All over Eldoria, televisions blasted the footage of the princes eting the king, offering gifts and images of their flying ships. They also exaggerated the eting between Prince Firron and Princess Thalassa, and speculated on what it ant for the empire.
Comntators and Tv anchors spoke on the possibility of a royal wedding and where it would happen if it beca a reality. Would they marry in Eldoria or Solandor?
anwhile, the royal luncheon arrived and it was quite the spectacle to behold. Because of all the changes to the guest list, it had been arranged like a party. Long tables were adorned with crystal lamps and fresh flowers provided by Elarin. The velvet curtains which frad the windows had been closed, allowing glistening chandeliers to cast a warm light on the scene. The seductive sll of food, pastries, wines and spices filled the air.
The guests had already arrived, mainly young won that were brimming with eager smiles and dressed to the nines, eager to leave a lasting mark on the princes. The princes had yet to be seen but among the guests, dynamics of power, ambition and resentnt were already simring beneath the surface. If one wrong string was pulled, the balance of the event would be undone.
The De-Kensington’s were not pleased to see the Thorin’s or the female mages. The Thorin’s were acting as nothing was of their concern and they were having a good ti talking to the Rosewood’s and Givenchy’s. The Givenchy’s were not happy to see the Durin’s, the two families had a feud. These three families were not pleased to see the Windrider’s, only one female from their family had been invited and yet ten had showed up.
The won from the royal family were not happy to see any woman from the various noble families that had attended or those from the mage estate. As if the competition was not stiff enough, the doors opened and daughters of nobles from the families of the queen’s ladies in waiting arrived.
"This is worse than a battlefield." Mauve whispered to her cousin Jenna. "The princes have not even confird if they are open to a marriage alliance and yet the won here have drawn swords, each ready to slaughter the other for a chance to be royalty in a foreign land. I say it’s foolish."
Jenna laughed in response. "Well it is not our concern, we are just here to make up the numbers for the crown princess and have fun. If any Prince does find suitable, I won’t object to the courtship."
Roland and Sigrid arrived first, Galen stole him away and this left Sigrid beside Princess Romilda and the queen. The queen was not too happy to see the Thorin’s at the event.
"This is not your estate or the Vale or Stormwind. It is my castle, you had no right to invite your cousins without my permission." She snapped while maintaining a fake smile for those that were watching them.
Sigrid gestured for a servant to bring her a glass of wine and she replied through an equally fake smile. "It’s not your event dear mother-in-law. It is the king’s event and I do not think that he will be too happy to see all the won you invited. You are not a fool so you must be aware that he wants to match Princess Thalassa with one of the princes. An alliance with Solandor will shape Eldoria’s future, your De-Kensington family is too greedy and selfish because they want to gulp all this power for themselves."
Queen Maurelia bit her teeth and turned to her sister-in-law. The two did not like each other and Maurelia harbored a deep grudge against Romilda stemming from years of perceived undermining and competition for the kings favor. Romilda was aware that Maurelia had insinuated to her ladies-in-waiting that it was possible that the relationship between King Raff and her was like that of Lady Blanche and his sister.
Romilda had only kept her temper in check because she did not want to draw attention to the ugly lie and give it life.
"And you Romilda, how dare you bring that hussy Marianne here?" Maurelia hissed.
Princess Romilda scoffed, the hussy was her daughter who was charming everyone with her beauty and wit already. Romilda was sure that if Thalassa failed, Marianne would get the job done.
Sigrid was not worried about who the two won had brought, her eyes lingered on Lady Emmah whose halo was extrely active tonight. So far, the maids had tried to ruin her dress and failed, poison her wine and failed, shove her out of a window and failed. Every disaster she could have stumbled on tonight ended up harming another young woman, reducing her competition. Emmah had not even looked Benjamin’s way tonight, she had co with one purpose--to capture the heart of one of Solandor’s princes, the older one preferably.
She had dressed strikingly as if she was attending the t gala back on modern earth. Her beauty coupled with her lucky halo which had a talent for putting her in the right place at the right ti made her a formidable player in the courtly ga.
King Raff entered the room with Elarin and he froze for a mont. He had envisioned a quiet family lunch but that vision vanished and it was replaced with reality which was a bustling gathering that held a semblance to a royal gala.
The king made his way into the room and sat down next to the queen. "I see many of your nieces here, accompanied by their fathers."
Queen Maurelia smiled provocatively and replied, "Family does not refer to our children only, it is a broad term. You wanted the princes to feel welco my dear, what says you are welco more that our most beautiful maidens, the finest won in the kingdom. I am just so regretful that I do not have more relatives because four of the won on Eldoria’s beauty list ranking have not made it." She picked up a wine glass and added, "Thalassa is number nine on that list and she was squeezed in because of her identity, I don’t think anybody would miss her if she was not here."
As Elarin cald the king down, the princes made entry with regal composure in their empire’s red and golden garnts. They were as startled as the king had been to see such a big family!
It was if a gun had been fired to start a race because they found themselves in the midst of eager beautiful won and each was vying for their attention.
Sigrid observed the spectacle with a hidden smile on her face. "The simple lunch has been turned into a battlefield of ambition." Sigrid scoffed and sipped her wine, she had no plans to intervene unless Emmah got too close to Firron.
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