Chapter 87

The meal was lavish, extravagant, meant to be a symbol of peace and prosperity within the empire. The grand hall was filled with the scent of roasted meats, spiced wines, and the quiet hum of conversation among the nobles seated at the long banquet tables.

Aeliana sat beside Tharx at the head of the room, the flickering candlelight reflecting in his golden eyes as he listened-or pretended to listen-to one of his generals speak about the fortifications being strengthened along the empire's borders.

She wasn't listening.

Something felt wrong.

It wasn't the usual tension that hung over court gatherings, nor was it the veiled hostility of the nobles who still resented the presence of a half-human queen.

No, this was different.

There was a pressure in the air, an unnatural stillness that settled into the pit of her stomach, curling like a warning.

She glanced down at the plate before her.

It was a feast fit for an emperor and his queen-delicacies from every corner of the empire, dishes prepared with the finest ingredients.

Her hands curled in her lap, fingers tightening against the silk of her gown.

Something was wrong.

The feeling was sharp, undeniable.

Aeliana had learned to trust her instincts.

So when her cup was filled with wine, when her plate was set before her, she hesitated.

A single moment.

That was all it took.

The scent was faint, almost undetectable.

To anyone else, it would have been nothing more than spiced honey and fermented fruit.

But Aeliana's breath caught.

And then, in an instant-understanding.

Poison.

Aeliana's pulse roared in her ears, her fingers twitching.

She pushed the plate away.

Not a sharp movement, nothing to draw attention. Just a small, deliberate motion, as if she were no longer hungry.

Tharx noticed immediately.

His golden eyes flicked to her, assessing. "Something wrong?"

Aeliana forced a careful, slow breath.

She could not panic. Not here. Not now.

But Tharx saw.

He always saw.

Aeliana met his gaze, her voice low, steady. "Do not drink the wine."

Tharx's fingers, which had just been resting on his goblet, stilled.

His head tilted slightly, just enough to let her know he understood.

There was danger.

And it was already too close.

Aeliana let her eyes flicker around the room-just for a moment, just enough to observe.

Nothing seemed amiss.

The nobles still conversed in low voices, the music still played from the far side of the hall.

And yet, somewhere in this room, someone had tried to kill her.

Tharx shifted beside her.

She could feel it.

The quiet, burning rage.

Slowly, almost lazily, he lifted his hand.

The movement was **small, effortless-**but the response was immediate.

The guards stationed along the walls moved in unison, stepping forward, weapons drawn.

Silence fell.

The music ceased.

The nobles froze.

Aeliana did not look away from Tharx.

She did not have to.

His voice was lethal, smooth, final.

"Seal the doors."

The guards moved instantly, the heavy doors slamming shut.

Aeliana let out a slow breath.

There was no escape now.

Tharx rose from his seat with the ease of a predator, his golden eyes sweeping over the court, lingering on each noble, each servant, each possible traitor.

Aeliana remained seated, but her fingers curled tightly against the arms of her chair.

The weight of the moment settled heavy over the room.

Tharx did not speak immediately.

He let them squirm.

And then-

"A foolish attempt," he murmured, almost idly. "To think, someone in this room was brave enough to try poisoning my queen and yet not brave enough to succeed."

A ripple of unease passed through the gathered court.

No one dared speak.

No one dared breathe.

Aeliana saw it-the shifting of eyes, the way some nobles looked too calm, the way others gripped the edges of their chairs.

Someone here had done it.

Tharx stepped forward, slowly, deliberately.

"It was subtle," he continued, voice deceptively soft. "A poison meant to go unnoticed, one that would not kill immediately." His head tilted slightly. "Cowardly."

Aeliana exhaled slowly, carefully, keeping her expression unreadable.

And then, Tharx's voice dropped into something colder, sharper.

"But not clever enough."

The tension in the room tightened.

The moment stretched, thick and suffocating.

And then-

A crash.

A noble at the far end of the table jerked backward, sending his goblet flying.

The room turned toward him.

His face had gone pale, his hands trembling.

"Lord Veylen," Tharx murmured, voice dripping with amusement.

The noble's breath hitched. "I-I would never-"

Tharx's smirk was slow, lethal.

"Did I accuse you?"

Veylen flinched.

The room knew.

He had revealed himself before Tharx had even needed to say his name.

Aeliana did not move as the guards seized him, dragging him forward.

His protests were empty.

His fate was already sealed.

Tharx regarded him with cool indifference.

"You poisoned my queen," he said simply.

Veylen shook his head violently. "It was not me! I- I would never-!"

"Yet here you stand."

Tharx took a slow step forward.

"You see," he continued, "there is one thing I despise above all else."

He leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a deadly whisper.

"Cowards."

Veylen gasped as Tharx's hand wrapped around his throat.

Aeliana watched, expression unreadable.

She had seen Tharx kill before.

But this was different.

This was personal.

The court held its breath.

Veylen choked.

Tharx did not hesitate.

The snap of his neck echoed through the hall like a final decree.

When Tharx released him, the body slumped lifelessly to the floor.

Aeliana exhaled slowly, watching as Tharx straightened, his golden eyes burning as he turned to the rest of the court.

His voice was low, sharp.

"If any of you have thoughts of attempting this again, consider this your only warning."

No one spoke.

No one moved.

Then, Tharx extended a hand to Aeliana, his gaze softening only slightly.

She took it without hesitation, rising to her feet beside him.

And just like that, the empire knew.

They would not stand against them.

They would not question the child she carried.

And most importantly-

They would not make this mistake again.