Banquet Scene – The Whispered Judgement

Arianna stretched as she got up.

"I'll be back in a bit. My family will throw a fit if I don't at least say hello."

Ed gave a short nod. "Go ahead."

She ruffled his hair in passing, muttering something about not getting into trouble before walking away.

And just like that, he was alone.

He leaned back slightly in his chair, resting one arm on the table.

The music flowed through the hall, elegant and rhythmic.

Ed knew the atmosphere well.

It was the kind of place where everything was calculated—every word, every glance, every interaction had meaning.

And then, right on schedule, the whispers started.

It began in the usual way. Soft, just on the edges of hearing.

"A human? Sitting among us?"

"Elven blood runs in this hall, and yet here he is, polluting the air."

Ed barely blinked. Predictable.

These kinds of comments didn't bother him.

He had expected them.