Tom made his way down one of many stately hallways in the Monteraynian royal castle, ornamented by paintings, carvings, and a few mosaics, all created by the kingdom's finest artists and craftsmen. The knight found himself slowing his pace many times to gawk in admiration at their work. He particularly paused long over a portrait of his grandfather Alden Holt many years younger, with a full head of blond hair and two striking sky blue eyes. 

He once had two eyes. Tom mused, What a concept. And so did I once. 

With a sigh, he continued on his way, his well-kept longsword swinging at his hip. The weapon's mahogany handle would have been pretty enough without any ornamentation, but a ring of silver around the middle and a pommel of the same material, bearing the seal of Monterayne, beautified it still further. The sword had served Tom well thus far, blade only sporting two noticeable nicks despite the many clashes it had endured. 

Tom finally reached the door to one of the castle's four celebration halls, large chambers easily furnished and rearranged to house the various events the royal family hosted there. After straightening his uniform one last time and running a hand through his hair, he wrapped his fingers around the doorknob. 

A wave of voices washed over Tom once he opened the door a crack, all the individual voices within blending into one collective rumble. And once he pulled it open fully, he surveyed the interior with pleasure. A pair of massive mosaics stretched across the roof, filtering sunlight from above and sending it down in colored patches. The grand chandelier hanging in between them hadn't been lit, as the natural light proved sufficient. 

The attire of the partiers was hardly any less colorful than the mosaics above them, flaunting hues of scarlet, violet, indigo, and many others, all in well-fitted suits for the men and flowing gowns for the women. Tom's eye lingered on one particular blonde whose silky dress tapered perfectly with the contours of her body, but still without losing all concept of modesty. 

A U-shaped procession of tables lined three of the brick walls, brimming with delicacies so abundant and hearty Tom could hardly imagine leaving with the same physique he'd arrived with. Various steaming soups gave way to gravy-drizzled meats and bread, finally transitioning into delightful desserts, a towering cake of many layers serving as the period on the culinary sentence. Where does one even begin? 

Tom answered his own question by peering into the midst of the crowd until he spotted Princess Kate, who wore her long brown hair in an intricate braid and found herself absolutely surrounded by nobles and knights offering gestures of respect and affection in equal measure. Tom threaded through the crowd to reach her, and by the time he drew close, most of her satellites had veered off for one reason or another. 

Tom bent down on one knee before Princess Kate, finding himself just below her eye level when he did so. He grinned and extended his arms to present the wooden box to her. 

"I wish you a very happy birthday, your highness, and many more hereafter." he said, looking into the young lady's stunning green eyes. 

"Thank you, Sir Holt." the princess replied kindly, "And what is this you have brought me?" 

"What else, but a gift?" Tom asked, a mirthful smirk on his lips. "Please, open it." 

Kate took the box from his hands, quirking an eyebrow as she did so. After undoing the latches, she flipped it open, and upon viewing the jewelry inside, she gasped. She put a hand to her mouth, eyes sparkling. 

"It's lovely! Thank you!" Kate said as she put the necklace on. And as Tom had thought, the grey gem accentuated her already vibrant green irises all the more. 

"You're welcome. I hope you're having a wonderful birthday so far. Speaking of which, how old are you now?" 

"Eleven!" 

Tom let out a breathy laugh. "Wow. You grow so fast. Before I know it, you'll be staring down at me from the very throne." 

She shrugged. "More likely, I'll be firing arrows over your shoulder." 

Tom's eyes widened, wrinkling his forehead in the process. "Monterayne has never had a queen quite like that." 

"Well, history always has room for more firsts." 

"Very true. I suppose on that note, I may be the first to refrain from lingering near you to the point of annoyance." 

Kate grinned. "Of all our knights, you would be the last to bother me, Sir Holt." 

"All the same," he said, raising back to his full height, "I hunger. Has your father already prayed over the food?" 

"Indeed." she replied with a nod and a mischievous smile, "You're late, Sir Holt." 

"An apparent vice of mine, I'm afraid. Take care, my lady." 

With that, he turned to join the line of people loading up plates with food. The march around the tables crawled, but eventually, he came away with a platter loaded with several cuts of hearty meat, all drowning in gravy, with fresh-baked rolls and an assortment of steamed vegetables on the side. By the time Tom passed the dessert table, he'd already used all the available space, so he resolved to come back later. 

Tom settled himself into a chair at an empty table to eat. While savoring the tender meat, his intact right eye scanned the room, witnessing the other partygoers' celebratory activities from afar. For the most part, nobles, knights, and foreign diplomats chatted casually enough, though it became readily apparent most only sought favors from others, pursuing their own gains in one way or another. A few servants and members of lower classes also found themselves caught in the midst of the hubbub, but most of them scarfed down food in between bouts of serving their master who had brought them along. 

Then Tom felt someone's gaze resting on him, so he glanced up to identify them. A familiar pair of dark brown eyes stared at him, belonging to Senator Alice Delquez of the Alcontean Republic. Tom sighed at the memories trickling unbidden into his brain. 

He had accompanied Alden in escorting the blonde senator to a diplomatic meeting in southern Mintfeld two years ago. There, the Innutukians had made a typical move and disrupted the proceedings, injecting chaos into the castle and taking the lives of Alice's entire guard force. Having lost contact with Alden for the moment, Tom alone remained with her, and he escorted the senator swiftly home. She hadn't even thanked him for his exertions, a fact Tom had since become numb to, but had stung him greatly at the time. 

He'd only come into close proximity with Alice a few times since then, and only from afar. And she'd always stared at him with that look, as if she wished to speak with him, but found herself at a loss for opportunity. As it was, a Monteraynian nobleman with a full mane of hair engaged her in conversation, face lingering closer to hers than she appeared comfortable with. 

Tom willed his attention away from Alice with a shrug and redirected it at his food. Sopping up some gravy with a dinner roll, he found his plate a welcome place to rest his focus. 

But then, the gentle thud of a plate settling on his table drew his eye upward again, followed by the scraping of a chair's legs on the floor. A stunning lady with fiery red hair drew the chair back to seat herself at Tom's table, offering him a curious smile as she did so. 

He returned the grin silently, taking in her facial features as he did so. The girl possessed a pair of full lips, just the type a man would yearn to kiss. Above that, freckles dotted her nose, as they did her whole face. And her sky blue eyes beautifully contrasted with her deep violet dress, capped by eyebrows as red as her silky tresses. 

"It's certainly an honor to be eyed in such a way by a man such as yourself." the woman commented, a coy smirk perched on her lips. Her accent immediately gave her away as a native of the far western land of Ferange, as if her hair color hadn't already done so. 

Tom sat up straighter, barely restraining himself from choking at her words. He quickly swallowed. "My apologies, my lady. With a full mouth, I find it easier sometimes to let my eyes...excuse me, my eye do the talking." 

"And an eloquent language it speaks, Sir Holt. I'm Keely, if you were wondering." 

"A pleasure to meet you, Keely." Tom said as he reached over to shake her hand, "You may call me simply Tom." 

"That I will, Tom. I have to say, I very much appreciate the work you do to fight for and defend Monterayne's name, both at home and abroad. It takes a special sort of man to endure the trials I'm sure you face daily." 

"Well, I certainly appreciate your gratitude. If I'm being completely honest, that's a rare commodity around here." 

Keely laughed lightly. "I'm sure." 

The two resumed eating in silence for a few moments, meeting gazes awkwardly every now and then but without words to accompany them. Keely's cheeks reddened on a third pass, and she laid her fork down on her plate. 

"You're not a man of many words, are you?" she asked, leaning forward. 

"I've found it's best to speak when I have something to say. Otherwise, it's but vain talk. How are you with words?" 

"Well, I'm a writer, so it's my job to write them in abundance." 

Tom nodded. "Ah, I see. What type of writing?" 

"Primarily some freelancing for various nobles and knights, transcribing court proceedings and the like. But I also like to use some of my free time to write larger works." 

"Such as...?" 

"Well, currently, I'm gathering all the facts I can about this budding war, so when it's all over, I can write up an accurate accounting of what happened for future generations." 

Tom smirked. "A noble goal. And likely the reason you're sitting with me of all people, I'd guess." 

"You've caught me redhanded and red-haired." she remarked with a giggle. 

"That I have." He chuckled heartily. "Or is it you who have caught me?" 

"Now that's the question, isn't it?" After sharing another bout of laughter, Keely cleared her throat. "But seriously, the mere fact the opportunity's presented itself to me to sit and dine with the legend, the one and only Thomas Holt, that would be incentive enough to come over here." 

"I fear you overplay my importance, my lady. But what would you like to know?" 

Keely nibbled a bite off her roll as she thought. "What's your take on the origins of the war? How'd it begin?" 

"Well, once it was uncovered that Mintfeld colluded with Innutuk to disrupt the meeting with Senator Delquez, likely with assassination in mind, then the spiral began. Further investigation, as you're doubtless aware, uncovered that several nations willingly harbor Innutukian spies in their midst to undermine Alconte's influence in their markets." 

"I wasn't aware of that! Is that really true?" 

Tom nodded gravely. "As is Alconte's custom, of course, diplomats attempted talking it out for months, but nothing really changed. But once a...shady figure known to us only as the 'unmarked swordsman' assassinated a trio of senators lodging in the Marcocian Federation, Alconte promptly declared war on Innutuk." 

"But why? From all I've heard, this unmarked swordsman cannot be identified by reason of all the facial coverings he wears." 

"Well, his fighting style is recognizable; that's for sure. And he's been known always to operate in areas where Innutukian activity occurs shortly before or thereafter." 

"Oh, I see." Keely conceded, "Carry on." 

"Where was I? Oh yes. Monterayne attempted neutrality for a month or two, but once the skirmishes in Shafaria drew too close to the Arorian border, our hand was forced. I could go into far more detail, but as far as I'm concerned, the war is primarily an economical one, sparked by Innutuk's underhanded tactics and backed by their strong military arm." 

"Thank you for your insight, Tom. In researching the finer details, I find myself refreshed at such a big-picture overview again. And tell me, what has been your involvement in the conflict so far?" 

Tom finished a bite of vegetables before answering. "Very little, I'm afraid. As knights, our role in full-on warfare is a rather...niche discipline, and as of yet, Monterayne hasn't participated in all too many battles as it is. I've been mostly busied in going about regular business. I did once have to bring bread to resupply one of our battalions, but that was hardly what you ask of." 

"All the same, I esteem you to be a very courageous man, for what I have heard. I hold you in highest regard." 

"Why thank you, Keely." Tom said with a grin, "It's not often I get to hear such kind words." He frowned when the woman's attention wandered to something over his shoulder, so he looked back. 

Juan Feliz stood just behind Tom and offered him an apologetic grin. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but the High Council is having an emergency assembly, and Alden desires for you to attend." 

Tom sighed and rose to his feet after wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Now I can't even eat a decent meal without getting interrupted?" 

"I share your disappointment, to be sure." 

Tom glanced back at Keely one last time. "Again, I apologize for this sudden parting, my lady. It's been a pleasure to meet you." 

She smiled, displaying a full mouth of white teeth. "Likewise, Tom. I have a feeling our paths will cross again." 

"I sure hope you're right about that." 

With that, he turned to follow Juan to the council chamber, curious about what they could possibly want so suddenly.

**** 

A/N:  ...And the drama intensifies! This scene's been in my head for a long while now, so it was definitely good to get it down on paper, in a manner of speaking. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and if so, please remember to vote and comment! 😄 

Now, I tried to weave some good description in there, which hasn't always been my strong suit, so I'd definitely be curious to know where it worked, and where it didn't. (And hopefully there's more of the former, heck, I'd even take ALL the former, if that's true! 😂) 

I'd also like to ask, now that we have more characters in our minds, and probably a more thorough impression than any non-Tom character we met in the last chapter, who grips your interest the most? 

Well, I've got some reading to attempt catching up on since Wattpad's recent coma. I hope you have an awesome day, and I'll see you Friday morning for our next double update. Cheerio! 

(No, I'm not British, and yes, that sounds disingenuous for me to say.)