A deadly war

Clatter.

The sound of forks.

People- were eating.

Or at least pretending to eat.

Because almost everyone- were struggling.

They hadn't eaten with forks and knives before! Why did these things even exist!

Almost everyone among the royal and imperial princes and princesses always ate with their hands and that was it.

To others, it may have been barbaric. But to them, it was their way of life.

And of course, they always ate like that in front of delegates and all kinds of important people too.

Pretending was unnecessary for the strong.

But oddly today their father for better or worse ordered everyone to eat with forks.

No one was allowed to disobey his words and he certainly wasn't having no for an answer. 

"Am I missing something?" Theo whispered. "Why are they acting like this?"

The banquet hall was large- actually maybe a bit larger than the stadium Theo'd fought in just a few days ago.