The Kingdom of Eskard
The Kingdom of Eskard was not merely a realm perched atop the northern peaks; it was a legend carved from marble and ice. A land renowned for wealth that defied imagination, where towering white palaces embraced the clouds, adorned with gold and silver details that shimmered under the cold winter sun.
It possessed a fortress of steel, known for a merciless army and walls that no enemy had dared to scratch for centuries. It was the bastion of glory and opulence.
At the heart of this terrifying luxury sat the royal family, bearing the name Eskard like a brand of power. A dynasty that ruled with iron and fire, never allowing weakness to seep into its ranks. The throne is currently held by King Arxon Eskard II. He is also nicknamed the "Heir of the Ice King,"
not only for the frigid
nature of his lands but because his reign has never pulsed with anything but dominance and might, much like his late father, Arxon Breton I.
Arxon was surrounded by three queens whom he married by his father's command, each representing a facet of power within and outside the kingdom.
Queen Elvira (The First): The Iron Woman who rules the palace with a fist of fire, mother of the Crown Prince and the actual controller of the palace's internal affairs.
Queen Melanie (The Second): The venom-tongued mistress of endless intrigue and webs of deceit.
Queen Lauren (The Third): The youngest, most boastful of her beauty and jewels, known for her insufferable arrogance.
The King sired three children with each wife, making a total of nine legitimate heirs.
The Shadow in the Halls
But there was a tenth child. The Illegitimate Daughter whom everyone whispered was tainted by ignoble blood, for she was the daughter of a servant who was also a spy. Since she was brought to the palace, she had never appeared in public nor been presented at official galas.
She was the ghost haunting the corridors, the riddle everyone preferred to pretend didn't exist. All that was known of her was her name: Irene.
Irene stood before her soaring window, watching the Eskard mountains embrace the clouds with their snowy peaks and the threads of sunset painted in the sky. In this part of the world, beauty is the twin of cruelty
. With features that seemed sculpted and blue eyes holding the coldness of oceans, Irene hid a secret behind her silence that no one could guess.
A soft knock interrupted her solitude.
"Come in."
A maid entered, bowing deeply. "Princess... His Majesty the King commands your presence at the banquet tonight.
The celebration is held in honor of the confirmed pregnancy of Leora, the Crown Prince's wife."
Irene nodded without turning around. "Understood."
The maid bowed again and departed. Irene sighed. After a few minutes, she stood before the mirror, adjusting her golden locks.
She was rarely summoned to dinner except for occasions like engagements or the weddings of her siblings. Today was different. The pregnancy of the Crown Prince's wife.
She smiled mockingly at her reflection, wondering: Any type of dramatic performance will be staged tonight?
The Royal Banquet: A Theater of Poison
She knew well that Eskardian banquets were never about food; they were grand royal stages where everyone perfected their roles with sickening brilliance.
A table laden with the finest dishes, yet overflowing with hypocrisy wrapped in protocol, and stabs exchanged behind ivory smiles between the venomous queens and their daughters. To Irene, these dinners were merely silent duels she witnessed from time to time.
At the appointed hour, Irene left her room and headed to the Royal Dining Hall. The hall was a masterpiece of opulence: black marble pillars, chandeliers of pure diamond, and a massive table.
Queen Elvira had already begun her speech, raising her glass with solemnity: "Tonight, we bless our great lineage. My son, Crown Prince Leonard's wife, carries within her the future of Eskard, pure blood that will raise our kingdom even higher."
Golden goblets were raised, and the sound of clinking crystal filled the air. At that moment, Irene entered the hall. The room seemed to hold its breath for a heartbeat. Irene stepped forward with steady, confident strides.
Queen Melanie curled her lips into a mocking smirk and said loudly, "Oh, god! What perfect timing. Just as we speak of pure blood, the purest blood in the kingdom appears."
Laughter erupted around the table.
Irene ignored the remark; she was accustomed to such words. She approached her brother, Leonard, and his pregnant wife, Leora, bowing calmly. "Congratulations to you both. I hope your child carries the strength of Eskard in the future."
Leora replied with cold arrogance, stroking her stomach, "Thank you..."
Irene took her seat. All eyes remained on her, but she didn't care. She planned to stay for a short while and then vanish.
The Clash of Wills
After a few minutes,
Queen Elvira spoke while cutting her meat with poise: "The past years have been fruitful for Eskard and His Majesty. Seven of our sons and daughters have already entered marital alliances, each marriage a new cornerstone in our wall of influence. His Majesty has tightened his grip on neighboring kingdoms through blood and matrimony."
Queen Melanie nodded slowly, wiping her lips with a silk napkin: "Indeed, Elvira. And now all eyes are on your daughter, Celine. The King of Auckland hasn't stopped sending gifts and letters to ask for her hand for his crown prince. She is now the grand prize everyone in other realms dreams of."
Queen Lauren did not let the opportunity pass without boasting of her own daughter: "Don't forget, Melanie, that my daughter Adeline is the one who caught the eye of the Great Rommel Empire from her very first appearance."
She laughed lightly and continued:
"I mean, our sons are already married, and now kingdoms are competing just for the chance to woo Celine and Adeline, simply to gain the Eskard name in their families."
Proud laughter echoed, and the legitimate heirs began exchanging looks of triumph, as if the kingdom were a chessboard and they were its golden pieces. In the midst of this euphoria, Queen Melanie tilted her head slightly, her gaze locking with Irene's. Irene was eating in perfect silence, like a statue amidst the noise.
Then, with a voice as sharp as a blade, Melanie said, as if reminding everyone of something unwanted: "But I wonder..." She looked at Irene with a mocking smile. "While everyone competes for Celine and Adeline, what role will the spy's daughter play in His Majesty's tapestry of influence? Have you thought, Your Majesty, of marrying her off to the Warden of the Northern Prison? Or perhaps to one of the abandoned border commanders? It's a waste for the beauty she claims to remain hidden in hallways, bringing shame to your name."
Muffled laughter broke out among the queens' daughters.
Suddenly, King Arxon slammed his iron fist onto the table. The blow shook the diamond chandeliers and sent the crystal glasses dancing violently. Melanie jolted in her seat, realizing instantly the grave error she had made.
A terrifying silence fell. Spoons froze in mid-air, and the faces of the princesses turned pale. King Arxon set his glass down with agonizing slowness, looking at Queen Melanie with a gaze devoid of emotion, a look as cold as glacial ice.
He spoke in a deep, bone-chillingly calm voice: "Melanie... despite your age and your status as Second Queen, it seems you still haven't learned how to discipline that sharp tongue. And now, your arrogance has led you to disparage my name and place the word shame beside it? To decide what I should do?"
Melanie's hand trembled as she gripped the edge of the table, lowering her head in fear. But the King continued without blinking: "Even if this child is the daughter of that traitorous servant, do not forget that I am the one who spared her life.
I am the one who decided she should breathe, and I am the one who allowed her to carry my name and sit at my table. What you just said is a challenge to my decision and my wisdom."
A heavy weight settled over the hall. He continued, his tone treating people like cold assets: "That child, and everyone sitting at this table, are the property of the throne of Eskard.
If I decide one day to marry her off, I will do so, to whomever I wish, whenever I wish, and for whatever purpose serves my influence. Neither you, nor the pure blood legends you sing of, will dictate to me how I manage my family or touch my name and my legacy."
Irene's face remained unmoved, watching the scene unfold with her sharp, calculating eyes.
To be continued...