Chapter 64 - FAMILY REGISTRY

  The knight rushed off after the king, his armor g as he hurried to keep up. Kyle's eyes swept over the room, taking in every detail before nding on Daleyza.

  Daleyza stid, her earlier posure pletely shattered. Her hands ched into fists at her sides, knuckles white with tension. "THAT WENCH!" she excimed, bringihumb to her mouth and biting down on the nail. Her eyes, filled with unbridled fury, remained fixed on the door through which Hades had departed. Kyle looked over Daleyza with an air of superiority, though she remained oblivious to his gaze. As he turo leave, Daleyza's voice rang out once more, filled with venom aermination. "IF I DON'T REMOVE HER FROM THE FAMILY REGISTRY, MY NAME WILL NO LONGER BE DALEYZA." A smirk pyed across Kyle's lips as he silently exited the room, leaving Daleyza te and the trembling maids to their fear.-The day, Royal Hereditary Examination Chamber in The Shrine of the Hidden Springs Temple; 7.23am- The a chamber of the Shrine of the Hidden Springs Temple buzzed with anticipation as nobles, servants, clergy, and knights filled every avaible space. Sunlight filtered through stained gss windows, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the polished marble floor. At the ter stood King Hades, his regal bearing a stark trast to the nervous energy permeating the room. "Today," he began, his voice resonating through the hall, "we embark on a journey of truth and transparency. All royal offspring shall undergorous testing to firm their lineage, ensuring the iy and tinuity of our royal house." The assembled urmured, a mix of excitement and apprehension rippling through the gathering. The royal children were brought forth in groups, their young faces a mixture of fusion and nervousness. High Priest Aldric, a wizened man with a long white beard, stepped forward. "Your Majesty, repared to begin the examination. Each child will undergo three tests: the Test of Blood, the Test of Spirit, and the Test of Essence." King Hades nodded solemnly. "Proceed." The Test of Blood began first. Court physis, dressed in pristine white robes, approached each child with ornate golden needles. A hush fell over the crowd as the first drop of royal blood was drawn from Prince Fenris. The crimson liquid was carefully pced onto a crystal pte, where it swirled and danced of its own accord. Whispers erupted among the nobles. "Did you see that? The blood moved!""I heard it forms the shape of the royal crest for true-born heirs.""Nonse's the color that matters. Royal blood shimmers like rubies in sunlight." As each child underwent the blood test, the chamber filled with gasps and murmurs. The physis worked methodically, their faces impassive as they collected and analyzed each sample. came the Test of Spirit. Clergy members in flowing silver robes formed a circle around the children. They began to t in an aoheir voices rising and falling in haunting harmony. The air in the chamber grew thick with inse and an otherworldly energy that made the hairs on everyone's necks stand on end. One by one, each child stepped into the ter of the circle. A soft glow emanated from within them, pulsing in rhythm with the ts. The colors varied - some shoh a golden light, others with a deep blue or vibrant green. "The colors represent different aspects of their royal lineage," an elderly noblewoman expio her wide-eyed granddaughter. "Gold for leadership, blue for wisdom, green for prosperity." The Test of Essence was the final and most mysterious part of the examination. High Priest Aldric produced a small vial filled with a swirling, opalest liquid. "This," he announced, "is the distilled essence of our kingdom's founding monarchs. It will reize its own." A single drop ced on each child's forehead. The crowd held its breath, waiting. Slowly, the liquid began to glow, growing brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding. Then, in a fsh, it absorbed into the skin, leaving behind a faint, shimmering mark in the shape of a . Hours passed as each child underwent the tests. The chamber grew stuffy with the press of bodies and the weight of anticipation. Nobles fahemselves with ornate fans, while servants discreetly wiped sweat from their brows. Theories and specutions flew wildly among the onlookers. As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the chamber floor, High Priest Aldric approached King Hades with a scroll. The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on the pair. King Hades unrolled the scroll, his eyes sing its tents. His expression remained unreadable as he looked up to address the crowd. "My loyal subjects," he began, his voice steady and clear. "We have uaken this unpreted examination to put to rest any doubts about the legitimacy of our royal line. I am pleased to annouhat all childreed today have been firmed as true heirs of their respective bloodlines." A collective gasp of relief echoed through the chamber, followed by excited chatter and appuse. "Each child has demonstrated the unique markers of their royal heritage," King Hades tinued. "Their blood sang with the song of our aors, their spirits shoh the light of true nobility, and their essence was reized by that of our kingdom's founders." The tension that had gripped the room for hours finally dissipated, repced by a sense of joy and celebration. Nobles gratuted each other, servants shared relieved smiles, and the children, exhausted but happy, were embraced by their proud parents. As the gathering began to disperse, the air was filled with excited discussions about the future of the kingdom, now secure in the knowledge of its unbroken royal lihe Shrine of the Hidden Springs Temple, which had stood wito this historic event, seemed to glow with an inner light, as if the very stones were pleased with the oute. King Hades watched the se with a mixture of relief and pride. The day's events had not only firmed the legitimacy of the royal children but had alsthehe faith of the kingdom in its ruling family. As he prepared to leave the chamber, he couldn't help but feel that a new era of stability and prosperity y ahead for their realm.-Helia Pace; King's Study; same day, around the time Cillian and Luxana were bickering- "YOUR MAJESTY!" excimed Sir Eldridge, the royal messenger, bursting through the heavy oak doors of King Hades' study. His face was flushed, and he anting heavily, having clearly ruire length of the pace to deliver his urgent news. King Hades looked up from the stack of parts on his desk, his brow furrowing at the interruption. "What is the meaning of this, Sir Eldridge? Speak quickly." Sir Eldridge took a deep breath, his voice trembling as he delivered the grim news. "Your Majesty, I bring terrible tidings. Lady Vespera Thornfield's carriage... there's been a dreadful act on the road to the Huntiival." The King's face paled, his quill slipping from his fingers and leaving an unsightly blot on the dot before him. "An act? What of Lady Vespera? And Prince Rowan?" "My liege, Lady Vespera... she did not survive the crash. Her body was found among the wreckage." Sir Eldridge's voice cracked as he tinued, "But Prince Rowan, Your Majesty... the boy is missing." King Hades stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the stone floor. "Missing? How a child simply vanish from a crash site?" "We don't know, Sire. The royal guards have scoured the area, but there's no trace of the young pri's as if he's disappeared into thin air." The King's face torted with a mix of grief and fury. "Assemble a search party immediately. I want every avaible guard, knight, and able-bodied servant bing the tryside. Prince Rowan must be found!" "Yes, Your Majesty," Sir Eldridge bowed deeply. "Shall I inform the other members of the royal family?" King Hades paused, his mind rag. "No, not yet. I'll hahat personally. For now, focus all efforts on finding Prince Rowan. And Sir Eldridge?" "Yes, Sire?" "Ehis news does not spread beyond those directly involved in the search. The st thing we need is panic or, worse, opportunists taking advantage of this tragedy." As Sir Eldridge hurried out to carry out his orders, King Hades sank bato his chair, the weight of his suddenly feeling unbearably heavy. He stared at the portrait of Lady Vespera and Prince Rowan hanging on the wall, their smiling faoainful reminder of what he had lost and what he desperately o find.-A few mier; Helia Pace; Corridor- "How slow," Kyle excimed, his voice dripping with disdain as he walked past Sir Eldridge in the corridor. His eyes flickered towards the knight, a hint of superiority in his gaze. Sir Eldridge paused, turning to face Kyle. "Excuse me?" he asked, his toral but with a hint of annoyanbsp;Kyle stopped mid-stride and turned ba. "I said how slow," he repeated, his smile cold and calcuted. "ravels at a snail's pace around here." Sir Eldridge's expression hardened slightly. "If you're referring to the ret tragedy involving Lady Vespera and Prince Rowan, I assure you that every effort is being made to hahe situation swiftly." Kyle chuckled softly. "Effort? Ah yes, effort is what they call it when inpetence masquerades as diligence." Eldridge took a step closer to Kyle, his voice dropping low but firm. "I suggest you choose your words more carefully around here." Kyle raised an eyebrow but didn't back down. Instead, he leaned in slightly closer to Sir Eldridge before speaking again: "Or perhaps it would be wiser for some people not to get so defensive about their failures?" With that parting shot delivered with precision and venom, Kyle turned on his heel and tinued down the corridor without another word. Sir Eldridge watched him go for a moment before shaking his head silently and tinuing on his way.-Konira Pace; Around the time Luxana pinned Cillian onto the ground- The opulent tea room of Konira Pace buzzed with renewed excitement as the nobles digested Lady Furia's shog annou. However, as the initial surprise wore off, skepticism began to creep into their versations. "Lady Furia," one noble began, her brow furrowed in fusion, "I don't mean to question your sources, but wasn't Princess Luxana supposed to attend the royal liest retly? I heard she never showed up." A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. Anuest chimed in, "Yes, and if she's truly engaged, why hasn't there been an official annou from the pace?" Lady Furia's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly regained her posure. "Well, my dears, perhaps the e is still bei under s for political reasons." "But surely a princess of her age should be married by now," an elderly noblewoman huffed. "It's highly irregur for her to remain unwed, especially with her newfound power." "I agree," another noble nodded vigorously. "The Dragon Fme heir should be seg alliahrough marriage. It's her duty to the kingdom!" The room filled with a chorus of ed voices, eaoble their own opinion oter. "What if she's refusing to marry?" someone suggested in a hushed tone. "Or perhaps no suitable matches have been found," another tered. Lady Furia, sensing the shift in mood, attempted tain trol of the versation. "Now, now, let's not jump to clusions. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable expnation for everything." But the nobles were not so easily pcated. One particurly bold guest addressed Lady Furia directly, "With all due respect, my dy, your information seems... insistent. First, an e, and now we learn the princess hasn't even pleted the liest? What exactly is going on in the royal family?" The room fell silent, all eyes on Lady Furia as they awaited her respohe atmosphere crackled with tension, the earlier excitement repced by a mix of suspi and . Lady Furia's smile became strained as she realized her usual gossip had backfired, leaving her in a precarious position. The nobles' worried whispers filled the air, their questions about Princess Luxana's status and the stability of the royal family growing louder by the moment. "I've heard whispers," one noble leaned in spiratorially, "that Princess Luxana might have a secret lover. Has anyone else caught wind of this?" The room erupted ied murmurs as the nobles exged gnces, each eager to tribute to this juicy piece of gossip. "A secret lover? How thrilling!" excimed another, eyes wide with intrigue. "But who could it be?" "Speaking of sdals," a third erjected, "do you all remember the i during His Majesty's birthday ba? I heard that Princess Luxana was kidnapped by a charming prince who had ihe celebration!" Gasps of shod disbelief echoed through the room. Lady Furia, sensing the opportunity tain trol of the versation, cleared her throat. "Indeed, my dears. The princess's life seems to be full of excitement and mystery. But let us not fet that these are mere rumors and specution. We must be careful not to spread unsubstantiated gossip about our beloved royal family." As the nobles tio specute about Princess Luxana's supposed secret lover and dramatic kidnapping, a bold voice cut through the chatter, sileng the room. "What in bzes are you all prattling on about?" Lady Amelia Bckthorn excimed, her pierg gaze sweeping across the gathered nobles. "Princess Luxana was removed from the Royal Family Registry. She's no longer part of the Royal Household!" The tea room fell into a stunned silence, all eyes turning to Lady Furia, whose face had drained of color. Her teacup cttered against its saucer as her hands began to tremble. "I...what?" Lady Furia stammered, her usual posure crumbling before their eyes. She blinked rapidly, as if trying to process this shog revetion. "But... how... when?" The nobles exged worried gheir earlier excitement repced by fusion and . Lady Furia's rea only served to fuel their ay, as they realized that even their usually well-informed hostess was caught off guard by this news. "Lady Furia," one of the guests ventured cautiously, "did you not know about this?" Lady Furia's mouth opened and closed wordlessly, her face a mask of shod disbelief. It was clear that this information had blindsided her, shattering her carefully cultivated image of being always in the know.To be tinued...