30 The grand banquet

Hate and love are things that make our universe tick. Many of great loves had given birth to even greater hatred but another way was not possible. Once love transformed inside of the person the whole character would transform as well .It manifested in many ways but true love or love of the family did leave great marks on the hearth.

So Ivar was now burning with hate . He wanted to retaliate against his mother but just could not do it .The whole banquet was for another thing and he had to bite his tongue really hard when he first laid eyes on her.

After some time she started the great banquet procession .That was usually woman s job to do but none was more noble here .Still this was banquet in the honor of the princess and clan mistress of Volsung was the next best thing.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been called here to celebrate the name day of young imperial princess Cecilia" and than continued with graceful blessing of the event .

What blessings thy free bounty gives,

Let me not cast away;

For God is paid when man receives;

T' enjoy is to obey.."

With those simple rimes the whole banquet exploded with claps.

"Good words our lady" many were saying and than one of the oldest most distinguished nobles gave his own blessing :

"Blest be this house, where cheerful guests retire

To pause from toil, and trim their evening fire;

Blest that abode, where want and pain repair,

And every guest finds a ready chair;

Blest be those feasts with simple plenty crowned,

Where all the noble family around

Laugh at the jests or jokes that never fail,

Or sigh with pity at some mournful tale;

Or press the bashful stranger to his food,

And learn the luxury of doing good."

Those words had even better effect on the whole banquet .Old Northmen lifted their war horns filled with meed and proclaimed in sync ;

"Blest our hosts may be !"

Initial silence was broken by cheerful guests that told old stories from different ages and spoke about heroes of ancient past. The princess was still not present at the banquet she was supposed to come a bit later in the middle .Now the whole 1000 men were eating and enjoying their time in great royal square of the Volsung clan .. The tables were filled with rare foods from the mainland . Dagger tip was of course an island and all the meat from the mainland was really heavy priced here. On more prominent tables there were even meat from half dragons or boars with Martial lord strength .These special foods had some effect on the cultivation but since most of the prominent tables were filled with stronger cultivators those things did not matter to them. Only Ivar felt that the strength of his body is climbing slowly in the spirit realm ..

Ivar liked the whole situation. He was really astonished with his fast revolving cultivation .His weak body originally had strength of regular mortal boy with only third level pf spirit realm .Now after month he was better and better with whole cultivation and can now lift over 30 kilos with some difficulties but still this will at least save him couple of days and he grabbed a large bite of roasted mountain ox . The meat was good and Ivar looked uncivilized in the great distinguished table of scholars .Halfdan wanted to stop him but eventually just had just let him to do his bidding ..

Even people from different tables noticed this unusual behavior and that led to some small gossip around the tables .Many were wondering who the young man was with his lowly manners . While rest of the banquet almost finished with their meal young man was not even stopping with his disgusting eating habits ....

Soon the music from troubadours stopped and all the clamor grew quieter .In front of the great hall of the Volsung clan radiant lady was walking with splendid young master .They were divine couple and Lagertha started the clapping as they went into the seats of honor . All present were clapping except Ivar .He was still busy and looked more like a dog handling bones.He did not even notice royal couple and their glorious entrance to the banquet . Some people of the surrounding tables noticed his unusual ways and even laughed . Those from Mirmir temple are surely strange and have vagabond personalities .

Old men in Ivar table did not even care about the gossip and the rest of the scribes even gave a big thumbs up for Ivar performance .He was different kind and probably was dragged to this event like them ."What a cunning way to torture our teachers . Why should we even mingle with these nobles . Lets just do same as him .This will maybe make old teachers mad ... hahah and one by one joined Ivar in his pursuit to clear all the meat from tables ...

This was a clear spectacle and even overshadowed the brilliant entrance of the "heaven" couple .Soon the clapper stopped and even princess with Beowulf stopped for a second and looked into the spectacle .Lagertha was now getting mad .

"Those shamless monks took all spot light from my son i will surely retaliate in the debates hahahaa .I will make them go against all the temples and i will fix the subjects so they will be laughing stock. "

she thought as her small eyes reveled dragon fire for mere second and went to their neutral frozen beauty look.

Halfdan was also happy . This my disciple surely is diamond in the rough . To do such a lousy thing just to steal the spotlight from his brother what a brilliant way .What mistake have you committed you stupid Volsung clan .Well this is a blessing for our Mirmir temple hhaa .

Old head elder from Mirmir was even more astonished ."I punsihed this boy earlier so he is revolting because of it .What a shameless character but i still great hahah . This kid is worthy of our temple ,maybe he is even worthy of our central academy batch .Its been so long that i had a worthy chess piece in the capital .And all the other Mirmir temples had their disciples in Central academy of Skaane. Well its too early for that ... but still it would be fun to let this despicable shameless young man in the royal academy haha .." and his smile drew a curve across his whole face .

The eight elders from Mirmir temple were still bit angry but they could not act before old elder gave the command .

Finally Lagertha could not hold anymore and politely asked the head elder :"Great eminence can you please hold your disciples they are disturbing our event. ? "

"Of course " elder responded and signalized to the disciples .

Even Ivar knew that this little charade was finished .He still was happy because he still succeeded in his plan. When the rest saw that Ivar stopped they stopped as well . Great banquet returned to its former splendor and the heavenly couple were seated at places of honor . Soon princess would receive many presents from various clans and Volsung clan as well.

Large sturdy man entered the banquet square as well .This man was Ivars father but he had grim look on his face as he was probably pained with something . He was leading a snow white griffon a pride of the Daggertip province to be a first gift to princess .This was extravagant even by royal standards .Griffons were rare and pure white griffons were even more rare .This gift was at least worth few hundreds thousands of gold and princess was really happy with it .Sturdy yarl came to her and said : " This was supposed to be a griffon for my late son Ivar but now he is not with us anymore . I will give you this beautiful beast but please treat it well because this is last memento of my dead son.. " and salty tear left his face and disappeared into the golden beard.

Cecilia was stunned with sincere words of old yarl and bowed deeply .Whole banquet was now silent as graveyard but Lagertha to patch up just said ;" Little princess dont mind the old yarl he had it a bit more difficult after our son Ivar passed away last year. That was the gift from our Volsung clan but young Beowulf still has one that he brought .. "

"Young princess this is a sacred necklace of Anker clan .My mother says that it gives person some affinity with water and ice . Also the rune works will keep you safe from attacks under martial lord " said Beowulf while having a little bit of red blush on his cheeks .

"What an ancient artifact !This boy surely likes me a lot . Maybe he will become worthy when he grows older ! Now he is still a bit green but if i marry him our family will cement our position in the north so this will be appealing to my father . We will see " she thought as beautiful necklace chased grim thoughts from previous gift away.

In mean time Ivar on the table was furious .Under his mask he had bitten his tongue so hard that he got a bit of red hue on the edges from his blood . This man even dares to mention him and to act as a father now .Where was he in that Skadi temple ?Where was he when Ivars mother chased Ivar away from the main clan ?He did not care . Why should Ivar care now ?And that bitch Largertha just continued when he gave that griffon away ..Does she have any shame under the gods and people.

Soon all the other great clans and nobles offered their gifts. Anker clan gave a great longship while Berlund and Ek clan gave enchanted dagger and robe to her .Great temples gave their own special blessings .Mirmir temple gave ancient rune box and Njord temple gave her horn of the siren .Those two gifts were special as well .Rune box would be another life saving treasure and horn would be able to call sirens in the open seas .The other three clans gave her some minor gifts like blessings and divination and soon the gift ceremony was over. Now the grand competitions would commence ..