Royal Ascension: TheLady's rebirth

SIERRA/ANGELICA POV

The door slammed open with a force that sent a jolt of panic through me. Every noble in the room stiffened, and I could feel the collective breath of the council being held in anticipation. My own heart raced, and I instinctively reached for the edge of the table, trying to steady myself as the figure stepped into the room.

He was tall, with dark hair that fell in wild waves around his face, and sharp features that seemed to cut through the tension like a knife. But it wasn't just his appearance that made my blood run cold—it was the expression on the prince's face.

Alistair's icy demeanor faltered for a fraction of a second, but it was enough to send a wave of unease crashing through me. I had never seen him look anything other than composed, and yet now... now he looked as if he had just seen a ghost.

The newcomer strode into the room without hesitation, his eyes scanning the council with cold precision before they locked onto me.

"Prince Alistair," the man said, his voice smooth and commanding, "I do hope I haven't missed too much."

A collective gasp rippled through the room. Even Lord Dorian, who had been watching me like a hawk just moments before, looked taken aback.

But it was Alistair's reaction that captivated me the most. His gaze was no longer fixed on the newcomer in calm indifference. No, it was filled with something else—something like... wariness. And maybe even a flicker of something deeper.

I couldn't look away from the prince, but at the same time, I couldn't ignore the newcomer either. His presence was overwhelming, and the way the room seemed to bend to his will was undeniable.

The stranger's eyes flicked to me again, lingering for a moment longer than necessary, before returning to Alistair. It was subtle, but the exchange between them wasn't lost on me. There was history between them—something unspoken, something tense.

"I didn't realize the council was such a lively affair," the stranger continued, the slightest hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "I've just returned from Edomir, and I couldn't help but overhear the discussions. Quite an interesting... development, don't you think?"

Alistair's jaw tightened, and his gaze flickered briefly toward me before turning back to the man in front of him. "You've returned sooner than expected," he said, his voice cold but controlled.

The newcomer chuckled darkly, and I could hear the faintest trace of amusement in his voice. "I do tend to surprise people, don't I? But enough about me. Let's focus on what's at hand."

The tension in the room was palpable. The council members seemed caught in an awkward limbo, unsure of whether to remain silent or speak up. But it was clear that all eyes were now on Alistair and the newcomer—whatever their relationship was, it had just shifted the entire balance of power in the room.

I forced myself to breathe, to think past the whirlwind of confusion that had taken hold of me. The system, as usual, offered no answers—only a nagging sense of dread.

What was happening? Who was this man, and why had his arrival affected the prince so deeply?

"Your Highness," Lord Dorian began, trying to break the silence, his voice thin with suppressed irritation. "Perhaps you'd like to introduce us to your... guest?"

The prince's lips pressed into a tight line, and for a moment, it seemed as though he was considering whether to respond at all. But finally, he spoke, his voice edged with a restrained tension.

"This," he said, gesturing toward the newcomer, "is Lord Kieran Valemont. He's returned from a mission in Edomir—an important one. And it seems the news from our neighbors has reached him before it reached us."

The name struck me like a bolt of lightning. Lord Kieran Valemont? I had read of him in the stories—though only briefly. He was a name whispered in the darker corners of the kingdom, associated with power and influence beyond the reach of most nobles. A shadow in the background, but always there, pulling the strings.

I could feel his eyes on me again. Cold. Calculating. As if he were measuring my every reaction, weighing me in the balance.

"The treaty," he continued, addressing the room but his eyes never leaving me, "is a matter of great importance, of course. But I believe there are... other considerations we should take into account. Perhaps we should reevaluate our position before we move forward."

His words, casual as they seemed, sent a wave of unease rippling through the council. The nobles exchanged uncertain glances, as if unsure of how to respond to his sudden presence.

But Alistair's expression had hardened. His gaze shifted to Kieran, sharp and unreadable. "You've been gone for months," he said, his tone clipped. "And now, you return and disrupt our plans? You should have consulted me first."

Kieran's lips curled into a smile—one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I did not think it necessary to consult you, my prince. After all, the fate of the kingdom is not solely in your hands, is it?"

A flicker of tension passed between them. I couldn't tell whether it was a rivalry, a disagreement, or something more personal. But whatever it was, it was dangerous.

Kieran stepped forward, his gaze never leaving mine. He circled the table slowly, the room seemingly shrinking with every step he took. I couldn't breathe. My mind raced as he closed the distance between us.

"I have a proposition," he said, his voice soft, yet his words carried an undeniable weight. "Lady Angelica... I believe we can help each other. The council's interests align more than you realize."

My heart skipped a beat. Was he....was he offering an alliance?

But before I could respond, I felt it—the unmistakable shift in the room's energy. Every noble, every adviser, was watching, waiting. There was no turning back now.

Kieran's lips twitched into a sly smile. "Of course, there's one condition."

I braced myself. Whatever came next, I knew it would change everything.

"Your Highness," Kieran's gaze flicked to Alistair. "I will not work with Lady Angelica unless... you step aside."