Chapter Fifty Eight: The Party

Chapter Fifty Eight: The Party
The grand banquet hall of the estate shimmered under the cascade of soft crystal lights. Gilded plates and alien delicacies were elegantly arranged on long crystalline tables. Nimoan guards stood at the perimeter, alert and professional, but unobtrusive.

Axir sat beside Rexan, his posture effortlessly regal as he lifted a glass of luminous blue drink. Across from him, General Rhorvak was detailing Nimoa’s recent military innovations with pride.

Greon, however, wasn’t here to eat. He scanned the hall from where he sat, sipping on nothing in particular. His eyes traced the doorways, measuring the guards’ rotations, cataloguing entry and exit points. He caught Rexan’s glance. A single nod. Rexan replied with a smile to a passing server but counted two guards at the left corridor and another three by the far entrance. Too many eyes.

“Your engineers would be impressed with our barrier detection system,” Rhorvak was saying.

Axir chuckled. “I’ll need at least three of those. Perhaps five, if your pricing doesn’t offend me.”

The general laughed.

Kehan, seated near Rhorvak, leaned slightly forward. “We’ll ensure it’s tailored to your fleet’s specifications. It’s not every day we entertain royalty from Zytherion.”

The banter continued, harmless and cheerful on the surface. But beneath it, tension coiled like an unseen wire.

Meanwhile…

KEHAN POV:

Kehan was strolling back from the hall, deciding to check the outer estate corridor when he nearly collided with someone soft—delicate, almost weightless.

“Oh!” A gasp.

He looked down and blinked. A woman. Not just any woman. Human.

He asked her, “Eska ik ovulé?”

The woman clutched her chest, startled. Wide eyes, hazel-green, stared at him like she’d seen a ghost.

He tilted his head. “Did you fall from the sky or are you just terribly lost?”

“I was… following someone,” the woman said, trying to sound confident but failing miserably.

“Strange place to follow strangers,” he replied, still not letting go of her. “You’re not from here.”

“That obvious, huh?”

He smirked, and finally let go. “No Nimoan would fall into someone and look at their horns like it’s a dessert tray.”

She turned bright red and cleared her throat. “I wasn’t staring.”

“You were.”

“I really wasn’t.”

He chuckled, but his gaze sharpened slightly. “You shouldn’t be here. This is not a safe area, especially during the send-off banquet.”

She stiffened. “I know. But I have to find someone. A friend… she might be in trouble.”

He studied her, gaze flicking to her clenched fists and rapid breathing. “And you thought sneaking through these corridors was the best way to do that?”

Freya sighed. “It wasn’t my finest plan, I admit.”

“What’s your name?”

“…Freya.”

His lips twitched again. “Beautiful name.”

Then the woman asked him: “Who are you?”

The smile on his lips didn’t fade, but it did change. Subtle. Sad, maybe. Or just unreadable.

“Let’s just say I’m someone who’s not meant to be here either.”

Their eyes locked for a beat too long.

“Come,” he said. “You can’t wander around here in plain sight. If someone else sees you, it won’t be horns and jokes — it’ll be cuffs and questions.”

“I need to follow my friend—”

“You’ll get caught before you find her.”

He started walking, expecting her to follow. She hesitated… then followed.

He led her to a private office chamber adjacent to the estate’s north wing. The door sealed behind them.

“Please sit,” Kehan offered, motioning to a low velvet couch. “Would you like water? Juice? Something stronger?”

Before she could answer, he summoned a servant via wall whisperlink.

Freya’s mind was racing. Should she lie? Pretend to be someone else? Could she even get away with that?

“I’ll get straight to the point,” Kehan said, sitting opposite her. “What’s your name, and how did you come to be in Nimoa unannounced?”

Freya tried to calm her nerves. “My name is Freya. I’m from Earth. I… came with friends.”

His brow arched. “Earth,” he repeated, voice hushed. “We don’t get many humans around here.”

He didn’t press further, but his silence was heavy.

“You haven’t told me your name,” she pointed out, lifting her chin.

Kehan smirked. “That’s fair. I am Kehan—the steward of this estate… and unofficial host for this evening.”

“Oh.” Her stomach sank. She just had to sneak out and bump into the host himself.

The door opened with a soft chime. Livi entered, placing a tray with sweet root tea and nectar cakes on the glass table.

Once alone again, Kehan leaned forward. “You said you came with friends. Anyone I might know?”

Freya fumbled with her fingers. But did not respond.

Kehan noticed. She wasn’t a threat. She was scared… and hiding something. But also—innocent. Like a fluffy Meerikan. Small, soft, with eyes too big for her own good.

He stood, walked toward the window. “If you’re telling the truth, then let’s verify it. The Zytherions are attending the banquet. You can join me and point out your friend.”

Freya’s mouth dropped. “Oh, I—really shouldn’t.”

“Nonsense,” Kehan said, offering his arm. “We’ll be in and out.”

Her brain screamed NO, but her body betrayed her, slowly rising to her feet.

“How do I get out of this one?” she thought miserably.

Meanwhile, back at the banquet…

Greon lifted his glass in slow motion, timing his movements with the guards’ casual scanning patterns.

Two were still at the back corridor. One had gone for a refill. That left a short window, if only—

Rexan leaned over to Axir. “Ten more minutes,” he murmured.

Axir smiled back and turned to Rhorvak. “Speaking of border security, perhaps we could discuss deploying joint tech patrols between our two planets?”

“Joint patrols?” the general said, intrigued. “That’s… ambitious.”

“It would signal trust,” Axir added, twirling his goblet slowly.

All part of the plan. Keep their attention.

The Zytherion prince maintained calm, but every nerve in his body was tuned to Greon’s movement. One wrong step and everything would fall apart.

Cut back to Kehan’s office…

“I really shouldn’t—”

He gave her a side glance. “Just to the hall. Then you’re free to go. Unless…” His eyes narrowed. “You’re not being entirely honest with me?”

Freya clenched her fists. “I am being honest!”

He gave a soft chuckle. “You’re lucky I’m fond of mystery.”

She huffed. This guy was dangerous in all the wrong ways.

As they approached the banquet hall, the low hum of conversation spilled through the wide double doors.

Her heart slammed against her ribs. If she walked in, Greon and Rexan would see her. Axir would—

Kehan pushed the door open.

Golden lights spilled over the tables, and laughter rippled through the room.

"Here it goes.." Freya said to herself.