Murmurs began to spread throughout the hall as people turned to talk to one another, glancing around to gauge the mood.
"What is going on in the Emperor's mind? I've never seen an emperor propose before," one noble at the quiet end of the hall said to his longtime acquaintance.
"I am not sure, but he won't let himself be at any disadvantage from any proposal. He must have seen into the future and clearly sees benefit in it," the noble who had been listening voiced out his thoughts.
More and more murmurs filled the hall, as people questioned aloud why the emperor himself was proposing. Some whispered he could have sent his envoys or knights, yet he chose to make the proposal personally.
Some even started cooking up theories in their own minds, not daring to voice them aloud, fearing it would anger the emperor.
The Emperor stayed in his position and looked straight into the eyes of Shane Drakethorne.
The Emperor stood still, his posture unyielding. He heard the scattered voices in the room but paid them no attention. In his mind, these were simply his vassals. They would not overstep their boundaries, and if they did, he trusted his knights to respond swiftly.
Shane was visibly shocked. He tried to find clues about what was going on in the emperor's mind as he stared back at the emperor's eyes that were so dark that they could devour anything. Shane, newly promoted to paragon rank, felt less pressure than before. Still, there was a heavy sense of the emperor's power in his eyes. If the emperor wished, a single step from him could make the hall crumble.
Seeing tension grow between his son and the emperor, Ragnar stepped forward, met the emperor's gaze, and spoke. "Your majesty, I wish to hear your proposal, but since the banquet is late, could we discuss it later in seclusion?" As he spoke, Ragnar glanced at the crowd to signal that there were too many people.
"Yes, you are right, but this will not take long. I have something that will benefit your house, especially your grandson, Ragnar," the emperor announced, ignoring the hall's audience, making his intentions clear to all.
"If so, your majesty, please tell me what benefit will our house and my grandson gain?" Ragnar looked straight at the Emperor. He made it clear he wanted no political entanglements for his family, especially for his grandson.
"This morning I was blessed with a daughter. Ragnar, I want her to be betrothed to your grandson," Emperor James Evernight announced, ensuring all could hear.
By now, the murmur has completely stopped. There was a pin-drop silence, as if they had just heard something unbelievable.
The Emperor himself is making a proposal, and it concerns his daughter. Everyone knew how protective he was of his children, especially after losing his eldest son to demons. People remembered how the Emperor had stepped forward, killing dozens of demons and venturing directly into demon territory to kill those who plotted against his son.
Unable to contain herself, Sera stepped forward to face the emperor. She met his gaze and said, "Your majesty, you must have heard of the legend about our son and wish to secure his loyalty for the imperial family. But I cannot allow this marriage proposal to be decided without our son's permission first. He is only a week old."
There was raw anger in her voice, tightly restrained as she refused to overstep her boundaries.
Murmurs started again as guests exchanged surprised glances. Many questioned, in hushed voices, how a matriarch could address the emperor so directly.
The emperor raised his hand in a subtle but clear gesture. Conversations died down as people recognised his signal to be silent and calm.
From his dimensional space, the emperor took out a scroll. It looked ancient. Its appearance showed it had been kept very safely and well cared for.
The Emperor held one end of the scroll and let the other end roll down. He turned the front page toward the Drakethorne family, who were still on the terrace.
Sera, Shane, and Ragnar immediately discerned the scroll's contents. They were stunned by the Drakethorne emblem sealing the document and by the signature of the Drakethorne patriarch. He was the legendary warrior who had defeated countless gates and demons and was the most devoted retainer of the founding emperor of the Evernight Empire.
The scroll declared that if the Evernight family ever needs anything in the future, and the Drakethorne family can provide it, the Drakethorne family will do so, even at the cost of their lives.
----
I, Kael Drakethorne, founder of the Drakethorne family, promise that my family will lay down our lives to provide whatever the Evernight family wants, as long as it is within our means. This promise becomes void afterwards.
Kael Drakethorne, Emblem of Drakethorne, Black dragon spreading its wings long across the sky.
----
The Drakethorne family was shocked to see the emperor use this old promise to form the marriage agreement. All Drakethorne patriarchs were informed of it when the old patriarch stepped down, and the new one became a patriarch.
Other people near the front of the hall saw what was written on the scroll. The emperor stood in the centre, so half the people could see him.
As news of the promise spread throughout the hall, everyone grasped the magnitude of the commitment in the scroll. They had not expected that the Drakethorne founder would make such a promise, though the clause specifying the promise's limits prevented its misuse by the Evernight family.
"So, you are going to use this? How much have you fallen, Your majesty?" A thunderous voice with venom sounded throughout the hall.
The voice was coming from the entrance of the hall. It was none other than the former matriarch of Drakethorne, Nyra Blackheart.