Wielder Of Time

The air in the banquet hall was thick with tension as Khione lunged at Cassian, her spear a blur of silver under the chandeliers' glow. The sharp clang of steel against steel rang through the room as she struck with relentless precision. Her movements were fluid, each attack following seamlessly after the last. Cassian barely had time to react—her spear cut through his defenses, leaving shallow wounds on his arms and torso.

Gasps rippled through the gathered nobles as streaks of crimson marked Cassian's white attire. Yet, Khione didn't let up. She had no intention of letting him recover.

Cassian's frustration boiled over. With a snarl, he parried her spear and retaliated, swinging his sword in a wide arc aimed at her side. But Khione had already anticipated it. Years of dueling against her older siblings had sharpened her instincts beyond what this arrogant noble could comprehend. Compared to Cedric's overwhelming strength or Selene's cunning precision, Cassian's attacks were sluggish, predictable.

She sidestepped, tilting her head just enough for his blade to whistle past her ear. Then, seizing the opening, she twisted her spear and drove its blunt end into his stomach.

The impact sent a rush of air from Cassian's lungs. He staggered, his footing momentarily lost. His eyes widened in shock—he had underestimated her, and now he was paying the price.

Khione, however, was far from finished. Without hesitation, she pushed forward, blurring with speed. In the blink of an eye, she appeared behind him. A flicker of panic crossed Cassian's face as he realized his mistake. He tried to turn, sword raised defensively, but he was too slow.

Khione struck.

The shaft of her spear slammed into his liver, precisely placed yet controlled—enough to send him flying but not enough to cause permanent damage. Cassian's body twisted in the air before he crashed onto the banquet floor, rolling to a stop in a heap. A stunned silence filled the room as the once-arrogant noble now knelt on all fours, struggling to rise.

Pain flickered in his expression, but humiliation burned brighter. He clenched his teeth, forcing his trembling arms to push him upright. He wouldn't—couldn't—allow himself to be bested by a girl younger than him, not in front of the Queen, the nobles, and her.

But before he could fully rise, Khione was already there.

The cold tip of her spear hovered inches from his face. The sharpness of its edge caught the light, glinting ominously. Cassian froze. His breath came in short, ragged bursts as he lifted his gaze to meet hers.

Khione looked down at him with contempt.

For all his arrogance, for all his claims that the Asterios Empire was weaker than it appeared, he had lost. And she hadn't even used magic.

"You challenge my Empire's strength," Khione said, her voice steady, cutting through the heavy silence. "Yet you can't even defeat someone younger than you—without me even needing to use my magic."

Murmurs erupted among the spectators. Some nobles exchanged knowing glances, others smirked at Cassian's humiliation. Even Bella, standing off to the side, folded her arms with an amused look, while Queen Nereia remained impassive, unreadable as ever.

Cassian's hands balled into fists. Shame coursed through him like fire. He had wanted to prove something tonight, but instead, he had made a fool of himself.

The overseer stepped forward, clearing his throat. "The duel is over. The victor—Lady Khione of House Briston."

A round of applause followed, polite but filled with approval. The nobles of the Isles were proud, but they respected strength. And tonight, Khione had demonstrated hers without question.

Lowering her spear, Khione turned away from Cassian without another word, leaving him kneeling on the floor, his pride in ruins.

Khione placed her spear back on the weapons rack before making her way over to Bella.

Bella smirked. "I'm proud of you," she said, crossing her arms. "The way you handled him was perfect. Of course, this may cause a few more problems later, but that hardly matters." She tilted her head toward the Queen, whose expression had remained unreadable throughout the duel. "And the fact that Her Majesty showed no disapproval only reinforces that."

Khione nodded. She had been paying attention to the Queen as well. If Nereia had been displeased, she would have made it clear. That she remained silent meant she either approved or found the outcome… convenient.

The banquet continued for several more hours, though Cassian and his family had left almost immediately after the duel. As the evening carried on, Khione returned to the group she had been speaking with before the fight.

They greeted her with admiration, offering words of praise.

"That was incredible," one of them said. "I doubt any of us could've taken Cassian down like that."

"Not just taken him down—humiliated him," another added, chuckling.

Khione accepted their compliments with a polite nod but didn't let them inflate her ego. This was simply what she had trained for her entire life.

By the time the banquet ended, the moon was high in the sky. Khione and Bella made their way back to their manor, walking through the dimly lit streets of the Isles. The cool night air carried the distant sound of waves crashing against the cliffs.

As they reached the entrance, Bella turned to her with a knowing look. "Be prepared," she said. "The Queen is going to question you, too—not just me."

Khione met Bella's gaze and nodded. She had no doubt about that.

With that, they parted ways, heading to their respective rooms.