Chapter 367: “A Throne for Two”

(Classic Blackwood's POV – The Royal Banquet)

The grand ballroom was alive with celebration, but to me, it felt like a battlefield. The chandeliers cast a golden glow over the room, their light reflecting off the polished floors and the countless glasses raised in my honor. Every guest here had something to gain from this union, and every smile carried an unspoken agenda.

Amal sat beside me at the head of the banquet table, her posture impeccable, her expression unreadable. She had played her role perfectly throughout the day—silent, graceful, untouchable.

I turned my gaze toward my father. He was deep in conversation with Amal's father, their words hushed but their body language confident. Deals were being made even now. Borders were shifting.

Beside my mother, Christiana sat with a glass of champagne, her gaze sharp as she watched Amal. She had said little since the ceremony, but I knew her well enough to recognize that she was already strategizing.

Ethan leaned slightly toward me, lowering his voice. "Security is tight, but there's movement outside the palace walls. Some protests, nothing serious yet."

"Yet," I repeated, swirling the wine in my glass.

Public approval was an illusion. They cheered today, but what about tomorrow? When the reality of this marriage settled in, would they still celebrate?

"Classic," my father's voice cut through my thoughts.

I looked up. He raised his glass, his eyes gleaming. "To the future King and Queen."

The room erupted in applause.

I lifted my glass, meeting Amal's gaze for the briefest of moments before taking a sip.

This was only the beginning.