523: Chapter 249 Inquiry in Deyatuk County 523: Chapter 249 Inquiry in Deyatuk County Night fell, and the grand banquet hall of the main castle was ablaze with light as the evening feast reached its final stage with the comncent of the ball.
Under the flickering, radiant glow of candle chandeliers, the air was imbued with the rich fragrances of spices and flowers, creating a scene that felt utterly dreamlike.
The musicians struck up a lively lody—an Orlandian traditional dance tune known as the “Joyful Dance,” blending jubilant and bright rhythms.
Back during the wedding preparations, Leon had discovered that Orlandian traditional wedding dances were nothing like the restrained elegance and grace he associated with noble courtly dances from his forr life.
On the contrary, the dances perford at both noble and folk wedding celebrations brimd with playful and joyous folkloric charm, entirely free of somberness.
Azeryan’s garnt, embroidered with an emblem in golden thread, glead brilliantly, while the fine gauze of Raya’s wedding dress swayed and fluttered with every step of the dance.
The two stood at the heart of the crowd, their movents light and passionate, keeping perfect ti with the music of lutes, flutes, and drums.
In the hall’s center, their swift, precise spins, leaps, and turns seed to narrate the fervor of their shared emotions.
When the bride and groom completed their first dance, and applause subsided, the surrounding guests eagerly joined the celebration with their respective partners.
Count Eriv rose and extended his arm to his wife, Adelina.
The other nobles and knights also took the hands of their wives or companions.
Leon, temporarily casting aside any worries, followed suit.
With an exaggerated gentlemanly flourish, he extended his hand invitingly to Olivia.
The young lady cleared her throat, and with the air of a noble maiden, she gracefully placed her hand in his, matching his dramatic undertone.
With a bright smile on his lips, Leon led his beloved—or rather, the young lady who was now legally his wife—onto the dance floor.
On the other side of the room, Lokhak seed a little nervous as Sally tugged him into the crowd, resembling a giant bear being led by a sprightly rabbit.
Watching the laughing, jubilant throng, Mr.
Brian Sr.
sipped his sweet wine, his thoughts drifting far into the past.
His eyes glimred with nostalgia, particularly as they lingered on Olivia’s blissful face.
His old heart swelled with comfort, knowing that his lord’s lineage had finally moved beyond its forr sorrows—his years of sacrifice had been worthwhile.
“Won’t you join the dance, Mr.
Brian?
You’ve been so busy with military duties; surely, it’s ti to relax,” said Elena from beside him, tilting her head with a smile.
Brian shook his head helplessly.
“At my age, what’s the point?
Besides, my legs aren’t what they used to be.”
“That’s not entirely true, is it?
I doubt you’re much older than Lord Eriv,” Elena teased with a playful wink.
This old knight only appeared older than the ever-dignified Count Eriv due to his battle scars and a life spent in the countryside.
“And when you were teaching Leon and Miss Olivia how to dance, you didn’t look the least bit hindered.
You could always move slower if need be.” Placing her wine glass down, Elena stood, curtsied with a playful glint in her eye, and extended a hand invitingly.
“May I have the honor of sharing a dance with you, Sir Brian?”
Brian looked at his kindhearted colleague with a faint smile.
To refuse again would be a failure of knightly decorum.
Reluctantly, he set down his wine glass, stood, and attempted a formal courtly gesture he hadn’t perford in years, accepting his friend’s invitation.
The wedding ball, of course, was not limited to lovers and couples.
Family mbers, friends, and even guests of all kinds participated in the rry dance—it was no different from the joyous communal dances of the countryside.
Once again, joyful music filled the hall.
The gentlen placed their hands on their waists, hopping rhythmically with the beat.
The ladies, their skirts flaring, spun in circles and exchanged places with one another.
Smiles adorned every face, applause kept ti with the music, and the faint clinking of wine glasses added an intoxicating warmth to the atmosphere.
Partner after partner took turns stepping into the dance floor to revel in the night, and even the occasional misstep was t with amusent rather than ridicule.
Eyes sparkled with the joy of forgetting troubles, if only for a while.
As the evening wore on, the dances and music gradually gave way to quieter lodies, signaling the reception’s end.
The bride had long since returned to the bridal chamber, accompanied by her female friends, to await the groom.
The groom, anwhile, was escorted by his friends to the corridor leading to the bridal chamber.
Azeryan straightened his attire, took a deep breath, and, under the mingled teasing and well-wishes of his closest companions, walked into the night destined to be his most romantic…
By noble tradition, the final wedding rites required both families to escort the groom into the bridal chamber.
Afterwards, even the elders of both houses were expected to linger outside the door for so ti, a custom symbolizing the elders’ witness to the union of the two households.
Leon always found this “eavesdropping ritual” rather distasteful and decided to forego it entirely.
With Azeryan and Raya no longer having family mbers to abide by such customs, and their friends being ill-suited for the role, it seed only fitting to leave the couple to their privacy on their wedding night.
Of course, Leon had selfish reasons as well—he couldn’t imagine enduring such a tradition with Olivia in the future, especially if his good brothers and father-in-law were lurking outside the door.
It would be far too absurd to bear.
Once the couple had retired to their chamber, the banquet gradually began to disperse.
Satisfied guests departed in groups of three or four.
However, the castle’s stewards and servants were far from free to relax.
The maids bustled about, swiftly tidying up the venue.
Leon and Olivia, still brimming with energy, weren’t overly tired and rolled up their sleeves to join in, helping Elena and Little Lina, along with Selva’s understaffed maidservants from the village, to clean up the banquet’s aftermath.
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