Chapter 03: The feast.

Kingdom of Aruhel, Royal Keep. 284 AU.

The capital was definitely less beautiful than she had been told. There were slums, and she much preferred Pearlforest to the Royal Keep. Nonetheless, Maela loved it. It was filled with life, with people coming from everywhere, and she couldn't wait to explore it properly with her cousins. Hamya and Hanika were of the same opinion, and both were excited to spend days visiting the best shops around town and eating in the most popular restaurant. There were also casinos and some specific establishments, but Maela didn't plan to pay them attention. Father had always told her that the only winner at a casino was the casino itself, and it was only a place to lose money in exchange for some fleeting glory. As a future Duchess, she would shame her entire family by doing so.

As for the other establishments, they were meant for men, hopefully unmarried ones. Maela found it shameful to display such things in popular streets of the capital. Shouldn't such things be limited to one's private life? She had never seen such establishments in the South. She would never pretend that they didn't exist, but they had the decency to be hidden. Or, at the very least, not on the main street. Maela simply didn't understand how one's carnal desire could be this overwhelming and flaunted to all like that. Perhaps she was simply too young to understand such things. Maybe Hanika, who was sixteen, knew more about those desires. Should she ask her cousin about it? Maela blushed furiously at the idea and put her hands on her cheeks in the hopes of hiding them. How could she ask such a thing?! It would be far too embarrassing.

"Maela, my dear, are you alright?" Father asked, dragging her away from her memories.

She all but jumped in surprise and smiled at her father, embarrassed. She was obviously not telling him about where her thoughts had gone. She would rather make die or make something up!

"It's nothing, Father, I was merely thinking of the prince. They're all handsome, don't you think?"

"They are all fine young men, but we don't know their hearts just yet. Please wait for my approval before befriending any of them."

"Do you think any of them has ill intentions?" she asked.

"Not necessarily. However, this feast could be vital in determining the different factions. Some will side with the queen's sons, some with the marchioness' ones. As of now, I have no favourite because I want to meet and chat with them", he explained. "However, the feast might not give me the time to carefully pick our side."

"What do you mean?" Hanika questioned.

The three girls had leaned towards him. They all wanted to know more about politics and what they were and weren’t allowed to do as guests of the Royal Keep. As far as Maela was concerned, they should remain neutral. The king's heir was his personal issue, the South shouldn't have to get involved. However, now that they were in the capital, they needed to choose their allies and make sure everything went smoothly.

"You must always your allies carefully, and your enemies even more so. The first man Maela will dance with will determine with whom she's siding for many. If a future Duchess dances with a man siding with the queen, it will be expected of us to side with Her Majesty, and vice-versa. As such, we must all carefully consider our dance partners. Do you understand what I'm explaining?"

Maela shivered. Would all their moves be studied like this? Then, she almost smacked herself. Of course, they would! She was in the capital, not at home. She was a guest of the royal family, invited to determine who would become King. As a duke's heir, all her actions would be studied by the rest of the nobility. It was ugly and she disliked such scrutiny, but it made sense. How else would the other nobles determine their allegiance? Of course, wearing the marchioness' or the queen's colours would also work, but no one would dare publicly show off their colours for some time. Just like in a game of chess, both factions needed to study the other team before making a move.

"Marchioness Elenda Kale and her sons, the Princes Vale and Helio Virinen!"

The herald's voice surprised Maela, and she turned around to look at the entrance of the great hall. Marchioness Elenda Kale wore a beautiful dress silver and blue that made everyone gasp. Maela was confused for a few seconds until Hamya leaned forwards to whisper in her ear.

"It's the first time she's worn her House's colours since her son Vale's birth."

"How do you know?" Maela asked.

"I've already talked to the maids, obviously."

Maela was surprised at how fast Hamya had befriended the staff of the Royal Keep and discovered some information. She probably knew even more than this, and Maela wouldn't be shocked if, in a week time, her cousin discovered half of the Royal Keep's castle. However, that didn't matter at the moment, because the marchioness' dress wasn't just a dress. It was a war declaration. Just like her tutor had told her, a woman’s blade was her mind, her armour her dress, and her battlefield the court. The marchioness had donned her finest armour, and she had entered the battlefield proudly.

House Kale was officially declaring war on Queen Neve and House Blackstone, a unanimous decision confirmed when all the other members of House Kale who were present stood up the second the marchioness entered. They were all dressed in silver and blue and wore their finest jewellery. It had been planned. Maela glanced at Her Majesty. The woman was frozen where she sat, her face twisted in an expression of pure hatred. Maela shuddered. She had never seen such hatred, such desire for violence. The queen wanted the marchioness and her sons' deaths right here and now. But it was impossible, of course.

Maela turned to her father, questioning him with a look. What were they supposed to do in such a situation? If it hadn't been expected of them to take a side right away, it definitely was now. No one would leave the hall without showing some form of sympathy towards one faction or the other. It was a terrifying thought.

"Remain neutral", he mouthed.

She nodded and remained standing to welcome the marchioness at the feast, just like every other noble did. The marchioness and her sons took their time to walk down the hall. None of them spared the guests a single glance, their back straight and their eyes focused on the king. Maela was impressed; they all looked regal and powerful. Even Prince Vale, who had seemed utterly disinterested in anything and anyone when she had seen him for the first time, looked serious and focused. His eyes showed no weakness, only determination. Slowly but surely, the three reached the royal table and barely bowed to the king. It was almost disrespectful, but no one cared about it. Instead, everyone's attention was directed at the marchioness and the queen. Both stared at each other, and everyone held their breath. What if they started to fight? Maela wouldn't even be surprised, considering how the hatred in the air was almost palpable.

"My dear Elenda, you look beautiful!" the king proclaimed, and Maela's eyes widened. Was he not aware of the situation? Or did he not care? "Everyone, be seated and let's have the food served. I believe we have guests to welcome!"

Music was played just as dozens of dishes were served, but Maela wasn’t hungry. How could she? The two most powerful women in Aruhel had declared war on another, and the tension in the air hadn't disappeared at all. The girl was amazed that anyone could eat in this situation.

"Father, what do we do?" she asked.

"This will be harder than I thought. With the hostilities this prevalent, it will be complicated to simply observe and remain neutral."

"What if we hosted a feast at our mansion?" Hanika offered. "As our guests, the royals would need to remain civil, and we could observe them better and make our choice."

"If we host a feast, it would be impossible to remain neutral and simply observe. And it would be a nightmare to organise, frankly", Father explained. "We'd probably have to settle disputes between the prince, and both the queen and the marchioness would try to out-do each other. Any shade of blue or silver would make the queen hate us, and any of red and gold would turn the marchioness against us."

Maela shuddered at the thought. What a nightmare! She had begun her lessons on hosting guests and entertaining them, but this wasn't something she was prepared for. Two royal factions fighting at dinner was the worst scenario that could ever happen. No one out-ranked them and as such, no one could force them to calm down or leave. Even the duke of the South, with all the power of Pearlforest, couldn't kick princes out without a good reason. Moreover, how did one arrange a guest list for such an event? One wrong move would lead to disaster. She shuddered at the thought of dealing with this kind of mess. She hoped she would never have to deal with this.

"It would be better if someone else invited them", Maela said. "We wouldn't have to take care of anything."

"Indeed, it would be for the best", Father confirmed. "I hope Duke Lars will do it. He's proud enough to attempt such a thing, and his wife smart enough to pull it off."

"The West needs many supplies from the South, they would be forced to invite us as well. And thus, they would also invite House Sahad from the East less they ruin their relationship with them", Hanika added, smiling brightly.

"It would be the perfect opportunity to watch everyone's moves", Maela concluded.

"Maybe I can make it happen", Hamya suddenly declared.

They all looked at her in shock, and the girl smiled wickedly. How could Hamya make such a thing happen? Knowing every gossip in advance was one thing, but how could it help in this situation? Rumours didn't make nobles throw parties… 'Or do they?' Maela thought as she realised how Hamya could help. If she could spread rumours just as easily as she found out about them, she only needed to provoke Duke Lars' pride. If he felt insulted enough, he would organise the biggest ball the capital had ever seen. Not only would it allow the Yales to study the Royals in a more controlled environment, but Maela would finally be able to attend a ball like she had always dreamed of. It was the perfect plan.

"I listen to maids and pages all the time, sure, but they also listen to me", she bragged. "What if I were to spread a few rumours? It will take me a couple of weeks, I think, but I might provoke him into organise a party, I think."

"Could you truly do that?" Father asked, bewildered.

"I think so, yes", Hamya shrugged. "I'll try anyways."

"Hamya, you're a genius", Maela giggled. "If Duke Lars is half as proud as you said, Father, there is no way he would allow rumours to spread. Hamya, you should spread a rumour about his finances. 'House Lars is struggling these days; word says they can't even afford to have guests over' or something along those lines. Do you think it would work, Father?"

"It would", Father confirmed, and he smiled. "The three of you are smarter than anyone would give you credit."

"It's a good thing", Hanika said. "If people underestimate us, we'll always be able to strike back more efficiently if they try to cross us."

"Don't think about such things. We'll be just fine, right Father?"

"You will", he confirmed. "The queen and Marchioness will want to convince me. Being rude to any of you would be highly counterproductive. They'll try to win our favours instead. We just need to be careful about whom we give it to."

Reassured by Father's words, Maela decided to focus on her meal. The conversation had lightened her heart and confirmed what she had been thinking; they would be fine. The war for the Throne didn't concern them directly, and Father would be the one to sort things out. She was only twelve, she wasn't supposed to be choosing kings. She would do her duty and support whoever Father decided to side with, but she would never be so stupid as to think she had a true influence in the realm's politics at her age. All she could do was being a good daughter to Father and help him when he needed. Sometimes, she wished she had Hamya's talent for picking up information the way she did. She would love to be able to hear all this gossip and secret! Maybe she should ask her about it. Hamya would never pass the chance to have partner in crime.

The first dance came quickly. The king obviously had Queen Neve as his partner, although he immediately switched to the marchioness afterwards. Her Majesty's face was one of pure hatred as the marchioness danced flawlessly with His Grace. Maela could understand. Not only her husband was publicly dancing with his mistress, but said mistress was a much better dancer. It must be humiliating, and she couldn't imagine how the twins felt. She glanced at them, but they were very pointedly not looking at the dancefloor, chatting with two beautiful ladies. Most likely their betrothed. Maela then turned towards the marchioness' sons. They were looking at their mother, although Prince Helio turned towards Maela. He must have sensed she was looking at them.

The prince gave her a beaming smile, and Maela felt blood rush to her cheeks. She put her hands on them, hoping to conceal her blush, and turned towards her plate. Her heart was thundering against her chest. He was such a handsome prince! And his smile made him even more charming. He looked as noble and gallant as a knight from a song. She hoped she would have the chance to dance with him, politics be damned. Soon after the second song ended, Maela's hope seemed to come true. Gasps attracted her attention, and she turned around. Prince Helio was coming towards their table. Oh, he was even more handsome this close! As he reached their table, he bowed graciously, offering his hand.

"Lady Maela, would you give me the honour of dancing with me?" he asked.

Maela quickly shared a glance with Father. After a couple of seconds, he nodded. Maela didn’t fight the smile making its way on her face and got up, taking the prince's hand. He stood about a head taller than her and probably weighed twice her weight, but she liked it even more. He would make her feel safe, like a beautiful treasure. Mother had always told her that the best way to know a man's nature was by dancing with him and, to Maela's delight, Prince Helio was an excellent dancer.

"Welcome to the capital, my lady", he said.

"Thank you, My Prince. The city is beautiful, I'm glad to have a chance of spending so much time here. Meeting the royal family is an honour."

In truth, Maela found the capital quite ugly compared to Pearlforest and the Southern towns. But it wouldn't be polite to say such a thing, and she wielded courtesy and her manners perfectly. Her tutor had always said her smile was the kindest, and her voice the gentlest. People would naturally be inclined to trust her and lower their guard.

"It's a shame to meet under these circumstances, sadly. Succession crises aren't pleasant occasions."

"They're not, of course, but it's a good time to see who your true allies and friends are, isn't it?" she said gently, despite disliking the turn the conversation had taken.

"Indeed. Will you be one of my allies and friends, my lady?" he asked, and Maela almost froze in his arms.

"The choice isn't mine, my Prince. I follow my father's lead", Maela said carefully.

"Of course, I apologise, my lady. I am quite stressed by the situation, as you can imagine. I have been quite rude to you."

He wasn't sincere, Maela could feel it in her heart. She had always been good at detecting lies. She sometimes envied Hamya's talents for collecting information, but hers lied in knowing whether people were honest or not. Nonetheless, she wouldn't say a word about it to the prince. She twirled expertly in his arms and faced Prince Helio with the most beaming smile she could. She was a proper lady, and it would be rude to tell a prince he was being dishonest. Moreover, Father had warned her that people were rarely honest at court. Considering the situation, should she really be surprised that he was lying?

"Absolutely not, my Prince. It's only natural that you wish to cultivate friendships and allies in these trying times", she told him.

"I'm thankful for your understanding. Let us enjoy the feast and forget about these troubles, shall we?"

Maela nodded. She wanted to enjoy the dances, not focus on the succession crisis. Not today, not when she had just arrived in the capital. Coming here had always been her dream, and she wanted to enjoy everything the Royal Keep and the capital had to offer. She would follow Father's lead and she would always do her duty, but she wouldn't give up on her happiness because of the king's poor choices. Why should she? Father, Hanika and Hamya shouldn't have to either and she hoped they wouldn't. She just wanted her loved ones to be happy despite the situation.

They didn't return to the Yale mansion until late after midnight. Maela was positively exhausted, but it didn’t matter. After her dance with Prince Helio, she had danced with a cousin of Princes Aaron and Amon. She would have rather danced with one of the princes, but they both had partners. Moreover, they were incredibly taller than her, and dancing with them would have looked stupid. They weren't as tall as Prince Vale, but the height difference was more than enough to look silly. People from her House tended to be quite short whereas House Virinen's members were often very tall, so she supposed it was natural.

She laid on her bed, a big smile on her face. Except for the tense beginning of the feast, she had had the best time of her life. The music, the people, the lights, the dances! Everything had looked like it came straight from a dream. She wished Mother and Luthael could enjoy it as well. She would have to come back with her brother when he would be old enough to remember the experience, after the king's heir was chosen. She was sure he would love it just as much as she did. In the meantime, she would write to them about all she witnessed. She couldn't wait to write about the tourney that would begin in two days! Father had organised one for her twelfth birthday, but it had been small. It wouldn't compare to one organise by the royal family.

Maela snuggled under her three blankets, sighing in content as she rested her head and neck on the many soft pillows covering her bed. She hadn't had the opportunity to truly organise her bedroom in the mansion, but she was glad the butlers and maids had taken good care of it. This floor of the mansion was rarely used as it was reserved to those carrying the Yale name, and it was rare for the duke or his relatives to leave the South. Their businesses in the capital were taken off by a member of House Luel who lived on the floor below. Maela rubbed her eyes, yawning. Now wasn't the time to dwell on such things. She ought to be patient.