The Unmaker Claims the Throne

Morning gathers quietly in the Obsidian Tower bedchamber. Delfarius wakes beneath dim violet lamps, while the Starless Court invitation remains secured beneath the ledger, awaiting midnight.

He completes his meditation in stillness, then brushes his long dark red hair until the waves settle neatly around his shoulders. He dresses for the morning without haste.

The breakfast chamber receives him with quiet warmth. Coffee waits beside stacked reports describing the Tower’s latest creations below, while a prepared meal rests beneath silver covers.

Marrec stands nearby with lowered gaze and restrained posture, attentive but silent after speaking. He watches for Delfarius’s judgment while leaving the reports and coffee undisturbed.

The first report details a winged cat’s successful integration into the eastern aviary, followed by notes on the frontier predators’ feeding grounds and warded boundaries.

Beyond the chamber windows, the Tower drifts above the clouds. Tonight holds Morghain’s private date at dusk and the Starless Court at midnight, while Chance remains promised the morning after.

Delfarius takes a grape and watches the reports lift from the table, their pages carried by obedient magic toward the Endless Archives for proper filing.

Before Marrec can answer, his stomach growls loudly enough to challenge the Tower’s quiet. His lowered gaze snaps toward the covered meal, then back to Delfarius.

The answer succeeds in exposing the omission, but the cost settles between them: Marrec now knows his place at the table was never made clear, and his trust bears that uncertainty.

The covered meal remains within reach, untouched. Marrec waits for Delfarius’s ruling, while the last report disappears into the Tower’s archival light.

Delfarius lifts the cloche from the plate, releasing the rich scent of roasted meat, buttered roots, and warm bread. He takes a bite and smirks at Marrec.

Marrec’s shoulders loosen. He does not leave for another plate; instead, he accepts the plate Delfarius gives him, bowing before taking it with both hands.

Marrec eats hungrily from the offered plate, careful not to claim the chair opposite Delfarius. The rule is clear, but the privilege of sharing the table remains deliberately ungranted.

The shared breakfast routine is established: Marrec will prepare food for himself alongside Delfarius’s meal, but today he remains a servant receiving permission, not a companion invited to dine.

Delfarius eats the bite, then retrieves a fork from the breakfast setting before Marrec can seize the spoon. He places the fork in Marrec’s hand.

Marrec replaces the spoon and uses the fork to lift the buttered roots. Delfarius laughs lightly, making the correction feel practical rather than ceremonial.

Marrec eats more steadily, though his careful posture returns. The fork grants him comfort, but the easy kindness also reminds him that every ordinary privilege still depends on Delfarius’s permission.

Delfarius releases a large sigh and rises from his chair. Marrec lowers the fork, visibly unsettled by the ominous remark, though he continues eating rather than asking for reassurance.

The comment costs Marrec some confidence by exposing his suspicion, but it also establishes the day’s tension plainly: Delfarius has accepted the meal, and Marrec now knows to expect danger beyond the table.

Delfarius laughs and paces behind Marrec, his footsteps quiet against the black stone. Beyond the windows, clouds drift beneath the Tower like pale seas.

He turns toward the window, laughing again, while Marrec pauses with his fork lowered. The servant’s attention shifts from the meal to the vast sky beyond the glass.

The question draws a wary crease across Marrec’s brow. The Tower’s occult resonance confirms the invitation’s meaning: the Starless Court is a hidden conclave beyond Cevalle’s ordinary powers, seeking an audience without demanding an oath.