The Great Hall of Jotunheol blazed with a thousand candles, their flames dancing across silk banners that bore the heraldry of the five great houses. Servants in white tunics moved between tables draped in midnight blue cloth, setting crystal goblets beside plates of hammered gold. The air hung thick with jasmine incense and the murmur of arriving guests.
Prince Yarihc stood at the hall's entrance, now sixteen and lean with the build of a practiced swordsman. His dark skin caught the candlelight as he adjusted the ceremonial mask that covered the upper half of his face—carved obsidian shaped like a raven's head, with silver threads tracing the eye sockets. The Mask of House Ash, worn by tradition at such gatherings.
"Your Highness." A servant bowed low. "The first guests have arrived."
Through the arched doorway came Lady Seraphina of House Storm, her midnight-blue gown trailing behind her. She wore a mask of polished steel shaped like storm clouds, with tiny sapphires embedded where lightning might strike. Behind her walked three younger nobles, their faces hidden behind masks of similar design.
Yarihc stepped forward, his voice carrying the practiced warmth of court etiquette. "Lady Seraphina. House Storm honors us with their presence."
She inclined her head slightly. "Prince Yarihc. A splendid evening for such festivities." Her voice held a careful neutrality, though Yarihc caught the way her eyes—visible above the mask's edge—studied the hall's arrangements.
More guests flowed through the entrance. Lord Cassius of House Tide arrived with a delegation of six, their masks carved from pale coral to resemble flowing water. The bronze threading in their formal robes caught the light as they moved toward the wine tables.
"Cassius." Yarihc clasped the older man's forearm in greeting. "How fares the coastal trade?"
"Profitable, Highness. Though the desert routes grow troublesome." Cassius's weathered face, visible below his mask, showed genuine concern. "Sunwalker raiders have struck three caravans this month."
"Disturbing news." Yarihc's expression remained neutral. "Perhaps tonight's discussions will yield solutions."
The hall filled steadily. Nobles of House Iron clustered near the high table, their masks forged from blackened steel with gold inlays. House Jade's representatives wore masks of polished green stone, while House Ash—Yarihc's own house—favored the dark obsidian and silver designs.
Musicians began playing from the gallery above—soft melodies from string instruments that mixed Captivating rhythms with imperial court harmonies. The sound wove through conversations as guests moved between tables, sampling wine and delicacies.
Near the wine table, Yarihc spotted Matthias Corven. The young mage wore simple brown robes and a plain leather mask, marking him as minor court personnel rather than nobility. Their eyes met briefly, and Matthias gave the slightest nod toward the eastern alcove.
"Excuse me, Lord Cassius. I must greet other guests."
Yarihc moved through the crowd with practiced ease, pausing to exchange pleasantries with various nobles. A touch on an arm here, a shared observation about the evening's entertainment there. All while slowly making his way toward the alcove where Matthias waited.
"Your Highness." Matthias bowed when Yarihc approached. "A word, if you please?"
They stepped into the alcove's shadow, away from the main crowd. Matthias leaned close, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper.
"The war plans, Highness. Lady Seraphina received them this afternoon. A scroll bearing House Storm's seal, delivered by courier."
Yarihc's fingers drummed once against his goblet. "And her reaction?"
"Anger. She summoned her war council immediately. They spent two hours reviewing the documents." Matthias paused. "She believes House Storm intends to commit forces to the eastern front without consulting House Tide."
"Excellent." Yarihc's voice remained low. "Continue monitoring her correspondence. Report any messages to or from House Tide."
"Of course, Highness." Matthias bowed again and melted back into the crowd.
The forged documents had been Yarihc's work—carefully crafted papers that appeared to outline House Storm's military plans while actually revealing nothing of substance. But Lady Seraphina wouldn't know that. She would see only what appeared to be evidence of House Storm's duplicity, further poisoning the already strained relationship between the two houses.
"Prince Yarihc?"
He turned to find Princess Mira approaching, her mask a delicate creation of silver and pearl shaped like a crescent moon. She wore a gown of deep purple silk that rustled as she moved.
"Sister." He inclined his head. "You look radiant this evening."
"Thank you." She glanced around the hall, then stepped closer. "I wanted to thank you for the protective wards. Matthias said you arranged them?"
Yarihc's expression remained carefully neutral. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"The assassination plot." Mira's voice dropped to a whisper. "Someone tried to poison my wine three nights ago. But the goblet shattered before I could drink. Magic of some kind."
"How fortunate." Yarihc sipped his own wine. "Perhaps the gods watch over you."
Mira studied his face, though the mask hid most of his expression. "Perhaps. Or perhaps I have allies I wasn't aware of."
Before Yarihc could respond, a commotion near the hall's entrance drew their attention. A messenger in House Tide's colors had arrived, his face flushed from hard riding. He pushed through the crowd toward Lord Cassius.
"My lord." The messenger's voice carried across the hall's sudden quiet. "Urgent news from the frontier."
Cassius stepped forward, his coral mask catching the candlelight. "Speak."
"The Sunwalker raids, my lord. Intelligence suggests they're coordinated with elements within the empire. Someone feeds them information about caravan routes."
Murmurs rippled through the assembled nobles. Yarihc watched as eyes turned toward various house representatives, suspicion flickering behind decorative masks.
"Treason," someone whispered.
"Who brings such accusations?" Lady Seraphina's voice cut through the murmur. She stepped forward, her storm-cloud mask gleaming. "House Tide points fingers while offering no proof."
"We point no fingers," Cassius replied evenly. "We merely report what our scouts have discovered."
"Your scouts." Seraphina's tone grew colder. "The same scouts who failed to prevent three caravan losses? Perhaps House Tide seeks to blame others for their own failures."
The tension in the hall grew palpable. Nobles of various houses began clustering closer to their own kind, hands moving unconsciously toward ceremonial weapons.
Yarihc stepped forward, his voice carrying the authority of imperial blood. "Peace, my lords and ladies. This is a night for unity, not division."
"Unity?" Seraphina turned toward him. "While traitors sell our caravans to desert raiders?"
"If traitors exist," Yarihc replied smoothly, "then we must root them out through investigation, not accusation." He gestured toward the assembled nobles. "Every house here has sworn loyalty to the empire. I trust that loyalty remains unbroken."
"Pretty words," Cassius said. "But words won't stop the raids."
"No," Yarihc agreed. "Action will. Perhaps it's time to consider new strategies."
He moved to the center of the hall, where a detailed map of the empire had been laid out on a side table for the evening's entertainment. The map showed trade routes, military positions, and known raider strongholds.
"The desert routes follow predictable patterns," Yarihc continued, tracing lines on the map with his finger. "Caravans travel during daylight, rest at known oases, follow established paths. Easy to predict, easy to ambush."
"You suggest we abandon the established routes?" asked Lord Aldric of House Storm, his mask shaped like a lightning bolt.
"I suggest we make them unpredictable." Yarihc's finger moved to areas marked as wasteland. "Night travel through hostile terrain. Split caravans that reunite at distant points. False routes that lead raiders into traps."
"Risky," Cassius observed.
"Risk balanced against reward." Yarihc looked up from the map. "The current system clearly fails. Innovation requires courage."
Murmurs of consideration rippled through the crowd. Several nobles moved closer to examine the map, their earlier tensions momentarily forgotten as they focused on the strategic problem.
"The boy makes sense," admitted Lady Seraphina grudgingly. "Though implementing such changes would require coordination between houses."
"Coordination we've lacked," Cassius added pointedly.
"Then perhaps this evening serves a purpose beyond entertainment," Yarihc suggested. "Let us discuss cooperation over wine and music, rather than recrimination."
The immediate crisis defused, nobles began to drift back toward their conversations. But Yarihc noticed how the earlier clustering had intensified. House Storm nobles spoke only among themselves, while House Tide representatives formed their own tight circle.
He had achieved his goal. The forged documents had planted seeds of mistrust that would grow in the coming weeks. Lady Seraphina now viewed House Storm with suspicion, while House Tide's accusations had put everyone on edge.
"Clever," Princess Mira murmured beside him. "Turn their focus toward external threats while internal divisions deepen."
Yarihc glanced at her, but his mask hid any expression. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"Of course not." Mira's smile held no warmth. "Just as you're not sure about those protective wards."
She turned and walked away, leaving Yarihc alone beside the map. He studied the marked positions, calculating distances and timing. The desert raids were a genuine problem, but they also provided useful cover for his own activities.
"Your Highness?"
Kael approached, now eighteen and promoted to senior stable master. He wore a simple mask of brown leather, appropriate to his station.
"The horses are ready for any departures," Kael reported quietly. "And I have those updates you requested."
"Speak."
"Prince Darius has been training with the eastern garrison. His horse returns muddy from the practice fields each morning. Seems the incident from five years ago motivate him" Kael paused. "While Princess Mira's midnight rides have changed pattern. She now heads toward the southern gardens, not the eastern ones."
Yarihc nodded. The information was something he already confirmed about Mira's old romantic entanglement . A young chieftain of the Stormcaller nomads had been seen near the southern walls, according to other reports.
"And the Grimoire Tower?"
"Master Corvain dismissed his evening students early for three consecutive nights. The tower's upper floors remain lit past midnight."
Interesting. Yarihc made a mental note to have Matthias investigate. Any disruption to the tower's routine could signal important developments.
"Thank you, Kael. Your service is noted."
The young man bowed and departed, leaving Yarihc to observe the continuing party. The evening progressed with careful politeness, but underlying tensions remained. Representatives of different houses spoke in measured tones while their eyes calculated advantages.
Near midnight, as the gathering began to wind down, Yarihc made his final move. He approached Lady Seraphina as she prepared to depart.
"My lady. A moment?"
She turned, her steel mask reflecting the dying candlelight. "Prince Yarihc?"
"I wanted to discuss the eastern front," he said quietly. "Away from other ears."
She glanced around the hall, then nodded. They moved to a quiet corner where heavy tapestries muffled sound.
"You seem well-informed about House Storm's intentions," Yarihc observed.
"I make it my business to know what affects my house's interests."
"Wise." Yarihc's voice remained neutral. "Though I wonder if your information is complete."
"Meaning?"
"The documents you received today. Did you verify their authenticity?"
Lady Seraphina's posture stiffened slightly. "They bore proper seals and signatures."
"Seals can be copied. Signatures forged." Yarihc met her gaze directly. "I would hate to see House Storm and House Tide come to conflict over false intelligence."
"You suggest the documents were fabricated?"
"I suggest caution in all things." Yarihc stepped back. "Trust, once broken, proves difficult to repair."
He left her standing there, doubt now mixing with her earlier certainty. The seeds of confusion had been planted. Over the coming days, Lady Seraphina would question not just the documents' content, but their source. That uncertainty would spread to her interactions with House Tide, further poisoning their relationship.
As the last guests departed, Yarihc stood alone in the emptying hall. Servants moved efficiently to clear tables and extinguish candles. The evening had accomplished its purpose—deepening divisions between potential rivals while positioning him as a voice of reason and innovation.
He removed his obsidian mask, feeling the cool air against his face. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but tonight's work had advanced his longer-term goals. The court of Jotunheol was indeed a place of masks, where true intentions remained hidden behind carefully crafted facades.
The game continued, and he intended to win.