(From Blue's Perspective)
"So many people…," I mumbled.
"Yeah, people like to attend banquets. Moreover, it's a Royal banquet," Dem said. "Most people are here to find business partners. They will seize any opportunity they get. We are going to enter now. Don't be so nervous, my love.
I am here with you."
I could hear the loud noise of many people from the other side of the door. It was obvious that there were too many people there. I always got nervous in front of many people. It did not affect Dem at all. If he was with , I got so strength. Luc, Ruby, Iris, and the kids were attending as well.
Familiar faces helped with my nervousness and made feel slightly better.
Still, the nervousness did not fade away from my mind.
The huge golden door opened and the loud noise was replaced with silence; only occasional murmurs could be heard, but they could not feel the shortage of words.
Once again, my legs seed to freeze. Dem squeezed my hand as if reassuring . I noticed Iris in the crowd. She smiled encouragingly at . I also noticed Athena who waved at , smiling brightly; her red hair looked more beautiful now that it was combed and styled beautifully.
I took a deep breath and looked ahead of with as much confidence as I could muster. I was the Queen of Querencia. I should not act like a coward.
Everyone bowed as we walked to our seats. As usual, I wore another black dress. Black dresses never got boring.
The master and the mistress of the magic tower greeted us first, then the duke and the duchess along with their children. Iris had taught them basic etiquette in the anti and they did very well, especially Abel. He learned everything very fast. Iris praised him in her letters. Athena's clumsy acts were adorable. She was trying her best.
"Now that everyone is here, enjoy the banquet," Dem said.
And that was all. We just needed to sit there or have a drink or so food. There were people who ca to greet us one by one. It was hard to rember everyone's na.
"Don't try. It's quite hard," Dem said. "Ah, that lady just fell."
"Oh my, is she hurt? Perita, go help her up," I said.
"It doesn't matter. She is more embarrassed than hurt," he said.
"Well, I would be too."
Perita made sure she was okay and took her to another room so she could fix her dress as it seed to have gotten ruined a bit. So dresses were too delicate. They needed extra care.
After a while, I went to talk to Athena and Abel. In the end, Ava could not join because she had a test two days later. She told in a letter. It was a bit disappointing that I could not et her. Perhaps I should just go et her after the banquet if I got the chance.
"How are you doing, Athena?" I asked.
"I am fine, Your Highness. Thank you for asking," she smiled. "What about you?"
"I am good too. Oh my, you look so beautiful, sweetie," I said. "Have you chosen this dress?"
"Yes!"
"All by yourself?" I asked, amazed.
"Uhm," she gave a nod. "The duchess helped too."
"I just took you to the boutique. You chose it yourself," Iris said.
Iris ntioned in the letter that Athena did not call her 'Mother'. She was not comfortable, so Iris did not force her although the duke kept telling her to call him 'Father'. Iris was against it. According to her, it was not sothing that could be forced. It had to be natural.
"That's great, Athena! It looks so good on you," I said. "Abel looks great too. Have you chosen it yourself as well?"
"No, Father chose it for ."
Abel started calling Iris and the duke, Mother, and Father from the first mont. When Iris asked him why he agreed so quickly, he said, "I am grateful to the duke and the duchess for whatever you have done for and my friends. So, I will do whatever you want to."
Abel was the type of person to talk like that despite his age. He acted emotionless which could be understandable since he lived on the streets for a long ti, perhaps since birth. It was clear that he had gone through a lot. The duke and the duchess were good people and probably good parents as well, so his condition would improve. But it would take a long ti.
"The duke has good taste. It looks great on you. More than that, I think it looks better because Abel is the one wearing it," I said. Continue reading at empire
"Thank you, Your Highness. Your Highness looks very lovely tonight," he said.
"Oh my, thank you so much, sweetie!" I smiled. "That said, Iris and the duke should go and dance to this song. You two have been staying here the whole ti. You should enjoy yourselves too."
"We are fine, Your Highness. The kids are here…," the duke said.
"Yes, the kids…," Iris nodded. The slight reluctance did not escape my eyes.
"Mother and Father do not need to care for us. We can take care of ourselves," Abel said.
"Yes, that's right," Athena added.
"I will take care of the kids," I said. "They will be with for a while. Just go and enjoy yourselves."
"But…"
"Just go, duke. What is it? What's wrong with dancing with your wife? Coming to the banquet doesn't an you have to take care of your kids the whole ti," Dem said. "Or does it an that and I have never known?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Iris and the duke went dancing as the new song started. While we were talking, another song had already passed. Dem and I danced to the very first song and after that, we decided not to dance anymore. Dem said he wanted to save my energy.
'He is always really…'
"Athena, Abel, do you two want to have anything sweet? Cakes, pudding, or anything?"
"I don't like sweets," Abel said.
"I will have so pudding…," Athena said.
"Dem, take Athena to have so pudding. You wanted to have strawberry pudding too," I said.
"His Highness likes pudding?" Athena asked, surprised. Abel looked quite surprised as well.
"He likes sweet things," I said. "Just like you. You both are really cute. You two match from this point as well."
Dem glared at in a cute way. It was clear what he was going to say if the kids were not there.
"Co with ," Dem said.
Athena went awkwardly with Dem. Dem did not know how to talk to a kid, or how to act with a child. Whenever the talk about having a child was brought up, he always said that he did not know how to act around a child or how to treat a child. I told him to be kind and affectionate.
But he did not know how to be affectionate with soone else other than . That was just what he assud.
I knew that he would do just fine if he beca a bit more confident about it.
"Are you doing well, Abel?" I asked. "What I an is, are you doing well with your new family?"
"Yes, Your Highness. They are helping a lot. I am very happy with Mother and Father."
"No, Abel. You don't understand . I don't want an automated reply. I want to hear what you think."
"What I think. Then, Your Highness, please excuse ," he said and looked straight at . "Yes, I am grateful for whatever they did and I have promised to even be ready to give my life to them. But if you want to know if I am fine or not, no, I am not fine. That's the answer. I don't know why I am like this.
I just cannot blend into their life and I cannot be fine. I don't miss my life on the street, but I miss the people I was with. They are my friends and they are my real family. I cannot accept just anyone as my family just because they helped . Besides, they helped with a condition. It's not unconditional love, Your Highness.
Nothing is unconditional in this world. I have known this since the mont I could understand myself and others. Your Highness, I was not born in this world full of privileges like Your Highness and others. I cannot blend into this world like all of you. Is this what Your Highness wanted to hear?"
"This answer…," I chuckled. "Yeah, this is what I wanted to hear."
"Is Your Highness laughing at my situation? Your Highness is free to do so, of course. I just did not expect it."
"No, my sweetie. I am not laughing. I am just sure now that perhaps I should not treat you like a child," I said. "You know, I was telling my husband right after I t you that this will happen. You know how? Because I can understand your situation very well."
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