263 Festivities

When Arran walked into the gardens with the Matriarch, the sheer number of people there caused him some surprise. Even if he had spent hours personally welcoming all of the groups, he only fully realized just how many people were present when he saw them all together.

And these weren't just any people, either. They were the Valley's most powerful and distinguished mages, along with many of their most promising students.

An attack here would cripple the Valley for countless generations to come, perhaps even weaken it to the point of collapse. And all it would take was a few bottles of poison.

Arran paled slightly as he considered the idea, and he found himself glad that Brightblade had paid frequent visits to the kitchens to get some early tastes of the banquet's delicacies.

But then, perhaps that wasn't her only motivation. Perhaps she had recognized the risk, and had taken actions to counter it. Knowing Brightblade, Arran would be surprised if she hadn't.