Chapter 155: The Birthday Banquet (II)
{Third Person}
By the time evening arrived, the royal palace had transformed completely.
The grand banquet hall glowed beneath layers of golden light cast by enormous crystal chandeliers suspended high above the marble floors.
Noble guests from both kingdoms filled the hall in elegant attire while servants moved gracefully through the crowd carrying trays of wine and refreshments.
Music drifted softly through the air, blending with the quiet hum of conversation.
At the front of the hall, the royal tables had already been arranged.
Prince Rowan was seated with his mate, speaking quietly with several ministers nearby, while Prince Zarek sat several seats away beside Julia.
Unlike his usual calm composure, there was an unusual brightness in his eyes tonight. A dangerous kind of anticipation.
Every few moments, his gaze shifted toward the entrance of the hall, waiting patiently and confidently.
Because as far as he knew, tonight would become one of the most humiliating nights of Alexander’s life.
Beside him, Julia remained noticeably quieter than usual.
Further down the royal section sat Elowen, who looked far more interested in observing the arriving guests than participating in conversation.
Every now and then, she glanced toward the entrance with unmistakable excitement.
Then suddenly, the palace announcer’s voice echoed across the hall.
"His Royal Highness, the Alpha Prince Alexander, and Her Ladyship, Lady Amara."
Instantly, the entire banquet hall fell silent.
Every noble and guest rose to their feet, and dozens of eyes turned toward the entrance at once.
A moment later, Alexander entered first.
Dressed entirely in black formal robes embroidered with subtle silver patterns, he carried himself with the same cold authority that naturally silenced rooms without effort.
The lighting above only sharpened his already imposing appearance, making the strands of white hidden among his dark hair more noticeable tonight.
Amara followed beside him.
The moment she stepped into the hall, several people visibly froze.
The gown she wore was elegant without being excessive, the soft colours complementing her beautifully styled hair and delicate makeup. Combined with the quiet grace in her movements, she looked every bit the political bride of the Alpha Prince.
Even Alexander noticed the shift in attention around the hall.
Across the room, Elowen immediately brightened. A proud smile spread across her face as she looked Amara over from head to toe.
She looked beautiful.
Meanwhile, among the Human Kingdom delegation, the reactions varied considerably.
Hazel was the first to spot Amara properly. Her eyes widened instantly.
Beside her, Rachel grabbed Davina’s arm so suddenly that Davina nearly dropped the glass in her hand.
"Oh my God," Rachel whispered.
Hazel looked genuinely emotional.
For several seconds, none of the three girls spoke again. They simply stared because Amara looked healthy, elegant, respected, beautiful, and not miserable.
And somehow, that made finally seeing her again feel even more overwhelming.
Davina pressed a hand against her chest dramatically. "If I cry tonight, none of you should judge me."
Rachel immediately nodded. "I was literally thinking the same thing."
Hazel tried very hard to maintain composure. Unfortunately, her eyes had already started burning slightly.
Not far away, Lila noticed the girls reacting amongst themselves and instantly felt irritation rise inside her chest.
The expression on her face tightened almost immediately.
Amara looked far better than she expected. Far better.
Lila had imagined many possibilities before coming to the Werewolf Kingdom, but somehow this was not one of them.
Amara was not broken. She was not miserable. She was not struggling. If anything, she looked like she belonged here.
The realization annoyed Lila far more than she cared to admit.
Quietly, under her breath, she muttered, "How irritating."
Beside her, Torin remained unusually silent.
The moment he saw Amara walk into the hall beside Alexander, something inside him shifted uncomfortably.
This was the first time he had truly seen her again since everything happened. And suddenly, reality struck much harder than letters ever could.
Amara looked different tonight. Not just physically. There was dignity in the way she carried herself now—a calmness. A distance.
Most importantly, she never once looked toward him. Not even accidentally. It was as though he did not exist.
That realization unsettled him far more than he expected.
Meanwhile, Amara had already noticed them. Lila. Torin. Even her parents.
But after the briefest glance in their direction, she calmly looked away and continued following Alexander further into the hall without changing her expression.
Her heart had reacted at the first sight of her friends. And for one dangerous moment, she genuinely wanted to run toward them to hug them and to speak to them properly after so long apart.
But she restrained herself immediately.
This was not an ordinary gathering. This was the Alpha Prince’s birthday banquet, and she was his political bride.
Every movement she made tonight would be watched, judged, and remembered. So instead, she maintained her composure and walked beside Alexander with quiet dignity.
As they moved deeper into the hall, Barron stepped closer to Alexander. Without drawing attention, he murmured quietly,
"Which one is Lila?"
Alexander did not immediately react. His gaze swept casually across the Human delegation before settling briefly on a young woman standing beside Torin.
The look lasted less than a second.
Barron followed it easily, and almost immediately, his smile deepened. "Oh."
The single word carried dangerous amusement.
Now he understood. Lila looked harmless enough on the surface, pretty, well-dressed, and perfectly behaved.
Barron almost laughed.
Those were usually the troublesome ones.
As Alexander and Amara finally approached their seats, Zarek watched them carefully from across the hall.
The sight pleased him greatly. Everything was proceeding exactly according to plan.
Soon enough, the drugged wine would begin circulating.
Soon enough, Alexander would lose control publicly before nobles, ministers, foreign dignitaries, and the visiting Human delegation.
And once that happened, the damage would be impossible to erase.
Zarek had never looked forward to a banquet more in his life.
Just then, the palace announcer’s voice rang through the hall once more.
"His Majesty, Alpha King Sebastian, and Her Majesty, Queen Lysandra."
Immediately, every person in the hall rose to their feet again.
The atmosphere became even more formal as the King and Queen entered together beneath the watchful eyes of the gathered nobility.
Sebastian carried himself with calm authority, while Lysandra wore her usual elegant smile flawlessly, as though she were not privately anticipating the downfall of her stepson before the night ended.
The royal couple moved toward their seats while the hall respectfully greeted them.
