Chapter Eight

Lore objects to holding a coronation ball, citing political risk after the stricken Tracts, but Bastian insists as King. In private he apologizes for the burdens of court life, admits he must keep her close for safety, and asks for her trust. Lore’s anger softens, revealing her conflicting desire to be cared for.

The ballroom teems with nobles of all ages. Kirythean delegates Maxon and Caius circulate unannounced; Maxon appears approachable while Caius watches intently. Alie bristles at Bastian’s secrecy. Lore’s mothers, Mari and Val, arrive, briefly grounding her before the dinner bell sounds.

At dinner, Bastian pointedly seats Lore with hostile nobles. He plays the feckless persona while a marchioness presses about summer progress; he hints it may continue once traitor estates are cleared and signals Lore’s inclusion in decisions. Lore needles the table by saying she spent summers “in the streets.” Admiral Legrande boasts of a new warship to deter Kirytheans, and conversation remains strained.

Afterward, Bastian leads Lore to silver thrones entwined with dead rose canes—his “demonstration number two.” Hand in hand, Lore draws Mortem while Bastian feeds Spiritum, reviving the roses into blood-red bloom before the court. Polite applause follows; Bastian exults, and Caius raises a glass, observing without joining the clapping.

In a brief aside, Bastian reveals he will introduce the Kirytheans at First Day prayers, aiming to manage optics while avoiding direct contact with Gabe. Lore warns of the risk, underscoring looming tension between diplomacy with the empire and Gabe’s trauma.