{Third Person}
The following morning, the royal palace beca noticeably livelier than usual.
News had already spread among palace officials that the delegation from the Mage Council would be arriving before noon.
Servants hurried through corridors carrying trays, floral arrangents, and ceremonial decorations, while royal guards were stationed at every important entrance.
Unlike ordinary nobles or foreign dignitaries, mages occupied a unique position in the world.
They belonged neither to the Human Kingdom nor the Werewolf Kingdom.
Their authority ca directly from the Mage Council itself, an ancient organization that existed beyond the influence of kings and queens. Even rulers treated them with a degree of respect.
And today, King Sebastian himself had invited them.
Shortly before noon, several elegant carriages entered the palace grounds beneath heavy guard.
The delegation consisted of five senior mages accompanied by attendants and apprentices.
The leader among them was a woman in her late fifties whose silver hair had been braided neatly behind her head.
Her na was Mage Elder Seraphina, a respected figure within the Council and soone whose dical expertise was known throughout the continent.
King Sebastian personally received the delegation inside the grand reception hall.
After the customary greetings and introductions were exchanged, the guests were invited to sit.
Formal conversation followed.
Topics ranging from trade agreents to magical research were discussed politely while refreshnts were served.
The atmosphere remained cordial throughout.
Eventually, however, King Sebastian guided the conversation toward the true reason behind their invitation.
"I appreciate the Council accepting my request."
Seraphina offered a small smile. "His Majesty’s invitation was difficult to refuse."
The King nodded. "I am grateful."
A brief pause followed, then he continued. "The matter concerns my eldest son."
The mages exchanged glances while King Sebastian folded his hands together.
"As you may already know, the Alpha Prince suffers from a condition that has persisted for so years."
Seraphina’s expression beca more attentive. "We are aware."
The King’s gaze lowered briefly. "For years, physicians, healers, and scholars have attempted to identify how to solve this problem."
Just then, a faint sigh escaped him. "Unfortunately, none have succeeded."
The room grew quiet. Everyone present understood the significance of the statent.
Alexander’s condition was not exactly a state secret.
Although details remained hidden from the public, influential figures throughout the continent knew that the Alpha Prince occasionally suffered episodes that no healer could properly explain.
King Sebastian looked toward the senior mage and said, "I would like your Council’s assistance."
Seraphina inclined her head politely. "We shall examine His Highness personally," she promised.
Almost imdiately, the King’s expression eased slightly. "My thanks."
Another mage spoke up. "When would His Majesty prefer the examination to take place?"
King Sebastian considered the question only briefly before responding, "This afternoon."
The mages waited as he continued.
"There will be a welcoming banquet at noon in your honour." A faint smile appeared on his face. "The Royal Family will be attending."
Seraphina nodded in understanding. "Afterwards would be acceptable."
The King seed pleased by the answer. "Excellent."
The conversation then shifted back toward less serious matters, though everyone present understood that the real purpose of the visit remained Alexander.
The Alpha Prince’s mysterious condition had intrigued scholars for years.
Now, so of the most knowledgeable mages on the continent would finally have the opportunity to examine him directly.
Whether they would discover anything new remained to be seen.
Much later, the delegation was escorted toward their temporary accommodations.
---
The welcoming banquet was held at noon inside one of the palace’s grand reception halls.
Unlike the extravagant celebration being prepared for Alexander’s birthday, this gathering was considerably smaller and more formal.
Its purpose was simple: to welco the visiting mages and honour the Mage Council for accepting King Sebastian’s invitation.
Even so, the event was far from ordinary. The royal family’s presence alone guaranteed that.
By the ti the mages arrived, most of the guests were already seated.
King Sebastian occupied the head of the long banquet table, while Queen Lysandra sat gracefully at his side, every inch the picture of royal elegance.
Her smile was flawless, her posture impeccable, and not a single trace of her true thoughts showed on her face.
At least not outwardly.
Internally, however, her mood had suffered a considerable blow the mont she entered the hall.
The reason sat only a few seats away.
The Alpha King’s favoured concubine. She was heavily pregnant, radiant and very much present.
The woman had no business attending such a gathering in Lysandra’s opinion. Yet Sebastian himself had personally instructed that she be invited.
As a result, Lysandra had no choice but to endure her presence.
The sight alone was enough to sour her appetite.
Unfortunately for her, she could not display even the slightest hint of displeasure before the guests.
Particularly not before the mages, so she smiled and smiled, and smiled so more.
Across the table, Alexander sat in his usual position. His expression remained unreadable as ever.
To his right sat Amara. Though she appeared calm on the surface, she felt considerably less composed than she looked.
This was the first major royal function she had attended since everything that had happened between herself and Alexander.
Ever since that day in his study, she had barely spoken to him apart from when she went to present the birthday gifts.
The mory still made her uncomfortable. Fortunately, Alexander seed content to ignore her existence entirely.
Or at least that was how it appeared.
Elowen sat further down the table, engaged in lively conversation with Rowan and his mate.
Every now and then, she glanced toward Amara, clearly pleased that she had attended instead of hiding in her residence.
Nearby sat Barron.
As usual, he looked far too relaxed for a man surrounded by royalty. His attention drifted around the room, taking in everyone and everything.
Zarek was present alongside his mate, while a select number of senior ministers occupied seats near the lower end of the table.
The atmosphere remained cordial and sophisticated.
Servants moved quietly between guests, refilling glasses and serving course after course while polite conversation filled the hall.
Once everyone had settled comfortably, King Sebastian rose from his seat, and the room imdiately quieted.
Then, he raised his glass. "Today, we welco distinguished representatives of the Mage Council to our kingdom."
Several polite smiles appeared among the delegation.
"We are honoured by your presence and grateful that you accepted our invitation."
The mages inclined their heads respectfully, prompting Sebastian to continue.
"The relationship between our kingdom and the Council has endured for many years. It is my hope that such cooperation continues for many more."
Glasses were raised throughout the hall. A brief toast followed, then everyone resud their seats.
The atmosphere gradually relaxed once more as conversations resud around the table.
Amara found herself listening more than speaking. Her attention occasionally drifted toward the visiting mages.
There were five of them.
All carried themselves with a quiet confidence that differed noticeably from ordinary nobles.
Their presence alone commanded respect.
One of them, the silver-haired woman, Mage Elder Seraphina, the leader of the delegation, was seated near the King.
The na had already circulated among the servants that morning.
She was apparently one of the most respected magical scholars on the continent.
Amara was observing the woman discreetly when she noticed sothing unexpected.
Seraphina’s gaze shifted briefly in her direction. Their eyes t for only a mont, then the mage looked away.
The exchange was so brief that Amara almost dismissed it entirely. Almost. Because several minutes later, it happened again.
The woman was staring at her rudely. Her gaze was more like a simple observation, as though evaluating sothing.
Amara frowned slightly before turning her attention back toward her al.
Across the room, Barron noticed the exchange imdiately. Nothing escaped his attention for long.
His eyes moved between the elder mage and Amara. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. ’Interesting.’
The observation lasted only a few monts before Seraphina returned her attention to the conversation around her.
Still, Barron made a ntal note of it.
anwhile, King Sebastian appeared genuinely pleased with how the luncheon was progressing.
The mages seed comfortable. The ministers were behaving themselves. No political disasters had occurred.
For once, everything was proceeding smoothly which was precisely why Alexander found it suspicious.
Barron caught the look crossing his face and nearly laughed. So things never changed.
No matter how peaceful an event appeared, Alexander always expected trouble to erge eventually.
And considering the number of enemies lurking within the palace walls, he was probably right.
For now, however, the welcoming banquet continued without incident.
Good food was served, pleasantries were exchanged, and polite conversations flowed throughout the hall.
The mages were treated with every courtesy due to their status, and several ministers took the opportunity to discuss trade routes, magical research, and recent developnts within neighbouring territories.
For a while, everything proceeded exactly as royal etiquette demanded.
Then the King’s favoured concubine decided she wanted attention.
The woman rested a protective hand upon her swollen stomach and smiled brightly at the delegation of mages.
"I have heard that the Mage Council possesses remarkable healing abilities."
Several heads turned in her direction.
The concubine appeared completely oblivious to the shift in atmosphere, or perhaps she simply did not care.
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