Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 44 - Their First Dance

Duke Castellia cleared his throat.

The gala attendees stared up at the mezzanine, a wave of hushed conversation rippling through the crowd. It was clear that they hadn't expected the duke to be there. No one had.

The duke stared down at his audience with some degree of intensity, as if he were surveying his troops before sending them to their last battle. Under what seemed like such intense scrutiny, the knights in the crowd instinctively straightened their posture to stand at attention.

Even Medrauta was among those knights.

While the duke himself was no knight, the air of authority that he possessed was certainly one befitting of the northern territory's governor. The first line of defense against the hostile nation of Kaslavna, Castellia fief had forced Duke Castellia to become a fine warrior and an even finer commander on the front lines.

The duke nodded as if a gesture of approval before leaning back and turning to his side. He beckoned to a maid who was standing by, prompting her to approach him. She carried a silver platter which held a number of tall glasses that contained champagne.

After a brief moment of inspection, the duke selected one of the glasses and turned back to the crowd. Contrary to his striking appearance and almost oppressive air of authority, the duke spoke with a pleasant and affable tone that seemed to soothe the worries of those who listened.

Clearly, it was an acquired skill borne from the need to assuage the fears of soldiers heading into battle.

"It seems I've found myself in a precarious situation tonight, standing before all of you wonderful men and women of the empire. Honestly, it makes me nervous." Duke Castellia laughed. "However, the princess has asked me for a favor, and I am inclined to oblige. If you will all allow me, I would like to offer a toast to everyone in lieu of the unfortunately absent Dame Amelia."

The duke raised his glass high up in the air and toward the academy students clustered below. "To all of you rising stars at Avalyne Academy! May you stand tall and proud for the glory of our empire!"

The audience erupted into cheers, many of them raising their own glasses in reply. The duke's charisma had been overpowering, and many students found themselves in awe of the way he carried himself despite being forced to make a toast on short notice.

This time, however, Medrauta was not amongst those impressed. The reason for that stood beside her, hanging on her arm almost precariously. Viviane stared at her father, the look in her eyes a strange amalgamation of warmth and fear. Her hands trembled, and sweat coated her palms.

Despite the apparently positive reception that the duke received, Medrauta simply couldn't ignore Viviane's reaction to his appearance. After all, she had thought that the father-daughter pair were on good terms.

"...Something's wrong," Viviane said shakily. She'd spoken before Medrauta even had the chance to ask if she was alright, an act that only caused the knight's worry to grow. "Father shouldn't be here."

Medrauta's brow furrowed. Viviane had only spoken of how much she wanted to see her father again, and when she reminisced about the moments she'd shared with him, they were always positive. She slipped her hand into Viviane's, squeezing it gently.

"Why? Is something the matter?" Medrauta asked in the most soothing voice she could manage.

The warmth of Medrauta's hand in hers gave Viviane strength. She nodded and began leading them through the crowd, hoping to reach the mezzanine stairs before her father slipped away. Already, he was departing to what looked like a side chamber with the princess.