Banquet Dinner - Part 1

In his Lord's bed chamber preferrably called the Great Chamber, Ezekiel stood behind Briceus in anticipation of his next words.

——

When Zeke returned from Elizabeth's village with the two mercenaries who had accompanied him, he immediately sought his Lord's presence but on finding out that he was undergoing his bath session, Ezekiel then opted to wait instead. Patiently, he waited for the hour in which his Lord's nakedness should have been covered up by his attendants. After getting his calculation just right, he then knocked on His Majesty's bedroom door to admit himself into the King's presence.

"Your Highness! It is I, Ezekiel. I am here to announce my safe return!" shouted Zeke.

Briceus had waited a long time already so he instantly approved for Zeke to enter his bedroom space.

Ezekiel then appeared before his Lord.

"Leave us!" Briceus demanded of his attendants while he flung a rich Vermilion cloak over his Spartan shoulders. The base of the fabric spread out evenly to commemorate a sophisticated outlook. The material felt heavy and if not for the Queen's request for his presence at the Banquet hall, should he prepare himself so ceremoniously at that hour? Even at that, Briceus knew he had to get used to such format of clothing as was expected of him.

Everyone departed at once as instructed by the King; everyone with the exception of his aide, Ezekiel who was patiently waiting for the King's words.

"Zeke-"

"Yes milord!"

"The day has been so and so, and the peak of it should be this abrupt Banquet my mother, the Queen has pre-planned for me."

As Briceus' words flew out of his mouth with the least consideration, Ezekiel had a hard time comprehending what he had just heard.

"Your Highness, if I may-"

"You may!"

"Thank you, milord. Did you just assert that Her Majesty did go out of her way to arrange a Banquet just for you?" This, he had asked his Lord because he wasn't quite sure if it was the same woman he had known to harbour immensely visible hatred for Briceus; IF it was this same woman that his Lord was referring to.

"I believe I wasn't holding water in my mouth when I let out my words just now, Zeke," interjected Briceus. All the while, he had his back against his aide but after saying these words he made the effort to spin himself around to face Ezekiel.

He then continued.

"My uncle the Duke accosted me a couple of hours earlier. After exchanging words with me, he went on to reveal his actual purpose for seeking me out in the first place. The Queen's impromptu invitation was then thrown across my face offering me no means to avoid it."

"Oh! Then the Banquet is happening indeed! Milord?" 

At his aide's persistent probing to be re-assured of the Queen's invitation a second time, Briceus hummed a sigh to quench the topic altogether. This, Ezekiel understood.

"We should be headed there in a minute to explore the special package, Duke Wauter claims the Queen has in store for me."

"Yes, milord!" 

"However… "

"Your Highness?"

"Something tells me that I am not going to like it one bit therefore I need you by my side."

"I am at your service, milord."

"I know you are, Ezekiel. Now, that maiden… how did her family take the news of the payment to have her handed over fully to me?" Briceus asked for formality sake even though he had deliberated and long concluded in his heart that they would most likely give into his demands to have the girl for free if the need be. Still, he asked to know if he would be proven wrong.

With the baton to speak up resting on his shoulders, Ezekiel pondered on revealing everything that had happened during their encounter with Elizabeth's mother—Mrs Blythe. 

"So? Tell me!" demanded Briceus feeling overly impatient to allow his aide even a spare second to arrange his thoughts neatly.

"Milord! The payment for the girl… they accepted it with open arms." Ezekiel reported.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, it is milord!" He re-affirmed his initial reply to Briceus concluding in his heart that the King would not care for too much details about the maiden afterall.

"Quite unsatisfactory! Nonetheless, let us go to the Banquet hall." Briceus announced.

"I should lead the way, milord."

Briceus nodded softly at his aide's words as they aimed to divorce the enormous breadth of his bedroom space; chiefly arrayed with every element of supremacy and rich splendour.

<By The Banquet Hall>

Under the guidance of Oletha and Mirelinda, Elizabeth was led through an enormous hallway towards the Great hall which was specifically reserved for Banquet activities(feastings). Thinking prior that the presence of both ladies by her side all through her proposed dinner experience with the Royals would help her feel more at ease, she was proven wrong as both ladies halted in front of the hall's entrance. Castle guards were stationed to offer some sort of protection against intruders.

One of the girls who had assisted in helping her lady sort out her way, then opened her mouth to speak, tilting her head to lock eyes with Elizabeth.

"This is where the journey ends for us both, milady." Oletha informed Elizabeth in a soothing tone. But the news didn't sit down well with Elizabeth who immediately perceived the urge to give into panic.

"What do you mean? The journey has only just begun. Is this not the entrance leading to the Banquet hall?"

"Yes it is!"

"Then please, be kind enough to lead me in. I can't handle so much attention from so many nobles at thesame time and on my own," cried Elizabeth. She could infer from Oletha's words that what she had meant by it was to reveal that she and Mirelinda couldn't accompany her into the hall even if they wanted to. Still, to Elizabeth, her acceptance of the situation was a far cry from her realization of it altogether.

By this time, the Castle guards simply maintained a statue-like pose while doing their best to ignore the chit-chat among the women.

Mirelinda then parted her lips to explain matters to her lady in a much clearer term Oletha's intended meaning by her words.

"Milady, we've done as we should. It is not that we won't like to accompany you inside the hall but we are far below in the chain of nobility and have no business appearing before the Queen or any other Royal family member without having been sent for."

"But-"

"Enjoy your supper time, milady. We have to go now!" remarked Oletha. Instantly, she then struck a bow together with her partner as a medium to excuse themselves from Elizabeth's side. Watching them leave with their backs against her prompted her heart to shrink beneath her chest. With a deep inhalation, she was then determined to thrust deeper but not before her internal pep-talk.

'Calm your nerves, you poor heart of mine! Is the Queen not flesh and blood like myself? So therefore, it shouldn't be that hard. It should be just her and the Prince Aldrich I would need to worry about.'

She then sucked in a large volume of air, holding her breath for much longer than she had done the first time before setting herself loose.

"I am ready!" mumbled Elizabeth as she pushed open the beautifully decorated door.

Stepping in, the magnificence of the hall overshadowed her initial analysis of what it should look like according to most books she had read. The lightings from the candelabra and Torchère further accentuated the gloriousness of this particular hall space. She began to thrust herself deeper into the hall, but to her greatest surprise, the number of faces that penetrated her vision instantly overwhelmed her senses causing her knees to become feeble simultaneously. She could almost hear her little heart pounding so violently inside her chest. Despite her body giving in to her internal fears and utter lack of composure, her mind tortured her the most with innumerable questions.

'What manner of prepared physical ambush is this? Why was the Prince not specific with his information earlier? This is not a mere invitation at all! There are far too many faces of nobility—male and female alike. Are there usually this many people who come here to dine with the Queen during supper? Or is there a form of celebration going on? My god! I am doomed! Tragedy is what I can foresee from tonight's event,' cried Elizabeth in her heart as her initial pep talk began to feel futile after all.

As she took one more step, her right heel twisted to admit her lack of composure and she nearly slipped and fell. She knew whoever was watchful of her right now would not have missed that. Still, she determinedly managed to regain her balance and pressed onwards regardless.

In a matter of minutes, Elizabeth had safely warmed herself into Queen Athena's perimeter of vision. The woman's condescending gaze which shot out of her sapphire eyes further alarmed Elizabeth.

'For heaven's sake! Why won't the surface under my shoes give way for me to sink inside it already? I know for certain that I will embarrass myself before these many guests tonight unless I stay silent the entire time and focus on eating which is very unlikely.' She murmured in her heart.

Meanwhile, throughout the entire ordeal of her internal struggle, a beautiful pair of sparkling dark eyes had settled on her silhuoette form watchful of her every move to ascertain if the girl who had exchanged words with him some hours ago would be just as courageous in front of this many people.

However, it soon became evident to the one who possessed those beautiful eyes, the fact that her inner struggle had forced her to begin to walk in an unco-ordinated manner. Feeling pleased, he encouraged a mocking smirk to creep up to the side of his face.

'With such brave words you spat out earlier, I expected you would be much more confident in person. Or maybe you are only inclined to being that way; exuding so much bravery in the sole presence of a man. Hmm. By and by, we will see what you are made of ... Elizabeth!'