The ballroom's atmosphere buzzed with tension as Eva stood in the corner alongside Mary and her friends. Her eyes flicked toward the stage, where the empress, dressed in her beautiful brown gown, stepped onto the stage. The crowd's murmurs quietened as she raised a hand, commanding instant silence.

''Lords and ladies of the empire,'' Empress Dahlia began. ''May I have your attention!''

All eyes turned to the brunette woman just as Eva caught sight of Maxwell, his face flushed with humiliation, dragging the unconscious Cecelia toward the exit. Her limp body sagged against him, drawing a few stifled gasps from the onlookers. When she saw this, her lips twitched into a satisfied smirk, but her attention quickly returned to the stage.

''It is my honor,'' the empress continued, amber eyes sweeping the room. ''To present a young man whose bravery has served this empire in its time of need. Raegar Blackwood, Guardian of the empire, grandson of the Lion of Dawnfire and the Witch of the West.''

Amazement swept through the crowd, and Eva's breath hitched. The name hit her like a lightning strike. Whispers told of a young man, barely seventeen, whose daggers killed countless bandits, demonic legions, and monstrous hordes. She had met Lion of Dawnfire, a legendary warrior whose Aether helped forge the empire's borders.

Then, there was the Witch of the West, a sorceress whose power was said to rival the gods, and he was their grandson, the white-haired young man with the blazing red eyes who had just intervened on her behalf. Her heart thudded, a mix of intrigue and disbelief swirling within her.

'He's not a normal noble,' she thought, her earlier curiosity deepening into something more profound.

But the empress's next words sent a shockwave through the room, silencing everyone. ''And it is with great joy that I announce, when the time is right, Raegar and I are engaged to be married.''

Following her words, the hall went deathly quiet, the air thick with astonishment. Eva's eyes widened, her mind reeling. 'Engaged to the empress?'

The man who had just invited her out to the city, who had challenged the Imperial Guards with a grin, was betrothed to the ruler of the empire. The weight of the revelation settled over her, mingling with the sting of her own complicated emotions. She glanced at Raegar, who stood near the stage, his expression unreadable.

Moments later, his red eyes caught hers, and his roguish grin flickered briefly before he turned back to the empress. The crowd erupted into applause, some nobles exchanging wary glances, others murmuring about the implications of such a union. Eva's friends, Mary included, leaned closer, their whispers urgent.

'Did you know?'' Mary hissed, her eyes wide.

Eva shook her head, still processing the shock, her earlier boldness now changed to a strange mix of admiration and unease. As the empress descended, Raegar stepped forward, his presence magnetic. He leaned in, speaking softly to her, and the empress nodded, her expression softening.

Eva's voice rang out, silencing the hall with her shocking decree. ''Raegar has my blessing to meet Duchess Westfall, as the other wives have given theirs.''

The words hit Eva like a second blow. Every head turned toward her, the weight of their scrutiny pressing against her. She straightened, though her heart raced. 'What does he want with me?' she wondered, her mind spinning.

The empress's approval only deepened the mystery, and the fact that Raegar had requested this meeting in front of the entire court sent a thrill through her. Without another word, Eva inclined her head toward the empress, a gesture of respect, then turned to her friends, but was interrupted as Duke Northwood stepped forward.

''My empress, don't you think marrying a man many years younger is taboo?'' the older man said.

Eva's heart pounded as the Duke's brazen words echoed through the hall, his audacity sparking murmurs of disbelief through the crowd. But before the empress could respond, a chilling hush fell over the chamber, the air itself seeming to thicken with an unspoken menace.

From the shadows at the far end of the hall, Raegar emerged. Flanking him were two powerful knights, armor gleaming with an otherworldly aura, one radiating a spectral blue glow, the other cloaked in an inky blackness that seemed to swallow the light around it.

The crowd parted, gasps rippling through the assembly as all eyes fixed on the young man.

His piercing gaze locked onto the Duke, a silent promise of reckoning. But it was what followed that turned the tide of the moment, shifting the very foundation of the room's power. From the floor, a legion of crimson-clad warriors poured forth, their armor gleaming like polished rubies under the chandelier's flickering light.

Each plate was etched with runes that pulsed faintly, as if imbued with some ancient magic. Their movements were precise, disciplined, and utterly terrifying. In an instant, the warriors fanned out, surrounding the Duke's loyalists. Blades flashed as they pressed their edges against the throats of the defiant, who froze, their earlier bravado crumbling under the weight of cold steel.

Not a single ally was spared; each stood pinned by the gaze of a crimson sentinel, the air thick with the unspoken threat of violence. The hall, once alive with whispers and gossip, now held its breath; the balance of power had altered in a single moment.

***

(Sometime before the announcement)

Raegar just returned from talking to Duchess Westfall as the women watched him, and Dahlia was quick to tease. ''Looks like my brother's fiancée has caught your eye. I didn't know you liked that sort of woman, Rae.''

''She has guts!'' Selene exclaimed, excited at the drama unfolding.

The others laughed at this, but Dahlia spoke up, informing him. ''Rae, I have to go prepare for the announcement. Do you mind keeping an eye on everything?''

''Of course,'' he answered.

Following that, he scanned the hall, noticing several groups forming, made up of the Dawnfire Nobles that annoyed him. He then spotted his parents and grandparents chatting to their friend, only to be brought back to reality sometime later when Dahlia appeared on the stage, gazing out over the crowd.

It went as well as he expected, causing chaos throughout the hall with whispers of doubt and all kinds of things that further annoyed him. Just then, one chubby Duke stepped forward and added wood to the fire by questioning Dahlia's choice, prompting him to intervene.

With a single thought, Raegar summoned the Fusion Army that washed out like a tide, threatening the nobles as he stepped forward, red eyes glowing with fury as he looked at the Duke. ''Who are you to question my woman? Have you fought a Devil Lord? Have you beaten back waves of monsters threatening to overwhelm towns?''

The older man trembled, gulping loudly as he swallowed hard, yet Raegar continued. ''No, you haven't!'' he bellowed, his words ringing through the cavernous hall. "It was I who purged the empire of its bandits, I who stopped the Devils' raids, and it me who scares the other realms into not invading!''

In a blink, he vanished from his place at the center of the hall, his form a mere blur of shadow and intent. Gasps erupted from the gathered nobles as he reappeared directly before the Duke, his presence a sudden, suffocating force. The air seemed to crackle around him, charged with the raw energy of his rage.

Without a word, Raegar's fist shot forward, connecting with the Duke's gut. The nobleman's expression collapsed into a grimace of shock and pain as he doubled over, his knees giving out on him. The older man crumpled to the floor, his gasps for breath echoing in the stunned silence.

The onlookers froze, eyes wide in fear and awe. Raegar loomed over the fallen Duke, chest heaving, daggers sheathed but glinting ominously at his sides. The hall, once vibrant, now pulsed with an unspoken truth: he was not a man to be crossed, his wrath capable of shifting fate itself.

Raegar glanced around the hall and warned the crowd. ''If any of you get any idea's of rebellion, my army will be at your manor and I'll kill every member of your famalies.''

When the threst was heard, the Dawnfire Nobility shuddered in collective fright but Dahlia stepped in with a warm smile. ''That will only happen if you betray me, or question my choice of man.''

The brunette looked around and continued. ''This is the young man who will save our empire from the coming troubles. The world will change into something none of know but at least we can survive if working together.''

When the hall heard this, Duchess Eva spoke up, a concerned expression crossing her face. ''What threats?''

''I'll explain on our date tomorrow, Eva,'' Raegar responded, smirking at the older white-haired woman who flustered.

Just then, an explosion erupted outside the palace, alarming everyone but Raegar's eyes lit up as more Fusion Warriors appeared, surrounding the nobles in a protective circle as he ordered. ''Do not allow them to be harm!''

He glanced at the women. ''You guys stay here and protect the hall. I'll go see what is happening.''