LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 4: The Ancestral Hall
Orinthia stepped forward, her presence commanding immediate silence. Her sharp gaze swept over the assembled family, lingering briefly on those whose loyalty she questioned. "Today," she began, her voice resonating with authority, "we welcome Orion Reyes as the 18th heir to the family's head position."
A murmur rippled through the room, a mix of approval and thinly veiled skepticism. Orion, nestled in Cassian's arms, blinked up at the faces surrounding him.
Alaric, a distant cousin with a reputation for ambition, stepped forward. His voice cut through the murmurs like a blade. "With all due respect, Orinthia, the boy is barely a month old. And his mother—" His gaze flicked to Valeria, lingering for a moment too long. "—brings with her a legacy that is not entirely our own. Are we prepared to entrust the future of this family to a child born of two worlds?"
The room fell silent, the tension thickening. Cassian's jaw tightened, his amethyst eyes flashing with a warning. But before he could speak, Orinthia raised a hand, her movement slow and deliberate.
"Alaric," she said, her voice low and dangerous, "you forget your place." Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the room felt colder. "The blood of the Reyes flows through this child, as it has through every heir before him. As for his age…" She paused, her gaze sweeping the room. "We were all young once."
Alaric opened his mouth to retort, but Orinthia's voice cut him off like a blade. "I will not tolerate dissent in this matter." Her tone was icy, her words leaving no room for argument. "If anyone here dares to oppose this child's rightful place, I will personally see to it that their tongue is removed."
The threat hung in the air, heavy and unyielding. Alaric's face paled, his earlier bravado crumbling under the weight of Orinthia's authority. He took a step back, his mouth closing with an audible click.
Orion, though he didn't understand most of the words, could feel the shift in the room's energy. The tension, the unspoken threats, and the power dynamics all clicked into place on an instinctive level. 'This woman… she is dangerous.' he thought, his small frame somehow sensing the weight of it all.
Cassian's grip on him tightened ever so slightly, a protective instinct flaring. Orion's tiny hand brushed against his father's coat, the fabric soft and comforting. For a fleeting moment, the noise and tension in the room seemed to dissolve, replaced by the steady and calming rhythm of Cassian's heartbeat.
Orinthia turned to the gathered elders and cousins, her expression resolute, her tone measured but unyielding. "I let you have your way with Cassian," she began, her words carrying a weight that demanded attention. "When he chose Valeria, I remained impartial, agreeing to his removal from the competition to preserve our traditions. "
Her gaze swept across the room, lingering briefly on those who had dared to question her decisions. "But make no mistake—Orion is a Reyes, and he will not be cast aside. I will not tolerate further challenges to his legitimacy," she declared, her voice dropping to a whisper that carried sharp resolve. "Not today, not ever."
Orinthia's voice and demeanor shifted entirely as she declared, "Tonight is not merely a celebration. It is a covenant—a solemn promise to honor our past and a steadfast vow to forge our future. Now, we shall proceed to the Ancestral Hall."
The guests exchanged glances, some nodding solemnly, others whispering in reverence. Servants moved swiftly, guiding the crowd toward the massive oak doors at the far end of the hall. Cassian cradled Orion in his arms, the infant swaddled in a blanket of deep crimson, embroidered with the family crest—The crest was framed within the shape of an obelisk, its sharp, vertical lines drawing the eye upward.
At the top, a golden quill rested above a small, radiant orange sun, its delicate rays fanning outward. Below it, a bold black sword pierced through a larger, blazing golden sun, its edges sharp and commanding, the contrast stark against the sun's fiery glow. The two symbols—quill and sword—were balanced within the obelisk's structure, their placement deliberate, as if to suggest that wisdom and strength were the twin pillars of the Reyes legacy.
Orion, nestled in his father's arms, blinked up at the high ceiling, his mind struggling to process the grandeur of the hall. 'What's up with this cult-like family?' he thought, his brain piecing together fragments of scenes he had seen so far.
The path to the Ancestral Hall was a journey through time. Statues lined the corridor, each one a silent guardian of the Reyes family's history. Carved from dark stone, their faces were worn but dignified, their features bearing the marks of time and weather. Valeria stopped before one, her fingertips brushing the worn inscription. "Elena Reyes," she murmured, "She starved herself during the famine so her children could live. Her love kept the family alive when nothing else could."
Cassian's gaze hardened for a moment, his voice steady but heavy with meaning. "Orion will grow up knowing their stories," he said. "Not just the triumphs, but the sacrifices too."
Orion's eyes widened with curiosity. Though he couldn't understand the significance of the ritual, his senses were alive to the world around him. The dim lighting, the scent of incense, the feel of the fabric against his skin—all were new and intriguing to him.
'This narcissistic family sure loves their statues, huh?' Orion thought, 'What's next, a golden bust of me in the nursery with a pacifier?' He wondered.
The Ancestral Hall welcomed them with a silence that felt almost sacred. Portraits of the family's forebears lined the walls, their gazes steady and proud, as if offering silent approval. Between the portraits, shelves displayed relics—a sword dulled by battle, maps yellowed with age, and journals filled with the whispers of generations. The air carried the comforting scent of polished wood and the faint, sweet trace of incense, as though the hall itself breathed with the spirit of those who had come before.
At the center of the room stood a towering golden obelisk, its surface smooth. Behind it rose two golden columns, their polished surfaces reflecting the glow of the twin suns streaming through the high windows. The obelisk rested upon an emerald stand, its deep green hue contrasting sharply with the radiant gold.
This was the heart of the Ancestral Hall, where the family's most sacred ceremonies took place. On the stand lay a simple silver bowl, filled with water from the lakes of Selene, its surface catching the light.
Orinthia gestured for Cassian to step forward. "Bring him here," she said, her tone firm but not unkind.
Gently, Cassian laid Orion on the table. The infant stirred, his blue eyes blinking up at the ceiling. "Okay, this is getting weird, Orion thought, his tiny mind racing. Am I about to be sacrificed to some ancient family god?"
Orinthia stepped forward, her fingers brushing the golden obelisk. Its surface, polished to a mirror sheen, reflected the light of the twin suns streaming through the high windows. The obelisk had stood in this hall for centuries, forged from the first ore mined on Selene—a symbol of the family's heritage and their roots. She paused, her hand resting on its cool surface, as if drawing strength from its silent presence. "This obelisk," she began, her voice steady and clear, "has borne witness to every triumph and struggle of the Reyes family. Today, it bears witness to you."
From the emerald stand, she lifted the white feather, its edges tipped with gold. It came from the Selene Hawk, a creature that soared above the lakes and mountains, untethered and free. The hawk was a symbol of independence, resilience, and the unbroken spirit of the Reyes family. Orinthia held it up for a moment, letting the light catch its delicate edges, before placing it gently in Orion's open palm. Her touch was firm, her eyes steady as she closed his fingers around it. "This feather," she said, "symbolizes resilience we strive for. May you carry its spirit with you, always."
"You are a Reyes now." Orinthia said, her voice firm.
The guests remained silent, the weight of her words lingering in the air like a held breath. The room seemed to pause, the only sound the faint rustle of fabric and the distant hum of the twin suns filtering through the high windows. Then, slowly, applause began to ripple through the crowd—soft at first, like the first drops of rain, before growing into a steady, resonant wave. Valeria leaned into Cassian, her hand resting lightly on his arm as she watched Orion.
Cassian nodded, his gaze lingering on Orion, a quiet resolve hardening in his expression. As the family began to file out of the Ancestral Hall, Orion, still cradled in Cassian's arms, tilted his head to gaze up at the nearest statue. His wide eyes seemed to take in the solemn faces of the past, though his expression was one of innocent bewilderment, as if silently asking, What is all this?
Cassian chuckled softly, the sound low and warm, while Valeria sighed beside him. Her lips curved into a faint smile, though her eyes held a glimmer of something sharper—amusement, perhaps, or the faintest hint of foreboding. She reached out, brushing a finger lightly against Orion's cheek, her touch lingering for just a moment.