Chapter 649: Chapter 650: Don’t Make Things Difficult For Me
"Is this one of those expensive floating pavilions..."
Damon spoke those words on instinct, his eyes scanning the structure with casual irreverence.
Cassian’s eye twitched.
"You’re late, and all you care about is the pavilion..."
"Ahem, ahem." Damon awkwardly cleared his throat, scratching his cheek with a sheepish grin.
"Sorry about that... it’s just, I’ve always prayed for one of these to fall, just so the people floating above our heads know that money doesn’t make them immortal."
"Cough, cough..." He coughed again, looking away.
"I was young then, sir... I see the error of my ways."
Cassian felt the urge to pull his hair out, while Evangeline, seated behind him, watched Damon with a pitiful expression.
"He hasn’t seen anything yet," she muttered under her breath.
The Grand Duke chuckled, his deep voice echoing through the chamber.
"Welcome, young Ascendant. Since you are here, I believe there is no need for further fanfare. Shall we proceed? We’ve kept everyone waiting long enough."
Damon awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"Ergmm...."
"There’s no need to feel guilty, it was a small matter," the Grand Duke introduced Damon with ease, dismissing the weight of his lateness.
Cassian sighed heavily as he walked back to his seat, his steps slow and deliberate.
"I would hardly call keeping the emperor and every great house waiting for half an hour a small matter."
Annalise, seated beside the Duke, smiled warmly at Damon.
"Don’t worry, no one noticed," she said, attempting to reassure him, mistaking his awkwardness for nervousness.
Evangeline crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
"Everyone noticed. You... why are you always getting in trouble?"
Damon bit his lip.
"Who knows..."
He turned to the Grand Duke.
"Right, your grace, about that..."
"Your sister and apprentice will be seated with us for the duration of the war games, and I will guarantee their safety," the Grand Duke declared, glancing at Damon.
"As for the matter of the games actually starting tomorrow... we already noticed Sera’s vicious scheme. So we took it upon ourselves to make sure everything begins today."
Damon blinked in surprise. For all his confidence, he really was still a youngling compared to these sly foxes. They had already spotted the missing pieces and set everything in place.
"Wait, then why didn’t you say anything?"
Cassian closed his eyes as he leaned back against a large golden chair, his tone calm.
"There was no need to. We agreed to act as your backers, did we not?"
Evangeline tilted her head but said nothing. Damon, however, couldn’t help but notice she wasn’t wearing a dress but her armor.
The doors opened. A figure walked into the room clad in gleaming golden armor. He knelt down before the Grand Duke.
"Your grace, the steed is ready."
Cassian nodded and glanced at Damon.
"Alright then... you’ll be leading this parade."
Damon thought he had heard wrong.
"Wait, what? Me? I thought I was joining the parade."
The Grand Duke smiled faintly.
"You didn’t think we were just going to let you mix with the common masses? We couldn’t move because you are the one leading the vanguard."
Damon pulled off his hood and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"What’s your angle..."
The Grand Duke chuckled again.
"Of course, I can understand if you’re scared to go. After all, leading the parade is very mentally tasking. People would have all their eyes on you... fame, glory, and so much more. You would even go down in the history books."
Damon raised his hand.
"I didn’t say I wasn’t going to do it. But wait, doesn’t that mean most of the people who wanted the position would hate me?"
The Grand Duke ignored his concerns.
"Good. Then Evangeline can join you. You can have whatever you want."
"Really? I can?" Damon asked, needing to be sure.
The Grand Duke nodded with a smile.
"Of course. Anything you want."
Damon smiled, satisfied.
As soon as he did, Evangeline sighed and stood up.
’He has no idea what he has unleashed.’
"Let’s go, and please try not to do anything weird."
Damon was appalled as he followed her.
"My goodness, I am a man of upright character...."
A minute and a half later, Damon proved her right.
"This horse is too cheap. Bring me that one."
He waved dismissively at what could only be one of the most well-bred dragon horses. Its muscles and stride were intimidating, its form grand and regal.
Instead, he pointed at another beast. This one was terrifying to behold. Its form resembled a unicorn, except its body was silver, with crystal-like horns growing around its hooves. Its eyes glowed with untamed menace.
"But sir, that belongs to the Grand Duke..."
The knight tasked with escorting Damon to the front of the parade looked like he was about to cry.
"Good, I’ll take it," Damon replied, holding his chin with a thin smile.
"But sir, it’s his favorite horse... no one rides it," the knight pleaded, his voice trembling.
He didn’t have the guts to face someone as terrifying as the Grand Duke and tell him Damon had taken his horse. But he also couldn’t stop Damon, since the Grand Duke had said he could have anything.
"It was fated. I’ll take it," Damon insisted firmly.
"Sir, I’m begging you, don’t make things difficult for me..."
The knight was ready to throw away his pride and beg Damon to choose the horse he was originally given.
"I insist on making things difficult. I want that one, and I won’t take any other. In fact, I’m not going anywhere without that dragon horse."
Damon crossed his arms defiantly.
The knight and everyone present began to sweat. The parade was already late.
"It’s actually a Tyrant Horse," Evangeline sighed.
"And it belongs to my grandfather... but fine, let him have it. Let’s just get going. Assuming you can tame it... it only listens to grandfather."
Damon could hear Evangeline’s sneer. She was practically daring him.
’Go ahead, take it if you can.’
He walked up to the massive Tyrant Horse. It stomped its hooves aggressively, its presence dominating the space.
Damon’s dark eyes glimmered faintly, and the horse stared back into them.
Its hostility faded... just like that.
Damon smiled gently, all malice vanishing from his expression.
"That’s what I thought."
He turned to the knights and Evangeline, who were all dumbfounded.
"Arrange the saddle."
Evangeline let out a soft sigh.
Of course it was Damon. Why was she even surprised?
The knights hesitated until Evangeline nodded.
"I’ll take responsibility if anything happens."