.·:¨¨ ≈☆≈ ¨¨:·.Chapter 18: Alliances and Tensions.·:¨¨ ≈☆≈ ¨¨:·.

The afternoon light filtered through the windows of the palace’s main hall, painting golden glints on the old tapestries. Marlene sat across from a wide oak table, next to Dante and Max. There were no maps spread out or rigid plans, but careful conversations and glances that tried to decipher the invisible: intentions, silences, and memories that still weighed on them.

Adrian Blackthorn had left a mark on them all, and his every gesture had become an enigma they now had to decipher. Marlene mentally reviewed every detail of that encounter: the way his smile seemed a puzzle, how his gaze could promise as much as it could threaten, and how a simple exchange of words could open a path or close it forever.

“The important thing is to get ahead,” Dante said in a low voice, with that tone that felt more like personal advice than an order. “Here, every miscalculated word weighs more than a sword.”

Max nodded, serious, though his crossed hands showed a certain impatience. He was more one for action than talk, but he understood that at court, games were not fought with steel, but with a sharp tongue.

The air in the room suddenly tensed as the door opened without warning. Valeria made her entrance with the bearing of an uncrowned queen: elegant, confident, and with a look that seemed to pierce the soul of those who watched her.

Her attention landed directly on Marlene, as if the others were mere decorative pieces. A smile loaded with venom adorned her lips.

“How charming to see you all so… focused,” she said, advancing with soft but firm steps. “I wonder, Miss Marlene, if your wit is strong enough to hold the attention of two such… busy men.”

The words were silk, but they hid thorns. Marlene knew it. She took a deep breath, remembering what Dante always told her: true strength lies in not losing your composure when others try to snatch it from you.

Kira, nestled on a nearby cushion, let out a brief meow. For Marlene, that sound was a reminder: stay calm, observe, and turn provocation into an advantage.

“Valeria, your perspective is always valuable,” Marlene replied, inclining her head slightly with elegance. “Although I must clarify that this isn’t about competition, but about shared strategy.”

A glint of amusement crossed Valeria’s eyes.

“Shared strategy? How adorable. I find it hard to imagine everyone in this room rowing in the same direction. Sometimes, my dear, what seems like unity is just an illusion… and an illusion is easily broken.”

Max frowned, unable to hide his discomfort. Dante, in contrast, remained silent, evaluating every word as if they were chess pieces.

Marlene, aware of the opportunity, decided to take the lead.

“Illusions, Valeria, are often more useful than they seem. They deceive the enemy, confuse the curious, and strengthen those who know how to handle them. Perhaps it’s not about destroying them, but about taking advantage of them.”

The words fell like drops of sweet poison. Valeria tilted her head, surprised by the response, and offered a smile that was half mockery, half recognition.

“Cunning,” she murmured, like someone evaluating a worthy adversary. “Although I still wonder if that cleverness is innate or borrowed.”

Kira purred softly, as if underlining Marlene’s move.

The atmosphere in the room became an invisible board. Every glance was a piece, every smile a trap, every pause a calculated move. Marlene knew that the key was not to win an immediate duel, but to plant seeds of doubt and respect in Valeria’s mind.

Dante intervened, breaking the silence that threatened to become unbearable.

“In this place, every word counts for more than it seems. Perhaps the true lesson isn’t who speaks the loudest, but who manages to hear what isn’t said.”

Valeria arched an eyebrow and let out a soft sigh.

“An interesting lesson. Perhaps this young woman still has more cards hidden than she lets on. Although… “—her eyes fixed on Marlene—” don’t forget, my dear, that every trick has a price, and not everyone is willing to pay it.”

Marlene held her gaze calmly.

“The important thing is not the price, but the gain. And in this court, even a small gesture can tip the scales.”

There was a tense silence. Neither Max nor Dante dared to break it. The room filled with that strange sensation of being on the brink of something: an alliance, a betrayal, or perhaps a simple game that was just beginning.

Finally, Valeria smiled with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Valeria slowly moved her gaze between those present, like an actress aware that her every move was being watched. She had achieved what she wanted: to sow doubt and destabilize the calm that Dante and Max were building with Marlene.

“Then we will leave it at that,” she finally said, in a tone imbued with false magnanimity. “Everyone will learn in time whether their bets were wise or foolish.”

She turned on her heels with impeccable grace, letting the light from the windows reflect in her jewels. A scent of expensive perfume lingered in the air, as if the room had been marked by her presence. But before taking her last step toward the exit, she stopped in a calculated manner and turned back to Dante and Max.

“Oh, I almost forgot”—her smile widened with malice—”this weekend I’m hosting a private dinner, something more intimate than an official gathering. Only a few guests… and of course, I would be pleased to see both of you there, gentlemen.”

The air immediately tensed. Dante barely frowned, uncomfortable with the direct invitation; Max, on the other hand, tilted his head with a mix of curiosity and distrust. Marlene perceived how Valeria had chosen her words with surgical precision: she was not inviting them as allies, but as men.

“A date, huh?” Max murmured ironically, as if to downplay it, though his gaze hardened.

“Let’s not call it that,” Valeria replied, taking a few steps closer to him. “I prefer to consider it… a space to converse without masks, without protocols. What do you say?”

Dante maintained his composure, but Marlene recognized the slight clenching of his jaw. His silence was more eloquent than any answer.

Valeria laughed softly, enjoying the tension she was generating.

“You don’t need to answer now. I’ll send the invitations in writing. I’m sure both of you will appreciate the opportunity to… distract yourselves a little.”

With one last theatrical movement, she bowed slightly in farewell and left the hall. This time she did close the door behind her, leaving not only uncertainty, but a clear poison in the air: she had marked out a new chessboard.

[Kira: Warning: the player faces a new provocation. Hidden objective detected: resist Valeria’s social manipulation.]

[Cunning +1. Emotional control required.]

Marlene exhaled slowly, like someone freeing herself from an invisible rope. Dante watched her with a mixture of pride and caution, while Max muttered under his breath that the woman was more dangerous than any armed enemy.

Kira, in contrast, jumped onto Marlene’s lap and let out a soft purr. As if to say: a step gained, even though the game is far from over.

Marlene knew it. The tension with Valeria had not been an obstacle, but an opportunity. Every word had been a rehearsal, every glance a test. And most importantly: she had shown that she could stand firm on ground where swords didn’t cut, but tongues could destroy entire kingdoms.

                                                                                                                      ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥to be continued˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥