1 A Banquet to Remember

Astraea swirled her glass of wine as she watched her three younger sisters swirl through the ballroom floor. She had picked at her food throughout the meal, not afraid to eat it, just being cautious after two poison testers had already died. The second death had been truly gruesome and the servant had splattered the hem of her blue hunting dress with blood. Her maid would likely have trouble scrubbing out the stain later but the water that Morgan had not so subtly splashed had rinsed out some of the mess.

Now Morgan was dancing in the middle of the makeshift floor, spinning from partner to partner as the music demanded. Her dress was purple so dark it was nearly the color of the night sky above them and it flared around Morgan as she spun.

Astraea's other two sisters were jumping and dancing together near the edge of the floor closest to Astraea. Teresa was barely younger than Morgan but had only half her courage so had dedicated herself to caring for Daphne after their parents passed. Daphne was dancing carefree in her snowy white dress already bespeckled in mud. All three older sisters had done their best to make sure the youngest of their brood had grown up with nothing but happiness and cheer.

Astraea's eyes shifted to Drystann Tornheard and she realized those happy days may be coming to an end. The war that waged between the two of them threatened to spill over to their kingdoms as a whole after their parent's damnable bargain. When both Astraea and Drystann had been children (babies really), their parents, tired of the bloody war that had waged between their kingdoms, had come to an agreement. Their children would either marry each other or one would kill the other. Either way, the kingdoms would be combined and the resources of each shared amongst all. Astraea and Drystann had started trying to kill each other after Astraea's Coming of Age ball. It had been a beautiful night until Drystann had offered her a cup of wine and the poison tester to take it had vomited blood and died on the polished ballroom floor.

Since then, the assassination attempts had gotten more and more conniving with neither party willing to throw in the towel and marry.

Tonight's banquet, thrown in honor of a hunting festival beginning tomorrow, marked the fifth year since the first assassination attempt. Queen took another sip of her wine and smiled into the cup as she remembered the countless traps and mercenaries that lay in wait for Drystann during tomorrow's hunt.

Astraea looked up from watching the crowds dance as the stairs leading up to the platform creaked. Morgan was coming up one set but another creak had her whipping her head around to see Drystann coming up the other side. Her breath caught in her throat as she took him in less than six feet away. It had been at least four years since they had been this close. He had handed her a handkerchief at her parents funeral, and it had been the first time they hadn't tried to kill each other since the announcement of the bargain. Astraea's instincts told her tonight would be very different but she couldn't stop herself from drinking in the sight of him.

His face had thinned out since she had last seen him so close but his eyes were still the same striking grey they had always been. The years of war had not dulled the sharp steel.

"May I have this dance?" He bowed as he stretched his hand out to her.

She weighed this decision in her head. There was no reason for her to say yes, but many reasons to say no. His gloves could be coated in poison, or his cologne combined with a toxic he was immune to, or a million other ways to kill her. She doubted he would stab her on the dance floor but...the knife in the sheath hidden under the folds of her dress seemed to get heavier. She did have protection and because he was the visiting royalty most of his entourage had to remain outside giving her the advantage.

She placed her hand in his. "It would be my honor."

The dance floor cleared as they approached. Everyone attending this banquet knew their history and Astraea saw money exchange hands as she scanned the crowd for her bodyguards just in case. The nobility from both kingdoms was betting on who would come away from this encounter the winner. It happened every time they were ever in the same room together; not that either of them discouraged it. The betting, frequent balls, banquets, and whatever else they could stomach gave their kingdoms a chance to begin the merge smoothly in anticipation of a swift transition of power.

The musicians in the corner had bows up and were ready to play when Astraea and Drystann stepped on the dance floor. They faced each other and the music began. Astraea swept her skirts up and curtsied as Drystann bowed. As she stood upright, she saw a flash of metal as he pulled a knife from a hidden sheath of his own and held it loosely in one hand. She lifted an eyebrow of challenge and then flew at him, her own knife raised and ready to kill. If he wanted a dance of blades so be it.

They danced around each other stabbing and parrying in time to the music. A newcomer might have thought it an elaborate performance had Drystann's blade not gotten caught in Astraea's numerous skirts. One of the heavier layers under the top petticoat for warmth had been a finely woven skirt of chain designed for this exact purpose. As he fought to get his knife free, she slashed downwards and opened a cut on her face. He withdrew sharply as a hush fell over the crowd. They felt as did she, that tonight could be the night and all the speculation and betting would finally come to an end. As she slashed downwards again, aiming for his chest this time, Drystann rolled backward, abandoned his knife, and fled the makeshift floor and the tent.

Astraea fished his knife out of her skirts and then raised both in the air. Her sisters came up behind her and as one they roared their almost victory to the crowd of both kingdoms and the crowd roared back.