaned toward Elian, whispering under his breath, "You’d think after nearly dying, my mother would outlaw awkward breakfasts."
Elian nearly choked on his drink trying not to laugh.
Arian’s sharp eyes flicked toward them. "Something amusing, Lucian?"
Lucian raised both hands. "Just praising the chef, your majesty. Excellent fish."
[Damn... I like post-amnesia Lucian. Can we keep him?]
Arian hummed, unconvinced at his son’s words.
But then he turned his attention back to Kyren. "You were saying, Lord Kyren?"
Kyren swallowed leisurely. "Oh, nothing important. Just remarking how interesting it is for bloodlines to find each other, even across enemy lines."
Aurora visibly stiffened while the Alpha King froze.
Elian blinked.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Axel leaned back in his seat, his expression curious. "Bloodlines?"
Kyren looked entirely too pleased with himself. "Ah, forgive me. My father used to say that fate has a twisted sense of humour."
Arian’s hand clenched around his wineglass. "Your father said that?"
"Yes. Garrick had a knack for philosophical nonsense. Always said blood was thicker than politics all those centuries ago."
Elian blinked rapidly.
Why was Kyren talking about his father all of a sudden?
"Ahem!" The Luna Queen suddenly cleared her throat with a broad smile, scanning her eyes past everyone’s faces. "Why don’t we wrap up eating here so we can go check out how the event hall for the ball is looking?"
Everyone nodded simultaneously, even Elian.
At this rate, he’d do anything to get the fuck away from whatever tense energy was present on this table.
[I smell secrets.]
’You sure that’s not the steak in front of me?’
.
.
When they were all done, they walked through the hallways, heading for the event hall in a whole different wing of the palace.
As they walked, Elian’s eyes were busy skimming through details projected by the system showing him current stats as well as prices of items in the Ascension shop.
These past twenty days, he’s done quite a few special missions and normal missions. That all helped him gain his ultimate prize.
[Ugh, would you relax? It’s 1000 Ascension points, not the secret to immortality.]
That’s right!
Elian now had a total of 1050 Ascension points.
Meaning he could finally buy a mana core!
[A beginner-level mana core, fruitcake. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.]
’You’re just a hater. I’m not going to let your negativity ruin my excitement.’
[Right... Well, if you chose to live in delusions, who am I to stop you?]
"Here we are." The Luna Queen, who led the group on their little walk, suddenly spread out her arms and stopped moving.
Everyone whipped their heads to the scene in front of them.
"Whoa..." Elian’s lips parted as they walked into the event hall through the large arched entrance.
The hall gleamed like starlight itself had been bottled inside.
Crystal chandeliers shimmered, reflecting off polished marble, and a dozen servants moved about with ribbons, banners, and flowers.
A faint scent of lavender and silverdust lingered in the air.
But none of that grandeur was enough to distract Elian from the tension still threading between Arian and Kyren.
The Rogue king had that smug tilt to his mouth again—like he knew something everyone else didn’t. And judging by how Arian’s jaw twitched, Elian suspected whatever that something was, it wasn’t small.
Aurora, who padded beside her mother, kept her eyes fixed on the floor.
Suspicious.
Elian narrowed his eyes. "So, what’s this ball about again?"
The Luna Queen smiled faintly. "It’s meant to celebrate the new moon but is also an event meant to symbolise unity in all of Lunaria."
Kyren snorted softly. "Unity. That’s one way to describe it, I guess."
The air froze.
The Alpha king turned slowly, his voice calm but edged like glass. "Careful, Lord Kyren."
Kyren spread his hands. "Oh, come now, uncle. You can’t keep pretending forever."
Every head turned.
"What?" Axel’s voice broke the silence first.
"Uncle?" Lucian repeated, his tone incredulous.
Aurora’s eyes fluttered shut as if bracing for impact. The Luna Queen stiffened, lips parting, but no sound came out.
Elian blinked. "Did you just say—?"
"Yes," Kyren said, smiling lazily. "You heard correctly. The Alpha King of Lunaria and I share blood. Not directly, of course, but through his dear half-brother, Garrick. My father."
The hall’s golden light suddenly felt too bright.
THAT’S it? That’s what all this tension has been about?
Arian’s voice was strained. "This isn’t the place."
"Then where, uncle?" Kyren’s crimson gaze sharpened. "If you ask me, you’ve danced around this truth long enough."
The Luna Queen took a step forward, trembling slightly. "Kyren, that’s enough."
But Kyren only smirked wider, his eyes glinting with something vindictive. "Oh, I think it’s just getting interesting. The great Alpha bloodline—pure, noble, divine—turns out to be tangled with the very man symbolising rebellion. How poetic."
Elian’s stomach dropped.
His eyes flitted from Kyren to the Alpha king repeatedly, not knowing what to do or say.
[See? I knew this would be nothing but drama. Want to place bets on—]
’Not now!’ Elian snapped, swallowing hard as he watched Kyren and Arian glaring at each other.