The finale of the banquet has arrived.

This 10,000-word update explores the shifting balance of power between our protagonist and an enigmatic, young noblewoman who holds more power than someone her age might be expected too. The sharp-eyed heiress hungers for something real. How you speak to her, what you believe in (or pretend to), and the way you hold her gaze may come to matter more than you think as our tale of conquest and blood-fraught heroism progresses.

For those with a more carnal curiosity, this release also includes a Patron-Exclusive scene with the raven-haired courtesan, Duchess Livia’s silver-clad shadow. Seductive, dangerous, and optional, this encounter offers multiple variations based on your appetite for control… or surrender.

💎 Scenes Included in 2.85:

• Private audience with the Young Heiress (Knight, Bastard, and Cowboy variations)
• Post-scene reflection and banquet transition
• Optional Courtesan Encounter (Dominant & Submissive paths — Patron Exclusive)
• Update length: ~10,000 words

Though I intended to include the scene with Khalika (the orc woman-warrior), it needed more room to breathe. She’ll arrive in the next update, Chapter 2.9, which will also deliver the long-awaited Auction with multiple potential outcomes that will majorly affect your Gladiator's fate in Cradle moving forward! Of course, it will also include the Blood for Blood action sequence that won by vote in our last patron poll. 🖤 Thank you again for supporting Orphan. 

These deeper, more intimate scenes exist because of my patronage and it’s your continued support that keeps the fire burning and the chains rattling. If you're not a patron yet, this is the moment to step deeper into the fire. The free version of the update posted here may feel a bit short without the courtesan scene, so I might recommend waiting for Chapter 2.9 to step back into the world of Orphan if you've already played through the banquet before. Or you could always make new choices, take new risks, and savor the consequences...

—Truth @ Exalted Text