The Palace Banquet

Because the banquet would last for three whole days, nobles continued to arrive, and the royal palace also sent people to invite social elites. ╰☆☆ Claws ☆☆╮

Among them, the four major families— the Crownguard, the Taber, the Dali, and the Laurent Family— all required special representatives to be sent to invite them.

Not long after, the House of Lightshield, which was closest to the palace, arrived, and as expected, Garen was leading the way.

I didn't see him when I returned to Demacia last time. Now, more than a decade later, he is no longer the young and handsome general he once was.

At forty, he was in his prime, his face showing less arrogance and more dignity. The greatsword at his waist was a symbol of his glory; not everyone could carry such a weapon to a royal banquet.

Seeing Garen reminded me of Fiora; they're childhood friends, and she should be about the same age.

Although she showed no signs of aging when she last came back, people change a lot every year as they get older.

Just then, the Laurent Family arrived. Strangely, the person in charge was not Fiora, but Leivo's uncle. I forgot his name, only that he was Andy's father.

During the royal martial arts competition, Andy was defeated without a fight, which was probably his idea. I often heard Fili say that he is a very cunning person.

Now that he's representing the Laurent Family at the banquet, is Fiora busy with something important?

Upon seeing the group, Garen went over to greet them, "Bordewin, I heard Fiora was ill. Is she feeling better?"

"Thank you for your concern, General Garen. Fiora's illness remains unchanged, and it is truly regrettable that she cannot personally welcome Prince Highness this time."

"It's truly a pity she can't attend today's grand event. I hope she recovers soon, and I'll visit her after the banquet."

"You are preoccupied with military affairs, so there's no need for formalities. You should prioritize important matters."

"It's alright, the eastern defenses are well-organized and there won't be any problems. Thank you for your support as the head of the Laurent Family."

"Of course."

Sick? Head of the Laurent Family? What happened? Fiora is not only too sick to attend the banquet, but she's also stepped down as head of the family?

My intuition tells me there must be more to this than meets the eye. She's a strong-willed person; she wouldn't act like this unless she had a very serious illness!

I was extremely anxious and wanted to see her immediately.

"You seem to care a lot about this family?" Riven noticed my anxiety.

"Yes, the person I'm looking for is Fiora, whom they just mentioned. She's sick, and I don't know why."

"Then let's go find her!"

"Wait a minute, it's not a good time to leave now. After all, we don't belong here, and we need Jarvan's help."

The Tabor Family had the fewest attendees, and to my surprise, the Sage Tabor himself came to the banquet.

When I first met him, he was already an elderly man in his eighties, who could even fall asleep while sitting. He hasn't changed at all now.

Anyway, with all his hair and beard turned white and he lost his teeth, he couldn't get any older.

I've also met the representative of the Dali family: Jon Dali. I had an unpleasant experience with him back then, and I still don't like him now.

With the five major families gathered, the banquet began. Since there were three days to go, it didn't matter when they arrived, and the nobles, big and small, didn't need to wait.

Jarvan presented the dragon's horn to his Father King in front of everyone, earning cheers from the crowd. The dragon slayer is a legend no matter when you talk about him.

The king also took this opportunity to formally announce Jarvan as his successor, the fourth king of Demacia.

Riven, Shvana, and I were all strangers. Many people were curious as to why an Ionia, an unidentified person, and even someone whose identity was unknown were sitting not far from Jarvan.

They probably guessed it was related to Jarvan's experiences over the years, so they asked him to explain.

In fact, Jarvan didn't know our origins either. He never asked, nor would he care about our identities, so the introduction was very simple:

"Three good friends."

The banquet was lavish, and the entertainment was wonderful, but my mind was elsewhere. I was eager to see Fiora and find out what was going on.

So many people came up to talk to Jarvan that I didn't even have time to ask him for help.

Fortunately, he had drunk quite a bit, and when he got up to go to the restroom, I found a precious opportunity.

"Prince Highness, could you do me a favor?"

"No need to be so polite, Yasuo. I've already told everyone you're my friend. No one will mind if you just call me by my name. So, what's up?"

"I haven't told you yet why I came to Demacia. Actually, I've heard about a swordsmanship master here a long time ago Fiora, and I've always wanted to meet her. That's why I made this trip. Could you help me go see her?"

"That's easy. They just said Fiora is sick, so we can use that as an excuse to visit her."

But I'm afraid I won't be able to see her.

"Wait a minute, I'll go with you. To be honest, Fiora has always been my idol."

Thank you!

Back in the banquet hall, Jarvan briefly spoke with the king before we left.

Fiora's house wasn't far from the palace, so we arrived at the gate quickly. I was shocked when I got out of the car!

This used to be a very grand mansion, but now it looks rather dilapidated, with very few servants, and many of them are unfamiliar faces.

Two beautiful girls came out to greet us; if I'm not mistaken, they should be Felina and Fiana, Leivo's two younger sisters.

"Greetings, Your Prince. My parents are not in good health, so we will be hosting you. Please don't mind!"

"Of course not, I came to visit Fiora. How is she?"

"My dear sister is still the same as always. Oh, right, you just got back, so you might not know. Please come in, I'm Felina."

"I am Fiana."

Upon entering the house, I found it had indeed changed; a deathly atmosphere pervaded the place, and even the cleaning maids were incredibly lethargic. Before I even reached Fiora's room, I heard a series of shouts and curses.

"You good-for-nothing! You can't even do this simple thing right!"

Why do you insist on making me do it myself when there are so many other people available?

With a "smack," it was clear that someone had made a move.

"Stop arguing, His Highness the Prince is here!" Felina stopped them.

That's when I realized that the two people were the head maid and Nora, and that the person who had just been hit was Nora!

Even Fiora never hit her, so why is the head maid so ruthless? She wasn't the type to hit people so easily before.

"I'm so sorry, Your Prince!" the head maid apologized, then shouted at Nora, "Get back to work!"

"Wait, let her come with us!" I said, stopping them. Jarvan waved her hand as well, and the head maid didn't dare say anything more.