In the opulent ballroom, aglow with the flicker of candlelight and alive with the murmur of conversation, was where the grand dinner unfolded.
Here, amidst the swirl of luxurious fabrics and the sparkle of chandeliers, a diverse gathering had assembled. Some were drawn by genuine warmth and curiosity to welcome Princess Lunasia, the esteemed guest of honor. Others, however, harbored darker intentions, their eyes keenly assessing not just the princess's presence but the power she wielded.
It was a gathering where alliances were forged, and secrets whispered in the shadows, where ambition and treachery danced a dangerous duet.
And amid the revelry and the clink of fine crystal, some were willing to go to chilling lengths to secure their own ascendancy, even if it meant betraying their own blood. Such was the intricate tapestry of intrigue that wove through the glittering facade of nobility, where loyalties were tested, and alliances proved as fragile as spun glass.
While the grand banquet unfolded around her, Princess Lunasia remained a silent figure at the center of the lavish table. Despite the tantalizing aroma of the exquisitely prepared pork steak, plated before her in all its culinary splendor, she made no move to partake. The dish, though undoubtedly a masterpiece of the culinary arts, held no allure for her; her appetite dulled by a sense of unease that lingered in the opulent air of the ballroom.
While the other guests engaged in lively discourse, their voices mingling in a symphony of conversation, Lunasia remained aloof, her attention drifting as she idly swirled the wine in her goblet. Seated at the head of the table, opposite her father, she cut a solitary figure amidst the throng of relatives who filled the expansive expanse on either side.
"Hey there, cousin!" The blonde guy flashed Lunasia a grin, his words dripping with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "Rumor has it you went on quite the rampage, hacking and slashing your way through all sorts of creatures, and even some… of our own kind. Really hard to believe. I mean, look at you, all dolled up like a princess, you are. Can't quite picture you swinging a sword, let alone taking down anything significant. Maybe you had some help, or perhaps someone else did the dirty work while you just tagged along for the glory. So, spill the beans, what's the story behind the intriguing tale you carry?"
The urge to retaliate surged within Lunasia like a storm ready to break, her fists itching to deliver swift retribution. Yet, with practiced restraint, she held back her rising fury, opting instead for a biting retort veiled in sarcasm.
Although she had great control over her infuriation yet… she desired heavily to punch that guy in her response to his questions and receive his broken jaw in his answer to her punch.
"Remind me, who are you?" His confident expression crumbled as whispers rippled through the gathering, casting a hush over the previously animated atmosphere. Despite Lunasia's father having introduced him as her cousin earlier, he remained unmoved, merely an observer on the periphery of his daughter's world this lush midnight.
But Lunasia wasn't done yet.
"From where I'm sitting, I've got a few more years under my belt than you, kiddo," Lunasia retorted coolly, her lips curling around the rim of her wine glass as she took a deliberate sip. The accusation hung heavy in the air, punctuated by the simmering tension between them. Meanwhile, the young man's temper flared, stoked by her brazen challenge. Without hesitation, he hurled a knife across the table in Lunasia's direction, expecting to elicit a reaction of fear or surprise.
But Lunasia remained unruffled, her demeanor composed as she exerted her mental prowess, halting the knife's deadly trajectory with nothing but the force of her will.
The knife hung suspended in mid-air, caught in the invisible grip of Lunasia's formidable will, its blade glinting dangerously just inches from her eyes. It was a precarious tableau, the tension palpable as the room held its breath, witnessing the extraordinary display of power. Despite the weapon's proximity, there was an undeniable sense of control in Lunasia's stance, which showcased as a testament to the depth of her abilities.
The smirk on the guy's face widened into a mocking grin as he spoke, his words dripping with disdain. "Well, well, look at that! Little Miss Princess stopped the blade! Who knew a delicate flower like you could pull off a stunt like that? Thought your only talent would be in the bedroom, eh? Hahaha!" His laughter rang out, joined in by the chorus of others who had harbored enmity toward Lunasia from the moment they set foot in the ballroom.
Their laughter echoed like a sinister symphony, fueling the flames of Lunasia's simmering anger until it flared into a raw, seething rage.
"Hahahahaha! Think you can throw a knife like I just did? I doubt it! Hahaha!" The taunts echoed through the room, fueling the fire in Lunasia's once placid gaze. In an instant, her serene, subdued crimson eyes blazed with a fiery crimson intensity, a silent warning of the storm brewing within her.
With a steely resolve, she prepared to deliver her response in a single, decisive statement.
"Then, try me."
Lunasia challenged her voice was like a quiet thunder in their charged atmosphere.
With those words hanging like a dare in the air, the knife responded to Lunasia's unspoken command, rising from its stillness with an eerie grace. Swift as a thought, it soared through the space between them, propelled by forces unseen. In an instant, it found its mark, piercing the air with a sinister hiss before lodging itself into the blonde guy's right eye. A torrent of blood erupted forth with a shard of gruesome evidence of the irrepressible power at play. Despite his desperate attempts to stop the knife in mid-air before it could strike him, he couldn't do so as its force was beyond his control, so the man found himself screaming at the impact inflicted by the wound in his eye that wouldn't just stop its stream of blood.
A collective gasp rippled through the ballroom, suffocating the once vibrant atmosphere into a heavy silence.
Yet even amidst the stunned stillness, the blonde guy's cries pierced the air as the cacophony of pain and terror that refused to be silenced.
Meanwhile, Lunasia remained untouched by the chaos she had wrought, a smirk playing upon her lips as she savored her wine, and she remained indifferent to the suffering unfolding before her.
"Who do you think you are, harming my son?! You, imbecile lowly peas-" The noble's furious tirade was abruptly cut short as Lunasia interjected, her voice slicing through the air like a blade. With a mere utterance, she silenced him with a chilling warning that left him trembling in his seat.
"Watch your tongue."
She cautioned; her attention unwavering as she continued to savor the exquisite wine before her. Despite the tension crackling in the air, she couldn't deny the indulgence of the drink, acknowledging it as one of the finest she had ever tasted.
As Lunasia savored the remnants of her wine, a deadly trajectory sliced through the air toward her, a sword hurtling with malevolent intent. With a fluid grace, she tilted her head backward, narrowly evading the lethal strike. But she was not merely a passive target; with lightning reflexes, she seized the weapon by its hilt before it could completely pass by her. With a swift and decisive motion, she hurled it back toward its source, and the blade found its mark with deadly accuracy.
It pierced through the heart of the demon, who, at that moment, she recognized as the elder brother of the blonde aggressor- well, someone she remembered... adventitiously.
Another demon approached, likely another cousin or ally of the blonde aggressor, though Lunasia couldn't be bothered to discern his exact identity. To her, familial ties held no weight; she had long since abandoned any notion of kinship with these creatures. Her loyalty was reserved solely for Satan, her true father, the one who had captured her mother's heart in their shared past and was her mother's first true love.
With a menacing snarl, the demon charged at Lunasia, brandishing his sword and baring his fangs in a vicious display of aggression. His intent was clear: to strike at the vulnerable side of her abdomen and bring her to her knees. But before he could execute his deadly thrust, Lunasia acted with lightning speed, seizing his weapon and snapping it in two with a strength born of will and resolve.
With a prompt and calculated motion, she drove one part of the broken blade through his skull while the other found its mark in his chest. A waterfall of blood erupted from the fatal wounds, a macabre dance of blood that splattered across her sprawled dress, staining the fabric a dark, gruesome hue. Rivulets of blood red cascaded down her face, mingling with the tendrils of her hair as she stood amidst the chaos, like a haunting figure bathed in the aftermath of bloodcurdling violence.
With a dismissive gesture, Lunasia flicked her hand, casting off the blood that clung to her fingertips. The onlookers recoiled in horror, their gasps echoing through the room as they grappled with the unsettling reality of a demon turning against its own kind, defying even their revered King.
Lunasia's gaze shifted and lingered on her father, who remained unruffled, his attention fixed on his dinner as if the spectacle unfolding before him was of little consequence. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction at his nonchalance, which she noted as a silent acknowledgment of her ability to wield power even in the presence of his loyal minions.
"I am Charles Winter, Prince of the Eboncrest Kingdom of Hell!"
Declared a man with auburn hair and piercing light blue eyes, emerging from the throng of onlookers. "Bearer of one of the ancient demonic swords of the 'Crown of Carnage,' I challenge you, Princess Lunasia, Princess of all the Kingdoms of Hell, to a 'Duellum Pompae Mortis'.
At that moment, Lunasia saw an opportunity not just to defend her honor but to assert her dominance, to show them all that she was not merely a princess but a sovereign in her own right, a force to be reckoned with.
After all, she was a King herself.
Deep down, Lunasia knew she also possessed the ancient demonic sword- an inheritance bestowed upon her from birth, though the reasons behind it remained a mystery to her.
Without hesitation, she faced Prince Charles and proclaimed, "Very well then. I accept your challenge, Prince Charles."