The silence in the Council Hall was brittle. Not the brittle of age, but the kind that threatened to shatter with the faintest provocation.
Dozens of eyes remained fixed on the young man standing alone at the foot of the tribunal steps. Ezekiel of Tradespire had arrived without entourage, without herald, without crest or banner to announce his lineage. Yet there was something unnervingly composed about the way he stood there, as if this grand chamber, with its marble pillars and gold-inlaid dais, was no more impressive to him than a parlor.
At his side, a hooded figure stood in silence. Faceless. Featureless. A shadow with hands.
Matthian leaned forward in his seat, fingers steepled beneath his chin. The council chamber had never felt so still, and yet the air prickled with tension. He studied the boy—young man, really—and tried once more to puzzle out the source of that strange unease.
The Speaker of the Council finally rose, his ceremonial staff striking the floor with a sharp crack.
"We begin this hearing under the authority of the Merchant Council of Tradespire," he intoned, voice reverberating through the chamber like a judge's gavel. "The matter at hand: the candidacy of one Ezekiel of Tradespire for consideration as a seated Merchant Lord."
The hall remained silent as the clerk struck his bell.
"By the laws and traditions of this Council, three forms of proof must be presented by any petitioner: proof of trade, proof of power, and proof of legitimacy."
Another strike of the bell. Another beat of tension.
"Do you bring these proofs, Ezekiel of Tradespire?"
The boy stepped forward. One step. No more.
"I do."
The words weren't loud, but they cut through the stillness. Every syllable landed with the confidence of someone unshaken by scrutiny.
It was hard to believe he was only about the same age as Matthian's youngest son. Placed side by side, his boy would have looked like a toddler next to the towering presence of this young man.
"Then present your first proof," the Speaker said, gesturing with an open palm. "Let it be reviewed by this council."
Without a word, the cloaked attendant beside Ezekiel stepped forward. From within the folds of their robe, they withdrew a sealed scroll, bound in black ribbon and marked with a familiar sigil: twin anvils atop a mountain.
Ironhide Hold.
A murmur swept through the chamber like wind stirring dry grass. The dwarves did not deal easily with outsiders, let alone with humans.
The Speaker accepted the scroll with both hands, inspecting the seal before breaking it. The parchment crackled as it unfurled, and Matthian caught the slight twitch of the Speaker's brow as he began to read the terms aloud.
By the time he finished, the mood in the room had shifted.
"…exclusive rights to raw minerals and stoneglass," the Speaker concluded, his voice tinged with a hint of uncertainty. "Forty percent below market rates, guaranteed for ten years. No tariffs, no delivery fees, no escrow required."
Silence followed. Then a whisper.
"…Impossible."
"They gave him those terms?"
"Not even House Verad negotiated that well…"
Matthian felt his jaw tighten. These weren't just generous terms; they were concessions so extreme they bordered on submission. Had the boy secretly married one of their daughters?
"The council calls for dissent," the Speaker said, lifting his staff. "Does any lord present challenge the validity of this contract as a qualifying proof of trade?"
The voice that rose belonged, predictably, to Lord Fies.
"Only a question, if I may," he said smoothly, rising from his seat like oil bubbling to the surface. "The contract is valid, yes. But has anyone bothered to ask how the young man intends to pay for it? This agreement vastly exceeds his declared funds. It is one thing to hold a contract, another to fulfill it."
Ezekiel turned his head slightly, just enough to meet Fies's gaze.
"You may not, Lord Fies. This council holds no authority over my business," he said, his tone flat, polished, and entirely unamused. "But rest assured, my dues to Tradespire will be paid long before yours are missed."
Laughter stirred from the left side of the chamber, the side that leaned anti-Empire. Matthian noticed even Orla Thorne allowed herself a faint smile.
Lord Fies sat down, scowling.
"No formal objection recorded," the Speaker declared. "The contract is accepted as the first of three required proofs."
The next scroll followed, passed once again from the hooded figure to the Speaker. Matthian might have imagined it, but the mysterious attendant seemed to stand a bit straighter as they presented this one, as if taking particular pride in the contents.
The seal bore the crimson chrysanthemum of the Verma family of Korrovan. Silk lords, infamous for their perfectionism and far-reaching influence.
Matthian recognized the mark immediately. He also recognized the hush that followed. The terms this time were not outrageous, but they didn't need to be.
The scale alone was staggering. The volume of the order, the exclusivity, and the ten-year clause. It was the kind of deal merchants dreamt of: not flashy, but solid enough to feel like the coin was already in hand.
Matthian himself hadn't closed a contract of that caliber since before his hair began to turn gray. It was the sort of deal that could build a house, even a legacy. Good, honest business.
"Seven hundred bolts per moon," someone murmured.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"From the southern looms," said another. "The Undercity's alive again."
"Word is he runs it," came a more hushed voice, two seats to Matthian's right. "Tens of thousands down there now. Slaves. All his."
Matthian didn't move, but his gaze drifted back to Ezekiel. The boy gave no reaction, as if he couldn't hear the murmurs and whispers at all. It was a demeanor completely unfitting of a boy his age.
Once more, the Speaker called for objections. None came.
"Second proof accepted."
And then came the final scroll.
It did not look special.
Not at first.
The hooded figure stepped forward once more, extending a gloved hand to offer a scroll sealed within a crystalline case. It struck many as needlessly ostentatious, and several of the lords visibly sneered at the display. It looked like the kind of flourish one might expect from a nouveau riche upstart. Even Matthian had to admit, a kid was still a kid.
But the moment the lid was opened, the air changed.
It was subtle at first, barely noticeable.
A breath of wind from no discernible source. A prickle at the nape of Matthian's neck. The sound in the chamber dulled, as if muffled by a thin layer of frost in the air.
The scroll still rested within the case, furled, yet its aura was already pressing outward with quiet menace.
Not even the Speaker dared touch it.
He looked to Ezekiel. "Is it safe?"
The young man gave a small nod. "It is."
Even then, the Speaker hesitated.
When his fingers finally closed around the scroll, a visible shiver ran down his spine. As it unfurled, a wave of frost swept through the chamber, as if winter had arrived early.
Yet none among them were ordinary. Even those who lacked personal strength had the means to shield themselves. Rather than recoil, the assembled lords leaned in, drawn to the mystery of the scroll.
There was no seal, only a single thumbprint dipped in blood, its borders etched in frost.
One of the elder lords leaned forward, squinting at the symbol.
"…What family is that?"
Another lord whispered, "Is that… Valorian Blood Magic?"
"No," said a voice from the back.
A pause.
Then again, louder this time, with more certainty. "…That's not Blood Magic. That's Bloodline Suppression."
Whispers rippled outward. Confused. Curious. Unsettled.
Then someone spoke the word:
"Progenitor Beast."
The hall froze.
Not from cold, but from recognition.
A few lords rose from their seats.
"That can't be—"
"A beast lord?"
"Impossible. They don't... sign contracts."
Even the Speaker had gone pale.
But before the awe could take hold, Lord Fies stood once again, quick to seize the moment.
"Objection!" he declared, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "This document, whatever it may be, raises two immediate concerns."
Matthian's jaw tightened. Here it comes.
"First, the contract refers to ownership rights over the entirety of a mineral vein, but no surveyor's report has been filed. Without a formal assessment, how are we to verify the trade volume? These numbers could be meaningless."
A few cautious nods came from his faction.
"And second," Fies added, raising his voice, "the signee, identified as Winter, is no legal entity at all. Progenitor or not, such beings are, by standard classification, magical beasts. Monsters. Unless we've decided to start accepting contracts signed by goblins and ogres, I would strongly urge this council to reconsider the validity of such an agreement."
This time, the murmurs were louder. Not all were in agreement, many were uneasy. A few lords shifted in their seats, only now beginning to grasp just how far from precedent this moment had drifted.
Matthian remained still, eyes fixed on the Speaker.
It was a stretch. An obvious one. But Ezekiel had no allies. And among merchants, even the thinnest threads of doubt could be twisted into nooses.
The Speaker looked pained, but after a beat, he gave a solemn nod.
"The objection is noted," he said. "Discussion will commence."
Ezekiel said nothing.
Nothing would change even if he did. The outcome was already set in stone.
Matthian could already see it: the tide turning against the boy, swept along by the practiced tongues of the pro-Empire faction. No matter what, they still held considerable sway within the council, with ties reaching into nearly every lord's circle.
Orla Thorne and Harel Vantine, his closest allies, were the strongest voices defending the validity of the contract. Their arguments were sound, even compelling, but logic had little power over those unwilling to listen.
That was the nature of politics. Without the backing of their full faction, their voices carried no weight. And he, as the faction's leader, had yet to speak.
He had no intention of doing so.
Whether or not the contract was accepted, the boy wouldn't pass this hearing. Not without a royal endorsement, and everyone knew he didn't have one. These things were never subtle. Royal endorsements came with parades and processions. Silence, in this case, said everything.
It would be a waste of political capital to support a losing cause.
What puzzled him, though, was how determined the pro-Empire lords seemed to be in tearing the boy down. They had to know, just as he did, that Ezekiel had no path through the final requirement.
The discrepancy made Matthian uneasy, but not enough to change course. It could simply be vengeance. The boy had been a thorn in the Empire's side for too long.
He watched in silence as the momentum began to shift. Secret deals were struck, favors exchanged. And just like that, the voices of dissent drowned out those still speaking in Ezekiel's defense.
Ezekiel remained motionless, his gaze fixed ahead.
Not angry. Not surprised.
Simply… watchful.
Lord Matthian felt a cold trickle of unease slide down his spine.
Despite the shifting tide, the boy made no move to protest, no effort to salvage the moment. He didn't argue, didn't flinch, didn't even blink as the momentum turned against him. It was as if he had expected this outcome long before stepping into the chamber.
He stood there, still, calm, unshaken, while the lords of Tradespire squabbled over technicalities and twisted precedent to suit their aims. His ears caught every whisper. His gaze moved from speaker to reaction, marking gestures, reading glances. Every nod, every averted eye, every exchanged look of favor was noted.
Like an accountant tallying sins.
There was no emotion in those cold, golden eyes. No hope. No pleading. Only calculation. The clinical assessment of a system laid bare, stripped of its ceremony and dignity. And in the face of that merciless scrutiny, Matthian saw the truth:
They were exposing themselves, revealing their allegiances for all to see.
Even he, through his silence, was choosing a side.
Matthian frowned at the realization. It was not a flattering picture. For a fleeting moment, he wished he had spoken up for the boy, had shown the same fervent resolve as his colleagues.
But the thought passed quickly. Reason prevailed, as it always did.
When the avalanche of protest reached its peak, the Speaker was forced to act. He hesitated, then reluctantly declared:
"…The council does not recognize the final contract. The third proof is denied."
Lord Fies leaned back with a smirk. Basking in the echo of his small, hard-won victory, he turned slightly toward the young man at the base of the hall.
"A shame," Lord Fies said, loud enough for the entire chamber to hear. "I was curious to see how many myths one boy could peddle before the ink dried."
The young man smiled at that.
Not amused. Not insulted.
It was the kind of smile one might give a child proudly brandishing a wooden sword: mocking, indulgent, and… faintly pitying.
"A shame, indeed," Ezekiel echoed, his voice sharp enough to draw blood. "To stand before the Merchant Council of Tradespire and liken a being whose very breath reshapes the land to a beast a child might club in a cellar."
He paused, letting the silence stretch.
"How very desperate. How very unsightly," his gaze swept over the assembly, focusing especially on those whose voices had been the loudest just now.
"…Tell me, honored Lords," he started slowly, "how many of you would have dared speak as you have in the presence of the being you just disparaged?"
There was no reply, but the boy clearly hadn't expected one. He called out their hypocrisy and cowardice simply for the sake of exposing it.
"How much worse must it be, then, when you all realize that this disgrace was entirely meaningless?"
"Nonsense!" Fies exclaimed, a flicker of unease crossing his face for the first time.
No response.
Ezekiel didn't rise to the bait. Didn't even look at him.
He simply raised a hand.
The cloaked attendant stepped forward in silence, not with a scroll this time, but with a wooden box, long, narrow, sealed with silver clasps.
The figure crossed the chamber without a word and presented it to the Speaker, offering a slight bow before stepping back.
The Speaker hesitated, both hands hovering over the box as if unsure whether to touch it. Every eye in the room was fixed on that single object.
No one moved. No one whispered.
Even the air seemed to hold its breath.