re Gu

"And now, for a tradition as old as the Gala itself! The Lore Ch

tering of app

to honor our ancestor

vision of feigned humility and grace. "I would be honored to participa

anticipation. They were waiting for me to blush, to stammer, to shrink

id

silence. "I'm participating as well. " Then, I let a small, bored smile to

lly dropped. Britta's perfectly made-up face contorted, her

sarcasm. "And what does the esteemed Miss

sk you one. One on one. And to make it truly interesting," I let my eyes sweep over

jowls wobbling. "A forfei

pping to a conspiratorial whisper that everyone could still hear, "must serve the winner. For the

was proposing to turn the loser into a s

liation, not a high-stakes gamble. But she had backed herself into a corner. She had spent the entire evening cul

er, began to cheer her on. "Show h

e was utter

. "Fine," she hissed. "I accept. I hope y

uch staggering obscurity it was designed only for failure. "In the year of the Crimson Moon, when the Silver

for my stammering co

the Nightwood Clan considered this a bad omen. They returned the first two gifts-a white stallion and a cask of mountain mead-and the alliance was never f

ute. Britta's jaw was hanging ope

ory smile spreading acr

attered. "Three hundred years ago, during the Blood Moon Cove

point of pride for her family. Relie

r finest warriors!" she answered quick

lowly, savoring t

ledgers of the Alpha King of that era, which my own ancestor was tasked to keep, tell a different story." I paused for dramatic effect. "The Vance family, facing financ

ed a shade of purple I had never seen before. Several of the older nobles looked do

her face a mask of

y turning her own family's his

now-empty cider glass. I smiled,

d softly. "I believ