Chapter 154: The Birthday Banquet (I)
{Third Person}
Very early the next morning, long before the sun fully rose above the Human Kingdom’s capital, several luxurious carriages had already gathered outside the main parliamentary grounds.
Servants hurried back and forth, preparing luggage, checking supplies, and organizing the convoy that would soon depart for the Werewolf Kingdom.
Guards mounted their horses while officials confirmed travel arrangements one final time.
The atmosphere buzzed with excitement.
After all, invitations from the Werewolf royal family were not ordinary things.
Especially not invitations personally issued for the Alpha Prince’s birthday banquet.
Near the front of the convoy, Anthony Caldwell stood, speaking with a few parliament officials, while Matilda remained nearby, supervising servants who were handling their belongings.
Though both husband and wife appeared calm on the surface, a certain tension lingered beneath their composure.
Particularly in Anthony.
Ever since Alexander requested that the anonymous letter be brought to the banquet, his thoughts had not settled properly.
Unfortunately, he could not refuse the request. Not when it came directly from the Alpha Prince himself.
A short distance away, Lila stepped out of her car dressed elegantly for the journey. The moment she lifted her eyes and noticed three familiar figures nearby, her expression nearly darkened on the spot.
Hazel.
Rachel.
Davina.
All three women stood together, excitedly discussing the journey ahead, while servants loaded their luggage into another car.
Lila stared at them in disbelief. For a moment, she genuinely thought she was mistaken.
Then Rachel laughed loudly at something Hazel said, immediately destroying any hope that this was some unfortunate misunderstanding.
Lila’s face tightened. She had no idea they were invited too. None.
The realization annoyed her far more than it should have.
Of all people to encounter during this trip, it had to be Amara’s overly protective friends.
Lila folded her arms tightly across her chest. "What are they even doing here?" she muttered under her breath.
Beside her, Torin followed her line of sight. The moment he recognized the girls, his entire expression changed.
Unlike Lila’s irritation, his reaction was immediate alarm.
He looked away so quickly it was almost suspicious. Unfortunately for him, Lila noticed.
"What is wrong with you?"
Torin cleared his throat awkwardly. "Nothing."
Lila narrowed her eyes. Then understanding dawned on her face. Almost immediately, she remembered that night.
The night Hazel, Rachel, and Davina had caught him together with her shortly after Amara had left for the Werewolf Kingdom as the political bride.
Lila nearly rolled her eyes. The memory was still embarrassing.
Especially because the three girls had looked ready to physically attack both of them on the spot.
Fortunately, Torin had noticed them approaching in time, grabbed her hand, and practically dragged her away before things escalated further.
Even now, remembering it made Lila irritated.
"Honestly, they are so dramatic," she muttered quietly.
Torin wisely said nothing. His current goal was simple. Avoid them completely.
In fact, the moment Hazel suddenly glanced in their direction, he immediately turned around and pretended to become deeply interested in a nearby carriage wheel.
Lila almost laughed at how shameless he looked.
Meanwhile, across the courtyard, Hazel narrowed her eyes. "I swear I just saw that coward."
Rachel immediately looked around. "Where?"
Davina followed their gazes curiously.
The moment she spotted Torin trying to hide himself near another car, she burst into laughter.
"Oh my God."
Hazel crossed her arms. "He remembers us."
"As he should," Rachel replied immediately.
Davina shook her head, still laughing. "The way he escaped that night like his life depended on it—"
"Because it did," Hazel interrupted flatly.
The three girls dissolved into amusement once more.
Several nearby servants secretly listened while pretending not to.
Meanwhile, Lila stood at a distance watching them with increasing annoyance.
She badly wanted to say something sharp, something insulting, something capable of putting them in their place.
Unfortunately, she was not stupid.
This was a diplomatic journey involving both kingdoms. Causing unnecessary drama publicly would only embarrass her parents and create problems for herself later.
So instead, she merely clicked her tongue quietly and muttered under her breath, "Annoying people."
Then she turned away before they noticed her staring.
Eventually, as the sun finally began rising properly over the capital, the convoy was declared ready.
One by one, the invited guests boarded their respective cars.
The long journey to the Werewolf Kingdom had officially begun.
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By late afternoon, news of the Human delegation’s arrival finally reached the Alpha Prince’s residence.
Amara had been seated beside the window while Mrs. Woods arranged several dresses nearby for the evening banquet when one of the servants entered with the announcement.
"My Lady, the guests from the Human Kingdom have arrived safely."
Amara immediately looked up. A smile spread across her face so quickly that even Mrs. Woods laughed softly.
"They have arrived already?"
The servant nodded. "They are currently being settled into the royal guest houses."
The moment the servant left, Amara’s excitement became impossible to hide. For the first time in days, her entire face visibly brightened.
"They are really here."
Mrs. Woods smiled knowingly.
Amara didn’t look nervous, distracted or troubled. She looked genuinely happy.
Immediately, thoughts of Hazel, Rachel, and Davina filled her mind. She had not seen them in so long that the realization they were now inside the same kingdom felt almost unreal.
And tonight, during the banquet, she would finally see them again. The thought alone made her excited.
Suddenly, another idea occurred to her, so she turned toward Mrs. Woods almost immediately.
"Do you think I can see them before the banquet?"
Mrs. Woods paused. The hopeful look on Amara’s face made the answer difficult to give. But unfortunately, palace etiquette remained palace etiquette.
"My Lady..."
Amara immediately sensed the refusal coming.
Mrs. Woods sighed softly. "It would not be considered appropriate."
The excitement on Amara’s face dimmed slightly.
"They just arrived. The guests will still be settling into their accommodations, preparing for the banquet, and receiving official instructions."
Amara understood, but that did not stop the disappointment.
Mrs. Woods quickly added, "But it is only for a few more hours."
That helped just a little.
Amara released a quiet sigh before nodding. "You’re right."
Tonight. She would see them tonight.
The thought alone was enough to restore some of her excitement.
And for the remainder of the afternoon, despite everything else weighing on her mind, Amara found herself looking forward to the banquet for one very simple reason.
Her friends were finally here.
