Banquet Dinner - Part 2

Elizabeth soon covered the little distance separating her from the huge dining table, which was embellished beautifully with elements of golden essence.

The variety of dishes amidst the rich beauty of the large table, distinguished in its length as much as it was in breadth, enveloped her whole. However, it still wasn't sufficient enough to declare the restoration of her long-departed element of courage.

She then leaned closer and paid obeisance to the Queen determined to bury her cowardice in the deepest resources of her mind and not let it show.

"Your Majesty! It is a honour to be in the same room as you and I'll have you know that your invitation and cheer benevolence means a great deal to this maiden before you" After addressing Queen Athena in the most respectable way, she then held onto the sides of her skirt and kowtowed timidly to admit her humility to the Queen's earnest delight.

This singular act caused Athena to begin to experience a wave of tickles internally; butterflies swarming about in unrestrained orbit inside her belly. In summary, Athena felt greatly pleased.

With an assuring smile plastered on her ageless face, she then parted her delicate lips to reply to Elizabeth.

"Raise your head, beautiful maiden! Your words were quite touching and seemingly poetic. Now… Please be kind enough to acknowledge the other royal family members before you. Then you may admit yourself to your own seat" Athena instructed; the tone she had spoken to the girl in caused Aldrich to wonder if she fancies Elizabeth sincerely or if it was her theatrical skills coming to play. 

Hearing the term 'Other royal family members' from the Queen's mouth caused Elizabeth to falter in her mind. If she had prepared her greeting in a hurry just then, her words would have come out in a stutter.

Instead she conducted herself to the thoughts playing in her head.

'Other royal family members? Why should she take the time to invite the entire Royal household just to see me? Or could it be to assess me for a certain purpose? If true, then for what purpose? Oh Bessie! I cannot wait to return home to you. Life in the Castle is full of schemes and declared purpose,' cried Elizabeth in her heart. She dearly misses her Bessie.

While her thoughts continued to frog-jump carelessly inside her head, she then caught the eyes of a certain royal member looking at her. He was someone she had met before. He had even delivered the news of his mother's invitation himself. Why was he staring at her in the manner she had just captured his eyes gawking at her in? She pondered internally.

Perfectly decided on her words, she then let out her speech… 

"To the highly esteemed members of the Royal household, I humbly applaud your having me over to dine with you. It is a privilege to have a seat before you"

At her words, heads nodded in approval; tongues wagging in acceptance, almost simultaneously. 

"She seems well-trained." A woman in her mid-thirties remarked to her much-older-looking husband.

With a straight back and walking in a gait of ladylike demands, she soon spotted an empty seat and admitted herself to it while she hoped the process should be over and done with soon enough. Even more importantly, Elizabeth hoped that the night should disappear quickly and give way for a more prospective daytime that would afford her the luxury of brightness and an unlimited stretch of feasible hours to enable her find her way back home to her family in Griffinwald.

The Queen spoke.

"We are happy to have you here with us, Elizabeth. It was a good thing you honoured my invitation within such short notice" remarked Athena; the performing smile on her face didn't come as a shock to her brother Duke Wauter who was seated across from his sister with his most recent wife beside him. 

Wauter had long grown tired of his older wife's company, Duchess Rianna and save for the fact that she is the mother of his two grown up children he should have done away with her altogether but for his children's attachment to their mother, he could not carry on with that thought and have them treat him like the enemy in the process. To Wauter, this much younger woman he had only married for a period of three months now, filled his heart with much vibrancy and youthfulness in comparison to his first wife.

Of course it didn't bother the Duchess even a little because the custom demands in Aegremonth could account for a man having as many wives and for a King even so much more. However, subsequent Kings having learnt the burdensome demands of having numerous women from their ancestry, had decided to stick to one wife instead. Whereas, they could have as many concubines before, during and after their coronation as King.

The Queen, Athena had had many issues with her late husband on account of his vibrant sexuality but since she was his weakness as much as his blindspot he had placated her by choosing to get married to her instead, deciding to stay true to only her until he'd encountered the sexual bliss of having violated himself with a very powerful seductive demon goddess from the Yonder realm.

For days on end, Athena had remained broken-hearted and utterly dejected especially since she had found it difficult herself to birth her husband a child at the time. Seven months after her late husband had gotten intimate with this demon goddess, Voldemort had returned home with a son whom Athena grew to loathe even more; his name Briceus!

Six years later, Athena got pregnant and the Great sorcerer of Aegremonth revealed that the child she was carrying would be a boy. Everything instantly changed from that moment on, and even more so once Aldrich was born.

——

In silence, Elizabeth let her eyes dart throughout the table to the plethora of dishes spread evenly and neatly on it. Pondering on Aldrich's initial stare, she decidedly took caution to avoid a repeat of the awkward feeling of catching his intense gaze at her.

Instead, she focused her thoughts solely on the prospects of the Banquet dinner.

Thinking the odds to be in her favour because a certain someone was absent from the dining setting after she had scanned about her environment stylishly with no trace of him, Elizabeth was quick to jubilate about that person's absence not knowing that she was in for a surprise.

For Aldrich, after letting his eyes absorb the features of the maiden seated adjacent from him, he then blurted out on purpose.

"Do you feel okay, Elizabeth? You seem oddly tense," he announced and then shot a brutal smirk in her direction causing every pair of eyes on the dining table to become centred on her.

'It seems this man has determined to become my worst nightmare in this hall room tonight. What wrong deed have I committed to have him ridicule me this much and to think that I had supported Louisa's fantasies of being with him. Never! Not for my dearest sister will there be any kind of affiliation with this cruel man' concluded Elizabeth bitterly in her heart.

Among the pair of eyes looking her way, Athena's sapphire ones could not be escaped.

She then spoke.

"I can see that what my son, Aldrich, has just said is the plain truth. Also are your palms always so sticky?"

In shame, Beth then withdrew her hands and positioned them under the table.

Athena continued… 

"Please, Elizabeth kindly make yourself at ease with us. I know it is a lot to get used to; having a seat reserved for you in the company of such Rich Royalty. In contrast to your lacking background, I can understand the reason for your discomfort" concluded the Queen with a smile drawn out neatly to beautify her flawlessly pale face.

Elizabeth's pride was hurt.

That was it? Shortly a minute ago she had hurriedly applauded the woman's reception of her in her mind only to discover this.

How sad!

'Stay focused, Elizabeth! Haven't you read enough books to understand that the manner of thinking of the ones in the highest cadre of power would always be so and so? Therefore, brace up and comport yourself till the end of it' deliberated Beth inside her mind.

"Mother is right. It is a lot to get used to but I am certain in time you will" asserted Aldrich. All Elizabeth could think of was how much she had grown to hate him at that instant. Yet she said nothing in a hurry.

But his words had hit her differently.

'Get used to it? All I see myself getting used to is how to neatly plot my escape from this place. It is still a mystery why I have been held back up till now,' contemplated Elizabeth.

Taking his attention from the maiden he had so subtly ridiculed, Aldrich decidedly laid his focus on other matters of importance—his brother's arrival.

With his purported plans, he'd calculated that Briceus would hesitate in coming for the event. Despite his brother's hesitation, he knew that Briceus would show up nonetheless. 

In an instant, Elizabeth observed as someone walked head straight to where Aldrich was seated and whispered some words into his ears.

The prince then dismissed him from his side and maintained his contained posture before the rest of the noble family.

"Fellow Elites! Now that all is set, shall we dine in happiness?" Aldrich's words after having just been informed that Briceus was near the forte together with his personal aide, Ezekiel.

"Patience, milord! We have one more guest" Wauter's words to Aldrich as they locked eyes directly.

'One more guest?' Elizabeth stayed puzzled but the familiar husky voice that rang in her ears next caused her heart to freeze at once underneath her chest, her mind fazing along with it.

"Don't tell me you all are eager to dine already and in my absence" Briceus' words thundered, travelling through the echoes to resonate within the Banquet hall.

Elizabeth could hardly breathe.