Take Me Away, Dark Lord!

”Now,” Kaelus commanded, picking up his fork and pointing it at his untouched prime rib. ”Let us eat. We have significant preparations to make. The Imperial Banquet commences tomorrow at sunset, and I intend to ensure my child is well-rested before she decimates the Capital’s social hierarchy.”

As the chaotic, terrifying dinner finally resumed, Seraphina sat comfortably on Kaelus’s lap, happily stealing pieces of steak from his silver plate.

She looked across the table at Castor and Pollux, who were still pale, picking at their food with trembling hands, terrified to make eye contact with her or her father.

’Well,’ Seraphina thought, munching on a piece of perfectly seared beef. ’That was exhausting. But the hedgehog is back online, the boys have learned their place, and I secured a lifetime supply of pastries. A highly successful operational pivot.’

The dining hall was calm once more, but outside the heavy oak doors, the rest of the Capital Estate was a hive of frantic, terrified activity.

***

The morning of the Imperial Banquet arrived with a heavy, oppressive sense of anticipation that hung over the entire city like a suffocating blanket.

Inside the Nacht Estate, the atmosphere was not one of festive preparation.

It was the atmosphere of a military barracks preparing for a siege.

The Vanguard knights were meticulously polishing their armor, sharpening their broadswords, and checking the magical wards on their scabbards.

Sir Lucas was conducting a brutal, unyielding inspection of the carriage’s reinforced axles, while Sir Boris was aggressively interrogating the coachman regarding evasion routes.

But the true center of the chaos was located in Seraphina’s bedroom.

Standing in the center of the room, looking incredibly smug and exhausted, was Madame Vionnet. The elite Capital seamstress, surrounded by three terrified assistants, had not slept in three days.

”I present to you, Your Grace,” Madame Vionnet declared, gesturing grandly to the dressmaker’s dummy. ”The masterpiece. The fusion of elegance and impenetrable defense.”

Kaelus von Nacht stood before the dummy, his arms crossed, his violet eyes analyzing the garment with the intense, critical focus of an armorer.

The dress was, undeniably, breathtaking.

It was made from deep, rich, midnight-blue velvet, the exact shade of the Northern night sky.

The cut was elegant and simple, lacking the ridiculous, voluminous frills and massive bows that characterized Southern fashion.

The bodice was embroidered with incredibly delicate, imperceptible silver thread, depicting tiny, stylized howling wolves hidden within a floral motif.

But it was the interior that truly mattered.

”The silver moon silk weave has been successfully integrated,” Madame Vionnet reported, her voice trembling slightly under the Archduke’s scrutiny. ”It lines the entire bodice, the high collar, and the skirt down to the mid-calf. It is completely invisible from the exterior, and the weight distribution has been optimized to ensure the Lady is not burdened.”

Kaelus did not simply take her word for it.

He didn’t nod or smile.

With a motion so fast the human eye could barely track it, Kaelus drew a wickedly sharp hunting dagger from his belt.

He lunged forward and viciously, brutally slashed the dagger directly across the chest of the velvet dress on the dummy.

”AHHH!” Madame Vionnet and her assistants shrieked in absolute horror, clutching their faces, expecting to see three days of painstaking labor ripped to shreds.

SCREEEEECH!!!

The sound was horrifying, the sound of sharp metal grinding against an impenetrable, frictionless surface.

Kaelus pulled the dagger away.

The soft, midnight-blue velvet had been sliced open, revealing the hidden, shimmering, tightly woven layer of silk beneath.

But the silk itself was completely untouched. Not a single thread had snapped. The blade had simply skated off the surface.

Kaelus lowered the dagger, inspecting the scratch.

”The integrity is acceptable,” Kaelus nodded, his violet eyes gleaming with dark satisfaction. ”The velvet can be easily repaired if she is struck. Her vital organs are secure. You have earned your fee, Madame. The treasury will compensate you.”

Madame Vionnet nearly collapsed onto the plush carpet in sheer relief, her assistants frantically rushing forward with magical mending kits to seal the slashed velvet before the Sovereign had to put it on.

Seraphina, sitting on her chaise lounge, watched the entire display with a mixture of amusement and gratitude.

’He literally stabbed a custom designer dress just to be sure,’ Seraphina thought, shaking her head. ’He is a lunatic. But he’s my lunatic. And honestly, knowing I am wearing bulletproof pajamas makes me feel infinitely better about walking into a room full of political vipers.’

As the tailors repaired the dress, the heavy bedroom doors opened.

Castor and Pollux walked in.

The two boys were already dressed in their formal Academy attire, sharp, tailored uniforms of dark crimson and gold, complete with miniature ceremonial swords at their hips.

They looked significantly more subdued than they had the previous day, casting terrified, wary glances at Kaelus, who merely glared at them from the corner of the room, silently reminding them of his threat to freeze their internal organs.

”Wow,” Castor breathed, keeping a safe distance from Kaelus as he looked at the dress. ”That looks amazing, Seraphina. You’re going to look like a tiny general.”

”Thank you, Castor,” Seraphina smiled, hopping off the lounge.

Pollux leaned against the doorframe, his auburn hair perfectly styled into its tragic, edgy sweep. ”The darkness of the fabric suits you. It will consume the pathetic, glittering light of the Capital nobles.”

”Are the other kids going to be there?” Seraphina asked, ignoring Pollux’s poetry.

”Oh, definitely,” Castor groaned, rolling his amber eyes. ”The Imperial Banquet is the biggest show-off event of the year. Every Duke, Count, and Marquis brings their kids to parade them around. They all want to show the Emperor how smart and powerful their heirs are.”

Castor leaned in closer, dropping his voice into a conspiratorial whisper, ensuring Kaelus couldn’t hear. ”Most of the kids from the top-tier of the Academy will be there. And they are the absolute worst. They’re super snobby when it comes down to it.”