Chapter 9 The Arrival of the Tyrant

The grand dining hall was packed with people. Hundreds of candles burned in large circular racks hanging from the ceiling, shedding bright light over long tables piled high with roasted meats, sweet fruits, and tall glass bottles. High nobles from all over the province sat in their finest clothes, talking in low, excited voices.

Rudy sat at the edge of the main table, looking completely relaxed. He held a glass of light water, turning it slowly in his fingers. He had intentionally avoided the strong wine the servants kept trying to pour for him.

A few seats down, Bella sat next to Lord Alistair. Her silver dress caught the bright candlelight, making her stand out from everyone else in the room. Her face was perfectly still, but Rudy could see the tightness in her shoulders. She was holding her fork so tightly her knuckles were white.

"Smile, girl," Alistair muttered to her from the side, his voice low and threatening. "The royal family will be here any minute. Don't look like you are attending a funeral."

Bella did not answer. She just lowered her eyes to her plate.

Suddenly, the heavy double doors at the end of the hall swung open. The loud chatter in the room died down instantly. A herald stepped forward, lifting a long horn to his lips before calling out in a loud, booming voice.

"Announcing His Imperial Highness, Crown Prince Kaelen Xephyrus!"

Everyone in the hall stood up at once, bowing their heads low toward the entrance. Rudy stood up as well, bowing just enough to blend in with the crowd, but his eyes stayed focused on the doorway.

Kaelen walked into the hall. He was tall, muscular, and had bright blond hair that fell perfectly around his face. He looked incredibly handsome, but there was an intense, suffocating weight to his presence. The way he walked showed he believed everything he looked at belonged to him. Two lines of heavily armored imperial guards followed right behind him, their boots clicking loudly against the floorboards.

Alistair stepped forward, bowing deeply. "Welcome to our home, Your Highness. House Vance is honored by your presence."

Kaelen didn't even look at Alistair. His cold blue eyes scanned the room, ignoring the bowing nobles, until they landed directly on Bella. A slow, satisfied smile formed on his lips. He walked past the family master, stepping right into Bella's personal space.

"So, you are the adopted daughter I heard so much about," Kaelen said. His voice was smooth, but it carried a heavy, dominant tone that made the air feel thin. He reached out, grabbing her chin with his fingers and forcing her to look up at him. "The rumors didn't do you justice. You are a rare beauty, Bella."

Bella went perfectly rigid. She didn't pull away, knowing the danger of disrespecting the prince, but her dark eyes were full of cold resentment. "Thank you, Your Highness."

"You will sit next to me tonight," Kaelen stated, not asking for her opinion. He turned to Alistair. "Change the seating. I want her by my side."

"Of course, Your Highness," Alistair said quickly, looking pleased.

Rudy watched the encounter, his hand tightening around his glass. Before he could take a step, a sudden flash of light caught his eye. Right in front of his face, the yellowed parchment materialized, floating invisibly to everyone else. Fresh black ink poured across the page:

Rudeus Vance, fueled by too much wine and jealousy over the prince's attention, stood up and threw his glass at the royal guest. He screamed insults at Kaelen, completely destroying his family's name before the guards dragged him out to the courtyard for immediate execution.

Rudy’s breath caught in his throat. The countdown had started. The original script was trying to force his body to move toward the wine bottles. He could feel a strange, unnatural pull in his arms, urging him to grab a nearby jug and drink until his mind went blank.

He fought the feeling, planting his feet firmly against the ground and focusing on his inner magic pool to keep his thoughts clear.

Kaelen finally broke his gaze from Bella and looked toward the rest of the table. His eyes landed on Rudy, who was standing a few feet away, looking right back at him instead of keeping his head down like the other nobles.

"And who is this?" Kaelen asked, his eyebrows rising slightly. "Is this your eldest son, Alistair? The one everyone calls the useless heir?"

The nobles in the room let out a few quiet, nervous chuckles. Alistair's face flushed with quick embarrassment.

"Yes, Your Highness," Alistair said, shooting a warning glare at Rudy. "This is Rudeus. He is... quiet tonight."

Kaelen walked over to Rudy, stopping just an inch away. He was taller than Rudy's new body, and he used his height to look down on him. "I heard you don't even know how to cast a basic light spark, Rudeus. Is that true? It must be difficult living as a blank space in a house of warriors."

Rudy felt the unnatural script pulling at his mouth, trying to make him shout an insult. He clamped his jaw shut for a second, forcing the system's urge down, before opening his mouth to speak in a calm, completely relaxed tone.

"The rumors are often exaggerated, Your Highness," Rudy said, giving a small, polite nod. "But I am content with my position. A blank space simply means there is room to write something new."

Kaelen blinked, clearly surprised by the calm response. He had expected the boy to stutter or get angry based on the reports his spies had given him. He stared into Rudy's black eyes, trying to find a tremor of fear, but Rudy didn't blink.

"Is that so?" Kaelen said, his voice turning a bit sharper. "We will see what you write during my stay here, then."

The prince turned around, walking back to the center of the table and pulling Bella’s chair out for her. Bella shot a quick, desperate look toward Rudy over her shoulder. Her eyes were wide, filled with a silent plea for help as the tyrant sat down right next to her.

Rudy looked back at the floating parchment. The lines of text were shaking, as if the book itself was confused by his sudden control. He had managed to avoid the first trap, but he could see the script rewriting itself in real time, preparing a new way to end his life before the night was over.