CHAPTER 196: THE MEETING GIFT

After the fight was over, Fiona invited King Erevan and the other council members to a celebratory feast. A large hall had been prepared behind the VIP gallery for the occasion. Only the clan heads of the attending clans and the alphas of the Raynor Clan were permitted to join.

Before anyone took their seats, Fiona formally introduced each participant of the feast one by one. When it was Ethan’s turn, he felt a sudden wave of hostility emanating from the king. Although Erevan maintained his usual smile and nodded at him just like he did with the others, Ethan couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that the king wanted to beat him up.

"Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me after the fight," he thought, brushing off the unease.

But another person also caught the fleeting shift in the king’s expression—Sarika, the priest. "Typical. He can’t stand the man who stole his daughter’s heart," she mused inwardly, though her face remained as unreadable as ever. She silently took her place beside the king.

A generous array of dishes had been prepared beforehand. Most were regional delicacies from across the kingdom. King Erevan was seated at the head of the long table, with Fiona to his right and Sarika to his left. The rest of the council members sat nearby, followed by the visiting clan heads, and finally, the alphas of the Raynor Clan.

Maids from Clan Blanc moved gracefully between the guests, serving food and assisting as needed. As the host, Fiona personally helped the king choose and serve dishes according to his preferences.

King Erevan glanced at Fiona and asked, "I’ve seen many of your clan members here today, but I haven’t seen your young miss. Is she well?"

The question sparked different thoughts in Sarika and Fiona’s minds. Both heard the king’s words loud and clear.

"He couldn’t wait to see his daughter. It’s unfortunate he came all the way here but hasn’t seen her," Sarika thought.

"That bastard from the Gerymoore Clan... He’s turned the king against Eleanor. The king must be searching for her to question her about that incident," Fiona thought, her eyes narrowing slightly as they shifted towards George Gerymoore at the far end of the table.

On the other side, George suddenly felt a foreboding chill trickle down his spine. He looked around warily, but no one seemed to be paying him any attention.

Sarika said, "Yes, Fiona, I was thinking the same. This is such a major event for your clan, yet she didn’t join us. Where is she?"

Fiona smiled and replied, "A sudden issue arose in her business, and she had to attend to it immediately. You know how large her operations are. Ever since His Majesty declared that all future clan heads must participate in the Trial of Yggdrasil, she’s been trying to wrap things up quickly. Don’t worry—she will come to greet His Majesty after the feast."

Sarika nodded, "I actually like the girl. She’s young, bold, and unafraid of risk. I believe she’ll be even more successful than you a century from now."

Fiona chuckled. "That she will. In terms of personal assets, she has already surpassed me at her age. If she manages to maintain this momentum, I believe she’ll do a far better job than I ever could."

As she spoke, Fiona subtly pulled her phone from her clutch and sent a message to Eleanor:

"Where are you? The king wants to see you."

She continued discussing recent events in the supernatural world with the council members, who were now engaged in a broader conversation.

Two minutes passed without a reply.

Fiona typed again—this time to Teresa:

"Ask Eleanor to check her phone. It’s urgent."

This time, the reply came instantly:

"Okay."

***

Eleanor was working diligently in her lab at Heimdall Tower. She had planned to finish some coding first, then head over to spectate the final match. But once it began, she became so engrossed in her work that she lost all sense of time.

Her concentration was broken by the beep of the door lock’s scanner. Only Teresa and Maya had permission to enter the lab besides her—both required full-body scans for access.

She looked up as the door slid open. Teresa peeked in and said, "Fiona Raynor asked you to check your mobile."

Eleanor glanced across the room at her phone. The moment she picked it up, her expression darkened as she remembered what she’d forgotten. "Shit!" she cursed.

It was far too late to catch the fight.

She quickly replied to Fiona’s message:

"Sorry. I’ll be there in ten minutes."

Then she shouted, "Teresa! Tell the pilot to ready the helicopter on the roof. I need to go to the Raynor Estate—I’m already late!"

"Okay," Teresa replied before closing the door and hurrying to give instructions to the pilot.

Eleanor threw on her signature purple blazer and slipped her phone into the inner pocket. "Nora, give me the current build progress," she said as she walked over to the makeover table and began quickly touching up her face.

Nora’s calm voice echoed from the lab speaker:

"Core Framework: 100%

Neural Processing Unit: 100%

Data Ingestion Pipeline: 92%

Sensor Integration Module: 87%

Autonomous Navigation Logic: 75%

Threat Detection AI Core: 61%

Communication Interface: 54%

Decision-Making Engine: 49%

Energy Optimisation Layer: 63%

Redundancy System: 39%

Safety Protocols: 35%

Satellite–Environment Link: 28%

Total Completion: 78%

Estimated Time Remaining: 12 days

Build Mode: Active."

Eleanor sighed in resignation as she listened to the report. "Still not enough. I need to be faster," she muttered.

"Nora, troubleshoot any issues with the current progress. Save the log. I’ll pick it up later," she said firmly.

"As you wish. Do you want me to run a compatibility test as well?" Nora asked.

"Okay. Do that too," Eleanor replied as she strode out of the lab.

She took the elevator straight to the rooftop. The helicopter was already prepped and waiting. As she stepped on board, the rotors spun faster and the aircraft lifted into the air, heading directly towards the Raynor Estate.

***

When Eleanor reached the Raynor Estate, the feast was already underway. Except for Isadora... who had remained behind to guard the lab while Eleanor worked, none of her shadow guards had accompanied her. Although she had instructed them to travel by road with her convoy, they would take some time to arrive.

Eleanor sat on a sofa just outside the feast venue and sent a message to Fiona:

"I am outside. Call me if you need me."

She then called over a nearby Clan Blanc member who was cleaning the gallery and asked her about the battle and the guests. It didn’t take long for Eleanor to get a clear picture of the match and who the visiting dignitaries were.

After receiving her message, Fiona smiled and turned to the king. "Your Majesty, Eleanor has arrived. She is waiting outside to meet you after the feast."

King Erevan replied, "No need to wait until the feast concludes. I’ll meet her now. I’ve received a few complaints against her that I need to confirm personally. It would be better to speak with her while the feast continues... I plan to depart once it’s done."

He raised his voice for all to hear, "Everyone, please carry on with the celebration. I shall return shortly."

He glanced at Sarika. "Sarika, oversee the feast in my absence."

Sarika chuckled inwardly. "So, he’s finally going to meet Eleanor. Of all those present, only I know the real reason he wishes to speak with her."

But outwardly, she replied with a respectful tone, "Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I shall handle everything."

As the king rose and exited the room, Fiona followed close behind, visibly anxious. All the council members had heard what the king said. They were well aware of Alistair Gerymoore’s complaint. It didn’t take a genius to piece things together.

Once the king had left, Stellan Ragnar Fenroth chuckled. "Looks like young Miss Raynor is in trouble."

Dalisay Mayari Cordillera added, "I didn’t expect His Majesty to take Alistair’s complaint seriously. Even the Gerymoore Clan stripped him of his position over that issue."

Yara Arara Neblina said, "I heard the Lychos Clan launched an investigation after the complaint. No idea what they found, but for the king to personally confront her, it must be significant."

Sarika simply smiled and remained silent.

***

Just as they stepped outside the dining hall, Erevan said, "Fiona, is there a secluded place where I may speak with you and Eleanor in private? I dislike staying within a vampire artefact."

Fiona nodded. "I understand, Your Majesty. Let’s go to my residence."

The two began walking away from the stadium. Not far ahead, they spotted Eleanor seated on a sofa, talking to Isadora. Erevan glanced at the young woman without any visible emotion, but internally he felt unsettled... she looked just like her mother. He was at a loss for words.

Fiona didn’t notice his reaction and called out, "Eleanor! Come here."

Hearing the call, Eleanor turned. Upon seeing the king beside Fiona, she immediately stood and sprinted over. When she reached them, she placed her palm over her chest and knelt on one knee.

"Eleanor Elizabeth Raynor pays her respects to His Majesty."

Erevan said curtly, "Rise and follow us."

Eleanor stood and fell in line behind them as they made their way to Fiona’s residence.

Inside, Adrian and Selene Raynor were speaking with several clan members in the drawing room... guests who had come to watch the final match. Upon seeing the king enter, everyone knelt on one knee to pay their respects.

King Erevan said, "At ease. Fiona, please lead the way."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Fiona responded.

She guided them upstairs to her private study. Once inside, she closed the door and said, "Your Majesty, please take a seat. This room is completely soundproof. Even my shadow guards won’t hear a word if the door is shut."

The king walked behind the desk and sat in the main chair. "You two, no need to stand. Sit."

Fiona and Eleanor took the seats across from him.

King Erevan began, "Don’t worry, Fiona. I didn’t come to speak with Eleanor because of the Gerymoore Clan’s complaint. That was merely a pretext. But I am curious why the Raynor Clan has suddenly taken an interest in politics."

Fiona glanced at Eleanor, who calmly said, "Your Majesty, it was my decision alone. The clan had no involvement. I have a product that can only be sold to governments. So, I needed to place certain individuals in positions of influence to facilitate the transactions. I chose the day of the duelling match for fun."

The king raised an eyebrow. "That’s all?"

Eleanor nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

With a small smile, Erevan removed a crystal glass box from his storage ring and set it on the desk.

Eleanor admired the craftsmanship of the box, but Fiona gasped in astonishment. "The Vest of the Mytherial Moon!" she blurted out.

Eleanor looked at Fiona in surprise, then at the king... whose expression was mildly amused.

"This is our first meeting, Eleanor," Erevan said. "Let this be my gift to you. You may not yet understand its value, but once you become an ascendant, you will."

Eleanor recognised the item’s worth by Fiona’s reaction alone. She stood, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Erevan replied, "You may leave now. Leave the box here... I wish to speak with Fiona in private. And do not mention what transpired here to anyone."

Eleanor bowed once more and quietly left the study.

Once the door was shut, Erevan’s expression turned serious. He looked Fiona in the eye and said, "I’m sorry, but the Raynor Clan will need a new successor in the future."

Fiona was shocked and thought she had misheard. She blurted out, "What?!"