The True Banquet Begins
"Now the ceremony is complete…"
The voice of the announcer swelled like a drumbeat under the stars.
"LET THE ROYAL BANQUET BEGIN!"
The lanterns flared at the same time, scattering bursts of golden light over the courtyard like a firefly shower.
Music erupted—strings plucked in sharp rhythm, flutes sang like flying birds, and drums rolled like thunder in the distance.
In a heartbeat, the formerly quiet courtyard erupted with life. Nobles applauded in waves of rising sound. Gowns twirled in glittering arcs. Goblets thrust toward the heavens, filled with wine and joy. Laughter, clapping, and expectation rippled through the throng like one unbroken breath.
But at the crest of the marble dais—
The King remained.
The holy silence of the moonlit ceremony was broken. In its stead: thunderous applause, the ring of silver, music swelling like a tide that rises.
And at the center of it all… the King.
Unhurried. Authoritative.
