A Feast

Theri was escorted out of the room where she had held her conversation with Iolair. The room was no less full, but now, a steady stream of people poured into the dining hall. Theri didn't even realise she had been in her room that long- it was dinner already? She followed the crowd into the room. The dining hall was a rather impressive place, all things considered. It had a long mahogany table surrounded by twenty or so chairs. The tablecloth was made of red silk with roses embroidered in a similar colour of thread.  The guests sat around the table with an odd preciseness, although it was rather amusing for Theri seeing the wide dresses of the rich ladies get caught on practically everything it could get caught on. She took her place at the side of her mother at the top of the table, while Lord Iolair and his wife sat next to each other at the other end of the table. 

A grand feast had been laid out for the guests of the palace. A large goose sat as the centrepiece of the meal, while Roseview specialties dotted the surrounded space. Given the abundance of flowers, dandelion or nettle tea was traditional, while more tropical options were uncommon. Roast potatoes covered in olive oil and seasoned with herbs populated various trays and every pair of silver cutlery had dragon-heads carved on the end.

"Peers, we have gathered here today to discuss the goings on of the Roseview! We wish to welcome the Iolair family to our lovely area. And with that, we wish for them to enjoy the food we enjoy, the clothes we wear and every little thing that makes us special! Perhaps a Skybreaker will even come to welcome you personally, if you're well-liked." Theri's father's voice rang out from his seat. Theri rolled her eyes. She had heard this speech far too many times than she wished to admit. She wouldn't have been too surprised if she learned that he practised it in the mirror.  Cheers filled the room before the clattering of cutlery followed. 

"So, have you seen Lord Iolair's son?" Theri's father looked up from the potato he was currently stuffing into his mouth. 

"No. Why?" Theri responded before tentatively chewing her own serving of goose. Her father looked at her with momentary disapproval before speaking.

"Don't eat too much, dear. You don't want to become fat. My sister made that mistake. But I have a portrait here for you to see." He held up a small canvas with a young adult man painted on it. He had black curly hair, tan skin with freckles, pointed ears and wore an emerald suit. Theri paused, leaving her fork down. She wasn't hungry anymore, and especially after seeing what she presumed was Christina's twin brother Cormac. Iolair had never mentioned any other sons, after all. 

"I don't really see him as.. Anything special, father." Theri cleared her throat, slowing her speech in a feeble attempt to not stutter.  Her father frowned. 

"Are you sure? He surely must be your type. I mean, look at him. He is the envy of all the ladies around. He's rich, and he even has the approval of the Skyswimmers." Her father insisted. Theri decided to not mention that wyverns were cocky and weaker than the Skybreakers. Her father was already disappointed enough. 

"I'm not sure, father. Sandfall is a far away place." Theri winced a little. She had no idea where Sandfall was truthfully. Her father choked a little on his food, before laughing. 

"Sweetie, Sandfall is but half a day's travel away. Perhaps keeping you cooped here wasn't the best idea, but I'm sure we can organise something." Her father levelled his gaze at his daughter. Theri wasn't even sure how it was possible for somebody to look so sleazy, but her father time and time again had proved her wrong. 

"Well, I had no way of knowing." Theri muttered back. Her father luckily couldn't hear a word she had said, due to the loud clattering of plates and knives around them. 

"What was that dearie? Were you saying thank you? I'm sure you were. Well, with Christina coming, I suppose you can't meet your true love for a while." Her father gave an empty laugh in response. Theri grit her teeth in frustration, before her mother piped in. "If I may, I think Catherine has decisions she must make before we consider that. I have Ms Iolair's address anyway, if you wish to communicate with one another." 

Theri's father furrowed his eyebrows. "Michaela, honey, you know she prefers to be called Theri. Right, Theri." He squinted at Theri, tapping his fork impatiently on the table. Theri only gave a weak nod in response. She had already been taught many times her father was not one to mess with.  "Of course. Sorry, Theri." Her mother gave a patient smile to her daughter. 

After a moment of silence, Theri's father began speaking again. Theri was almost convinced, after twenty-three years of life, that her father was simply incapable of silence. "When will you ever get rid of that ridiculous veil? You have a beautiful face, you know." 

Theri avoided throwing a knife at her father, instead giving a sharp intake of air. "I read in a book that the Skybreakers prefer modesty." She fiddled with her golden veil, fitting it on her pale headfeathers. As an avian, she had fluffy white headfeathers close to a dove where her ears would be and on her back. Her's were not big enough for flight, but still assisted her in balance and movement. Of course, she didn't really know if the Skybreakers cared for modesty, but she knew attaching Skybreaker to any sentence with her father made it true. 

He bit his lip, finding a way to counter it. "Surely the Skybreakers would give you a pass. I mean, you are my daughter. That must mean something, seeing as they love me. They would let you go ahead, and I mean, there is no need to be shy about how you look, Theri."  Theri slumped in her chair a little. She wasn't too shy about how she looked, but each day her face became greyer and paler, it became less about how much she cared about how she looked but her father's approval. She looked starved- and she knew her father saw her more as an accessory for his life than a daughter at times. 

"Sorry, father. I will try and get more confident." Theri murmured. This time, her father heard her. He gave a smile. "Good."

Theri stood up and pushed her chair in. Sitting around all this food with no appetite was making her feel queasy. "I'm going to my room, father."

He made no objection to her escaping the dining hall.

She hurriedly closed the door to her room. She flopped onto her bed, sinking into the mattress a little. She pulled her veil off, letting it join the collection of things on her floor. It was almost like a mountain of things that had grown over time, and she wasn't exactly interested in cleaning it up now.

"Princess, are you in there?" A random servant knocked on her door, slipping an envelope under her doorway. "Christina's arrival will be tomorrow. I have heard you promised to provide her with a room, no?"

"Marbhall above, did I? I will be on it immediately." Theri groaned, placing her veil on once again. She picked up the envelope beside the door and opened it. It had a red wax seal and was written in dark, blotchy ink.

To Princess Theri,

I will be on a war campaign in a few months for the Sandfall Independence from King Bracken, therefore, I will be incapable of overseeing the interactions between you and my daughter.

Due to this, I will be assigning a bodyguard to be at my daughter's side at all times to appease my wife. You are to at all intervals available to keep him at a distance from her, to allow her to exist as she wishes.

My wife is rather restrictive, and I am sure you will understand this sentiment.

Yours sincerely, 

Lord Iolair.

Theri let the letter drift to the floor. She had a lot of work to do.