Pledge Before The People

Everything was set in stone for the hunt, after over a months worth of work, Isaac and Nyx were completely confident. She really wanted to look at the other competitors, but she ended up being taken by the Duke immediately the morning of the hunt and had been stuck with him since.

The party before the event was only to mingle, but the Duke played no part in it choosing to ignore everyone he deemed insignificant. It was amazing how they designated this part of the castle's property specifically to watch over the hunt, it seemed way more of a massive event than it was in the story, or maybe the royal family simply had too much money. At the top overlooking the garden was a large unnecessary ray of balconies, five in a row.

At the balcony, the king appeared followed by the queen, giving his announcement speech. Knowing the drill, the Duke got up as his attendant excused himself, running off. One by one people silenced themselves, listening to the introduction speech of all the houses. It was nothing major except for clapping and waving from the participants of each house, but as it got into it more the Duke begun walking back inside, followed by the children.

It was then she also noticed another family doing the same thing, wondering if this was ever mentioned in the original story. Finally up the stairs, she saw quite a few other people waiting there, from children, teenagers, to adults in front of the balconies. All of them looked quite unique in their own way but she knew she hadn't met them before, probably.

Some of the people smile and waved but her family promptly ignored it, truly the Argyris style. As the king continued announcing the families, he finally reached the ducal households and it hit her how they were familiar, and why there were now so many balconies barely separated apart. This was purely a room to announce the ducal households, that was the only purpose these balconies served and what a weird concept it was, she thought.

"To the far left of me is the Ducal household of the West, the House of Vasilakis." Hearing a loud set of applause and cheers, she saw one of the family departing off, going to enter their place and receive even more cheers. She was starting to remember things from the story she'd forgotten regarding the four families.

Next up were the eastern household if she knew it, they were announcing through order of the household's hierarchy ranking. Despite all being ducal households, the Vasilakis were at the bottom, followed by the Leventis household.

As if on cue, the family who previously waved to them gave another wave, running off to their positions to the far right of the king, the cheers and applause even harder than before. If the Argyris family were monsters, these people were saints with their mainly extroverted puppy personalities despite their crests.

Next were the northern house, with the fewest entries. The younger children in other families were introduced for the younger kids part of the hunt, but she didn't recall if they had any. They did however have the duchess and her two sons walking off to enter, a round of applause and she could almost hear someone excitedly shout that's my wife.

With the Elyas family introduced, it was finally time. She expected nothing from such a controversial family, but they made quite the noise as the king announced them, much to Rosalyn's satisfaction. "To the right of me is the Ducal household of the South, the House of Argyris."

Walking out, her eyes adjusted for a second as the crowd was wild. This was one of the few times she'd seen the family the way the public did. They stood in complete confidence and an unapproachable aura, something she wondered if she too, could do.

The first daughter with nothing but pure elegance and the top of the societal chain. The second son with a calm demeanor but his smile would scare anyone, even without his eyes opened to look down at them. The third son with a crazed smile, cracking his knuckles, bloodthirsty and ready to let loose. The fourth daughter, missing. The fifth daughter with an indifferent look, as if she could crush this whole event without lifting a finger.

The sixth son, despite his eyes being golden, they burned with the same bloodlust and excitement an Argyris would have before it's prey. The seventh, an elegant porcelain doll, kneeling, his head lowered beside his knee where his arm rested on, weapon at his feet as he was before the scariest and monstrous of the family, the Duke of the South himself, Damon Argyris.

Dark jet blue hair and silver eyes, a muscular body from many years of harsh training he had undergone. He was unapproachable and even his own children struggled to speak to him without fear. Dressed in the finest attire and a bow custom made just for him, the man expected to win the royal hunt for the thirteenth year in a row. He also happened to hold his youngest child in his arms.

While in front of the crowd of people, Isaac's facial expression never once changed despite his feelings. "Silence," he yelled out to the crowd that clapped for them, turning his head up to look at the Duke. "I will pledge my oath to the Duke of Argyris before the people attending."

The air around was almost like it were filled with a thick fog. "I, Isaac Argyris, will bring back the largest animal and ensure Theia Argyris will not be harmed during this year's royal hunt. Failure to do so will result in never participating in the hunt again, and losing my eligibility to inherit the title of next Duke of Argyris." The place was deathly silent as the Duke grinned, nearly squishing her by the way he held her.

"You heard that, right?" He asked, grinning down at his children and then towards the king who nearly gulped, still unsure if that really happened. Raising his arms behind his head, Nyx just yawned as though he heard the most casual news despite the other slightly shaken up children.

Getting permission to rise, Isaac gripped his bow and held it close to his side, standing directly next to the Duke while the king continued on with the introduction to the yearly hunt.

"Now that all the families' participants have been introduced, please find yourselves to your horses and ensure you have your weapons before we begin in a bit." He finished up, going back to find the Duke and questioned his actions.

"You told me you were bringing a baby only, Damon!" He whispered yelled to her father that he pulled aside. It was like the whole thing entered one ear and went out the other as he didn't acknowledge anything the king was saying before dismissing him.

"I didn't feel like informing you." Even she had to sweatdrop at his attitude before the king. This event should probably be renamed from the royal hunt to the Argyris hunt with how often they steal the spotlight this event.