Dragon King's Harem Chapter 566. The Morning Banquet VI
Dragon King's Harem Chapter 566. The Morning Banquet VI
Elowen lowered her head.
“Yes,” she said gently. “Forever.”
That single word slid through the hall like perfume.
Soft.
Sweet.
Poisonous.
“I have trusted you with my daughter,” she continued, placing one hand over her heart. “And through her, I entrust our future to this bond. May our people never be divided again.”
Beautiful.
Also, wow, that woman was evil with excellent diction.
I could respect the craft while still wanting to put magic restraints around her wrists.
Durharn looked moved.
Then he turned back to Seranaya and lifted one hand.
A servant approached immediately, carrying a small velvet cushion.
On it rested a token.
At first glance, it looked romantic.
A beautifully forged bracelet, dark metal mixed with green gemstones, shaped with dwarven runes and nymph vine patterns. A gift. A symbol of love. A husband’s offering to his new wife.
That was what everyone was supposed to see.
I didn’t.
[Observation Activated]
[Item Identified: Royal Consort Authority Bracelet]
[Grade: Royal Artifact]
[Origin: Dwarven Royal Forge]
[Linked Authority: Dwarven Throne]
[Authority Functions Detected:]
[Dwarven Command Recognition]
[Council Chamber Access]
[Royal Seal Synchronization]
[Administrative Command Authentication]
[Limited Military Order Validation]
[Treasury Gate Permission]
[Artifact grants wearer recognized authority within the Dwarven Kingdom’s internal command structure.]
[Authority level exceeds ceremonial token classification.]
I almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was insane.
No.
Actually, it was both.
Congratulations, Nymph Tribe.
You did it.
You got what you came for.
Not territory yet.
Not openly.
But the door? Unlocked.
The throne? Shared.
The kingdom’s internal authority? Placed gently into Seranaya’s beautiful little hands by a smiling king who thought this was romance.
Durharn took the bracelet from the cushion himself.
“My queen,” he said, voice low enough to feel intimate but still projected enough for everyone to hear. “Accept this token as proof of my love and trust.”
Seranaya’s eyes shimmered again.
Perfectly.
“My king,” she whispered.
He clasped it around her wrist.
The moment it locked, the runes pulsed once.
Subtle.
Almost invisible.
But I saw it.
Marissa saw my expression shift and leaned slightly closer.
Her voice barely reached me. “What is it?”
I smiled softly, keeping my face relaxed for anyone watching. “Authority token.”
Evelina’s fingers tightened on her bracelet.
Sela’s eyes went cold.
Yeah.
No need to explain further.
Queen Elowen watched the bracelet activate.
Her smile didn’t change.
But her eyes?
Oh, they were satisfied.
Durharn finally turned back to the hall, lifting both arms with great cheer. “Let the celebration begin!”
The guards struck their weapons against the floor.
The music swelled.
Servants moved.
And then…
Food came.
So much food.
Honestly, insulting amounts of food considering we had been emotionally preparing to be poisoned on an empty stomach.
Long trays appeared one after another. Warm bread with melted herb butter. Roasted mushrooms stuffed with cheese. Crystal bowls of fruit. Golden pastries. Thick dwarven breakfast meats glazed in honey and spice. Steaming grain porridge with cream. Sweet flower cakes clearly prepared by nymph cooks. Fresh tea. Morning wine. Honeyed milk.
A good breakfast.
A fantastic breakfast, actually.
The kind of breakfast that made hungry dragons reconsider morality.
Unfortunately?
Poisoned.
The tray closest to us was placed with elegant care by a servant who looked too nervous to know anything. Poor girl probably thought this was just normal royal service and not attempted mass poisoning with garnish.
I picked up a small pastry.
Beautiful thing.
Flaky.
Golden.
Smelled like butter, flower nectar, and betrayal.
[Observation Activated]
The system responded instantly.
[Foreign Substance Detected]
[Classification: Modified Botanical-Earth Toxin]
[Original Effect: Mana Channel Collapse, Internal Organ Suppression, Paralytic Weakening]
[Current State: Tempered]
[Antidote Components Detected]
[Threat Level: Reduced]
[Estimated Effect on Host: Negligible]
[Estimated Effect on Unprotected Subjects: Mild to Moderate Symptoms]
[Warning: Residual Reaction May Trigger Visible Distress]
There it was.
Al’s work.
Beautiful little bastard.
I glanced toward him without turning my head fully.
Al stood behind us, face completely blank.
Professional.
Pretending he had not spent last night turning a kingdom-scale assassination into spicy indigestion with political consequences.
I loved competence.
Traumatized by his potions, yes.
But loved competence.
The poison had been tempered enough to make it almost useless.
Almost.
That was important.
Because the symptoms would still appear.
Weakness.
Dizziness.
Nausea.
Mana disruption.
Enough to sell the moment.
Not enough to truly kill.
For us?
Nothing.
The antidote in our bracelets, rings, and bodies blocked even the residue.
Still, I didn’t eat immediately.
Because paranoia had kept me alive this long and I was not about to offend her now.
Across the hall, nobles began eating.
Laughing.
Talking.
Toasting.
Durharn fed Seranaya a small piece of fruit with the kind of stupid romantic smile that made me want to drag him outside and shake him until strategy fell back into his skull.
Seranaya accepted it with a blush.
The hall sighed.
Queen Elowen watched.
I watched her.
Sela’s voice came low beside me. “So?”
I smiled faintly and lifted the pastry. “It’s poisoned.”
Evelina stiffened despite expecting it.
Sela’s face didn’t change.
“But it’s tempered,” I added.
I took a bite.
Flaky.
Sweet.
Annoyingly delicious.
Damn it.
Why was poisoned food always good?
[Antidote Reaction: Active]
[Toxin Neutralized]
[Residual Effect: None]
I chewed slowly, swallowed, then nodded. “Al did well.”
Behind me, Al spoke calmly.“I live to serve, Your Majesty.”
“Don’t sound smug.”
“I am not.”
He absolutely was.
The girls began eating carefully too. Evelina took a tiny bite first, then blinked like she hated that it tasted good.
Sela whispered, “This is criminal.”
“The poison?” Marissa asked.
“No. How good this pastry is.”
Valid.
But the mood shifted soon after.
Not all at once.
Slowly.
A noble on the western side paused mid-laugh and touched his forehead.
A fairy attendant lowered her cup, blinking several times.
One dwarven merchant leaned back, face paling.
Then another.
Then another.
The symptoms began spreading like quiet ripples across a pond.
Not death.
Not panic yet.
Just discomfort.
Confusion.
The first stage of a trap waking up.
I lowered my cup gently.
A smile stayed on my face.
Joyful guest.
Polite king.
Internally?
My claws were already out.