Dragon's Awakening: The Duke's Son Is Changing The Plot
Chapter 194 - 193 - The Sudden Feast and Verbal Warfare.

Chapter 194: Chapter 193 - The Sudden Feast and Verbal Warfare.

A while ago.

Inside the marble-clad halls of Velmoria Palace, the atmosphere shimmered with a strange kind of festivity.

Servants bustled about with silver trays and embroidered napkins.

Magical chandeliers floated above a long dining table that glittered with utensils no one would want to put in the dishwasher by accident.

King Lorian Velmoria stood at the head of the table, his golden crown shining faintly under the warm lights, his ever-serene smile stretched just a bit too wide tonight.

"Ah, what a rare occasion," he announced warmly, arms spread. "My beloved family and our distinguished guests... dining together. A moment worthy of celebration."

Selena raised an eyebrow.

She had spent her entire childhood and teenage years being ignored by this man—her father, apparently—and now he wanted to throw a "spontaneous" royal banquet like they were some sitcom family?

If that wasn’t enough, he was doing all this right now when the tension from the court incident still hadn’t settled.

Suspicion curled low in her gut.

She glanced down at her plate.

There was a stuffed duck in lemon glaze, cured fruits in honeyed spice, and a drink that sparkled faintly with rainbow swirls.

There was not a single poisoned scorpion in sight.

Which meant either someone in the kitchen had been assassinated and replaced, or—

"Is something wrong, dear daughter?" King Lorian asked gently, his smile just a shade too shiny.

Selena blinked, slowly lifting a spoonful of the soup. She didn’t drink. Not yet.

"No," she said sweetly, smiling back with the grace of a viper in church. "Just surprised, is all. You never used to remember my name."

’Is there poison in the food?’ She wondered, staring at her reflection.

The chances weren’t low, but as she turned to look at Lia and Graye, she shook her head. ’No, he wouldn’t dare—not with two important witnesses.’ 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

The Queen, seated beside her husband, chuckled politely at her words, but her eyes spewed venom when they met hers.

’Just say quiet, you wench!’

Selena could literally hear her saying that.

The queen, however, didn’t let it show much, promptly sipping her drink.

Selena didn’t even flinch. ’That’s normal.’

Beside her, Lia, who wasn’t happy about being separated from Raven, but since it was the king’s order, she had followed, leaned forward slightly, frowning at the shimmering glass before her. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"This isn’t a normal dinner," Lia said carefully. "Is there something special today?"

King Lorian tilted his head. "No. Just a special touch for a special night where I have been honored by your presence."

Lia, ever suspicious and trained in politics, scanned the king’s plate.

When she saw him take a bite of his meat and chew slowly, she relaxed—just a little—and began eating.

Selena was not so easily convinced.

She reached over with her fork, impaled a piece of the duck on her plate, and slowly offered it to the king. "I want you to try mine. Just to be safe."

There was a flicker—barely a twitch—but Selena saw it. There was a glimmer of irritation behind the King’s eyes.

Still, he chuckled indulgently. "Of course, darling."

He opened his mouth and let her feed him like a tired zoo animal. "Mmm. Delicious. See? Nothing to fear."

She watched his throat move as he swallowed.

No flinching. No death spasms.

Fine.

She took a bite of her own. Slowly.

Across from her, Graye was already halfway through her meal, completely unbothered.

"This potato tastes like a happy marshmallow," she said, cramming another into her mouth. "And this soup tastes like... like socks but in a good way."

Selena stared at her for a beat, then shook her head. "You’re a mystery."

Graye beamed.

The Crown Prince—elegant, proper, and already looking slightly woozy—smiled at the ladies across the table, eating slowly as if trying to show his elegance.

King Lorian didn’t blink as others ate.

As the bites were eaten, the prince and the queen suddenly frowned.

"Dear... I suddenly feel sleepy..." The queen muttered.

The prince also rubbed his eyes, feeling drowsy.

This alerted Selena, Lia, and Graye.

Thud!

The prince and the queen fell forward on the table, their eyes closed.

"Wha—"

Before anyone could even blink, a soldier burst in, panting.

"Y-Your Majesty! Apologies for the intrusion, but Duke Argon Von Vaise and Raven Von Vaise’s group have arrived. The gates have been breached—no one could stop them!"

The king stood slowly.

He turned toward the guard with the calm of a man who had planned for this exact moment.

"Ah... a little late, aren’t they?" He mused with a chuckle.

Selena stiffened.

Lia set her fork down.

Graye blinked mid-chew. "Wait... what do you mean late? Did we win a race? Also, why are the prince and the queen sleeping?"

The king smiled wider.

That’s when Selena noticed the sweat forming on Lia’s temple.

The way her fingers trembled slightly as she reached for her goblet. Graye suddenly tilted sideways, like a tree losing interest in standing.

Selena tried to rise. "You..."

But her legs gave out. The floor spun violently, like a carousel operated by demons.

The King caught her gently, as though this were some touching father-daughter moment and not a betrayal via soup.

"Hush now," he whispered, brushing her hair with a hand that made her skin crawl. "You’ll have plenty of time to think... when I hand you to the demons."

Selena’s eyes widened as her body betrayed her.

"No..." she tried to say. "I made you eat it..."

But her mind faded to black.

"Haha, did you think I wouldn’t have expected you to do that?" Lorian chuckled, looking at the now-unconscious Selena. "I had taken the antidote before I sat to eat."

Then, Lia slumped in her chair, her hands falling on either side, as her body went limp.

Graye faceplanted straight into a bowl of jello and began snoring immediately.

The soldier at the door stared.

King Lorian turned to him, utterly unfazed. "Have carriages ready to escort those two to their respective kingdoms."

He said while pointing at Lia and Graye.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the soldier nodded and rushed out of the hall.

Lorian looked at the collapsed forms of the girls.

Then gave a soft laugh—low and chilling.

"Raven Von Vaise," he muttered. "You can’t stop me this time because I have a surprise waiting for you."

He stepped over the unconscious prince and strolled toward the throne room, humming softly to himself.

Behind him, jello burbled quietly from Graye’s unconscious chewing.

..................................

Meanwhile, in the corridor of the ground floor of the palace.

Raven’s group and Argon continued walking into the palace.

No one dared to stop them with Argon as the lead.

But they hadn’t walked more than twenty paces into the palace before a knight in crisp crimson and gold approached.

"Lord Argon Von Vaise," the man bowed, "His Majesty has summoned you to the king’s chamber."

Argon stopped mid-stride, shoulders square, eyes back cold, and brows frowned. "Why?"

The knight flinched, but with a gulp, he replied. "...The king said that he had something important to speak to you about."

The group paused. Clara looked toward the opposite hall. "So we’re not all going together?"

"Princess Selena is in the east wing," the knight continued. "You’ll be escorted there separately."

"Splitting the party in a demon crisis," Jessy muttered. "Great idea."

Before anyone could protest further, Argon turned to face the group fully.

The moment he turned to the group, the coldness in his eyes vanished as he crossed his arms, cleared his throat... and gave them ’that’ look.

Raven narrowed his eyes. "...You’re about to say something weird, aren’t you?"

"I believe," Argon said gravely, "before we go our separate ways... it’s time I break the tension."

"Oh no," Omni whispered. "Oh no."

Argon’s gaze swept across them with the intensity of a battlefield commander.

"Do you know why a skeleton knight refused to duel?"

Everyone stared.

"...because he didn’t have the guts."

Silence.

The air stood still.

Even the torches flickered uncomfortably.

Omni gasped. "Oh, gods. It’s worse when he means it."

Argon pressed on, unbothered. "Why don’t dragons tell jokes?"

Jessy winced. "Please don’t."

"Because they always drag-on."

Clara covered her mouth like she’d just seen a murder.

Siris whispered to Nibbles, "Is this the forbidden art? Verbal warfare?"

Argon didn’t falter. He looked proud. Proud.

"I also came up with one during the walk," he added. "It’s about court politics."

Raven held up a hand. "Father, please. This is your last cha—"

Argon raised one finger like a sword.

"Why did the king bring a ladder to court?"

"No," Clara whispered.

"Because he wanted to raise the stakes."

There was a collective, audible flinch.

Omni wailed. "HE’S MAKING PUNS ABOUT GOVERNMENTAL VIOLENCE."

Even the palace knight who came to escort him looked haunted. "Sir... please..."

Argon didn’t even hear the knight. He looked at the group, confused. "That one was clever. Stakes. Ladder. You see?"

Siris leaned toward Raven. "Do we need to sedate him?"

Raven slowly exhaled. "No. Let him cook. He’s... processing fatherhood."

Clara, ever the diplomat, tried her best. "It’s, um... a very unique form of bonding, Lord Argon."

"I haven’t even gotten to the war jokes," Argon said proudly.

Omni screamed inside Raven’s head. "STOP. THAT’S A WAR CRIME."

The soldier finally stepped in, coughing politely. "M-my lord. His Majesty awaits."

Argon frowned, but knowing that it wasn’t good to delay, he gave a firm nod. "Right."

Before turning away, he glanced at Raven with deadly seriousness. "They didn’t laugh. But they will. I’m not done yet."

Then he marched off, like a man who’d declared war on humor itself.

Silence reigned.

Clara slowly turned to Raven. "...Is this hereditary?"

"No," Raven muttered, rubbing his temple. "My jokes are funny."

"Welp," Jessy sighed. "At least demons are easier to reason with."

Nibbles offered a tiny thumbs-up of support.

As they began walking toward Selena’s room, Omni whispered with the haunted weight of someone who’d lived through something ancient and dark.

"We were almost slain... by comedy."

Raven didn’t disagree. But somewhere deep down, despite the horror...

He smiled.

Because although his approach was... unique, Argon was only trying to make them laugh.

He didn’t want them to walk into all this with their shoulders tensed.