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The king had been prepared long before the first carriages arrived, and Edin took his seat as if it were the most natural place in the world for him to be.

He wore a midnight velvet suit so dark it read nearly black beneath the chandeliers. It broadened at the shoulders with a disciplined, military line. Gold filigree embroidered his coat in patterns that caught the candlelight each time he shifted, and the front was fastened with a row of  buttons set with tiny moonstones. A long sash of deep royal blue crossed his chest, pinned at the shoulder. Rings sat on nearly every finger. And the crown, of course, was set perfectly. His offspring flanked him on either side.

Prince Wulfric sat at Edin’s right, placed where an heir was meant to be seen. Prince Auguste sat at his left, equally composed. Two other seats framed the set—one meant for Princess Anastasia, one meant for Prince Callum—and both were empty. Princess Anastasia had yet to arrive, but Prince Callum's arrival was certainly not expected.

From the throne, Edin tracked the small choices people made when they entered: who bowed immediately and who delayed, who smiled too broadly, who refused to meet his eyes, who searched for foreign guests, who lingered near the banquet tables instead of stepping into the open center of the floor. Servants weaved through the crowd with trays of appetizers and cocktails, and the effect was exactly what he wanted: hands busy, mouths occupied, bodies distracted. 

When the first song ended, he rose without haste. He lifted one hand and waited until the room actually gave him its attention, until the last murmurs thinned into silence. 

[color=DDB775]“Good evening.”[/color] Edin’s voice carried through the hall. [color=DDB775]“Tonight, Sorian looks to its future.”[/color] His gaze traveled over the breadth of the ballroom. [color=DDB775]“We welcome our honored guests, and we honor the traditions that keep this kingdom enduring: [i]order, discipline, and unity[/i].”[/color] He did not raise his voice, and he did not soften it, either. [color=DDB775]“ Tonight is for Caesonia, for Varian, and for the Alidasht!”[/color] A roar of applause followed his words.

His eyes flicked once toward his children, a reminder as much as a reassurance. Then he returned his attention to the crowd. [color=DDB775]“So dance,”[/color] he said simply. [color=DDB775]“Eat! Represent your houses with dignity, and represent this city as the capital it is.”[/color] He lowered his hand in a small signal. [color=DDB775]“Let the Starry Night Ball begin!”[/color]

Edin sat again as the musicians resumed, and as the court began to move. Conversations restarted as if they had never stopped. And from the throne, he watched it all.
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