The grand dinner ended on a surprisingly warm note, the royal palace illuminated with laughter, clinking glasses, and the soft tunes of the harp echoing through the hall. Just as everyone began to stand and prepare to retire for the evening, two soft but firm voices spoke in perfect unison.
"Sion, let's go for a night walk," both Sara and Princess Katherine said, each rising from their seats, their eyes fixed on him.
The entire dining room went still. Forks paused mid-air, and even the musicians stopped playing.
Sion blinked, glanced at both women, and then back at his half-finished drink. "I… uh… I'm not feeling well. Maybe I should just rest in my room."
John gasped, recognizing the danger signs immediately.
"No, no, no…" he muttered under his breath.
Before Sion could turn, both women stepped forward and—like two synchronized whirlwinds—grabbed him by the collar.
"You're not getting out of this one," Sara said with a playful smirk.
"Oh no, Sir Sion," Katherine added sweetly, "we insist."
Dragged helplessly out of the hall by two powerful noblewomen, Sion didn't know whether to panic or pray.
At the table, Raphael appeared beside the stunned John, laughing so hard she was clutching her sides.
"Pfft—this is karma, divine and pure!" she wheezed. "You should see your face, Sion! Dragged off by two lovely disasters. This is better than celestial opera!"
The royals chuckled, even the often-stoic King Nathan couldn't hide a smile. But amid the laughter, a deeper conversation unfolded.
Nathan turned to Duke Jonathan Everan, his expression growing serious. "We need to talk about Sion. His power… it's unlike anything I've seen."
Jonathan nodded gravely. "It's beyond normal. Something ancient stirs within that boy. My daughter tells me fragments, but I must hear more."
John hesitated, then sighed. "Your Majesty… Duke Everan… Sion saved my daughter, Janet. Not just from the knights, but from a brutal fate. He unleashed something terrifying that night—killed 45 elite knights with one swing. One moment, they were standing. The next, silence."
Leonard, seated across the table, paled visibly. The memory of Sion's aura, the crushing divine presence… it was still carved into his bones.
The room quieted.
Jonathan ran a hand over his beard. "That… explains why Sara refuses to leave his side. She senses it too."
Nathan nodded. "I've received troubling letters. The Avalon Merchant Group is only the surface. Our true enemies—traitors among the nobles—are plotting to draw war into the kingdom. And not just us. They have their eyes on Sidom, the kingdom of the Elves."
The mention of Sidom silenced the room.
"They have reached out," Nathan continued. "They wish to form an alliance. And I intend to send someone to meet them, in secret."
John frowned. "Who?"
Nathan's gaze turned toward the door where Sion had just been dragged out by the two women.
"Sion Ragnar."
Meanwhile…
Down by the riverside garden, the moon cast a silver glow on the palace lawn.
"Remember when we were kids?" Sara said softly, pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders.
Sion rubbed his neck. "You mean when you made me promise to marry you after stealing my sweetbread?"
Katherine burst into laughter. "She did what?"
Sara flushed. "That never happened!"
"It totally did," Raphael's voice echoed in Sion's mind, snickering.
Sion chuckled. "You threatened to tell the head maid I broke the Duke's vase unless I agreed to the 'engagement.'"
Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Blackmail and romance. I like it."
Sara grumbled. "I was ten!"
They all laughed—Sion awkwardly caught between nostalgia and tension, Katherine now poking fun at Sara with playful jabs, and Sara retaliating with mild insults.
Raphael, meanwhile, projected a blurry image inside Sion's mind—one of little Sara clinging to young Sion with sparkles in her eyes. "You were doomed from the beginning, my dear sword boy," she teased.
Just as the tension broke into warmth, Katherine stepped forward, her voice softer. "I'll admit… I'm not just interested in you because of your power. I admire your strength, yes. But I also envy your loyalty. And I… may be growing fond of you too."
Sara's eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, he's already mine."
Katherine smirked. "Then I guess I'll just have to fight for a spot beside him."
Raphael burst out laughing again. "Ah! A classic love triangle! Poor Sion, two fierce hearts, and one confused soul."
Sion sighed. "I miss getting stabbed in battle. That was easier."