Bab 4: The Feast
The feast which Prime Minister Casar mentioned was a grand one.
In a huge hall inside the main palace, tables and chairs were perfectly arranged on the right and left with all kinds of luxurious delicacies and fruits on the tables. There was a wide space between the tables from both sides. On a platform that was a bit higher than the main floor, there was a separate table for the King and Queen of Qalagon.
Iria Alewine stood in front of the mirror and looked at her appearance. She had attended many feasts in the past but most of them were to celebrate the victory of the Alewine Army. But now, she will be attending as the Princess and not the Commander. Not to mention that she wasn't used to wearing this type of gowns!
She spent all her time in the army and there's no way for her to get used to this type of lifestyle! A few months would surely felt like years!
The light blue gown which the servants prepared for her was quite a sight to behold. Though she paid no attention to the diamonds which decorated the dress, she was quite thankful that it was a long-sleeve gown. With a tiara on her head and white gloves, she was all set to attend the feast.
"Is the gloves necessary?" It was Rion who asked her the question. He was standing a few steps away from her in the huge chamber.
"The Crown Prince is not a fool. If he sees my hands, he will know right away that they often wield a sword. I want to prevent unwanted suspicions." Iria simply said, narrowing her eyes at her hands.
When they heard a knock on the door, they darted their eyes to it. Then Rion quickly approached the door and opened it.
A female servant was standing on the door and she bowed. "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is waiting for you."
Iria nodded at the servant. "I'll be there right away."
The servant bowed and closed the door.
"Rion, find Minister Gerin and tell him this. The Qalagons might not welcome us. They might even attempt to stir up trouble in this feast but... we should hold back ourselves. This is not Jerivia and we will only end up in trouble." Iria firmly said to her right-hand man.
"Must we put up with everything? They are the ones who offered the alliance marriage with an insincere heart." Rion said. Though his hatred was quite evident, he still remained respectful towards his Commander.
Iria's lips curved into a smile. "I never say that we will put up with everything. If things became too much, I will be the one to take action. They need me to hold back Jerivia and they won't harm me."
"I understand," Rion said and left the chamber to find Minister Gerin.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror for one last time, Iria walked out of the room and made her way to Crown Prince Arin who was standing a few meters away.
"I apologize for making you wait, Your Highness." She said, carrying herself in a courteous manner.
"It's fine, Princess." The Crown Prince muttered and lead her to the main palace which was not far from the Aprilia Palace.
Iria quietly followed the Crown Prince with many different thoughts crossing her mind.
The Crown Prince wasn't just aloof, he was calm all the time too. It's too hard to guess what he had on mind. Would it be a problem if he just speaks a bit more and explains to her about the feast they were about to attend? She didn't know much about the customs here!
Then they were already standing in front of the huge door. Finally, Crown Prince Arin turned to her. "Everyone is inside the hall now. Your envoy will introduce you to the King and Queen. You only have to sit through the feast."
Though she was still feeling quite lost, Iria nodded. Then their arrival was announced and the door was opened for them.
Walking inside the huge hall with the Crown Prince, Iria noticed that there are more people than she thought. However, she remained unfazed and walked directly towards the platform with confidence. They halted when they were a few steps away.
Minister Gerin rose from his seat and stood behind her. Then they bowed to show their respects to the King and Queen who were sitting on the platform.
"Your Majesties, this is Princess Iria Aventine of Jerivia. We hand over our kingdom's treasure to your son. On behalf of our King, I will express my request. Please look after her with care." Minister Gerin respectfully said to the King and Queen of Jerivia.
"Greetings to the King and Queen of Jerivia." Iria bowed again. As a celebrated Commander, she never once lowered her head before an enemy but... she should put aside that for now. Like her father always taught her, she always thought of greater success.
Observing Iria from his throne, King Regan nodded in approval. "The Princess of Jerivia is an elegant and beautiful lady just like the rumor said." Then he turned to his son, the Crown Prince. "Arin, you should answer the envoy."
The Crown Prince nodded and turned to Minister Gerin. "Jerivia can rest assured."
Minister Gerin was dumbfounded by the Crown Prince's short statement. However, King Regan was grateful enough that his son didn't choose to remain silent!
"Welcome to Qalagon, Princess Iria." It was Queen Lorey who spoke up for the first time. She glanced at the couple standing in front of the throne and smiled. "You will make a good couple. I'm impressed."
Iria tried to respond to the Queen but...
"We should start the feast soon. It's getting late." Crown Prince Arin declared and he led her to the seat in the right.
The Crown Prince seat was the nearest to the King and sitting next to him was Iria. Minister Gerin sat next to her and Rion was standing in one corner, keeping an eye on her.
For Commander Iria, it was her first time trying the foods of Qalagons. They were quite different from her Kingdom and she didn't like it that much. However, she forced herself to eat them to maintain a normal act.
Wine was very abundant in the feast. Some young men who hold the post of middle-ranked officials get drunk pretty soon. Besides, they were mostly the sons of powerful and high ranking ministers.
The drunken young men started chatting and gossiping. It wasn't supposed to be a big deal until...
"I heard that men in Jerivia are all useless cowards. They don't even have a warrior to protect their Kingdom."
It was the two drunken men chatting with each other but still... everyone could hear it because the hall fell silent.
"Even their most capable warrior is a woman!"
"Are you talking about that infamous masked Commander?"
"Yeah. Even now, they are sacrificing their Princess!"
Iria eyed Minister Gerin who wasn't entertained by the words of the two young men. She slightly shook her head and the envoy barely holds back himself. She glanced at Rion and did the same, trying to put him on hold. She thought that things would be quiet down soon but...
"They even blamed us for the assassination of their reputable Commander. If he was capable as they said, why did he die so easy?"
They were talking about her father, the late Commander Darien Alewine! She tightly clenched her fist... trying to ignore it but it's her father! The one she respected the most in this world! There's no way for her to turn a blind eye to it!
She suddenly loosened her tightly clenched fist and tried to stand up until...
A loud sound which resembled the roughly placing of the wine cup on the table was heard! Then all attention was shifted to the Crown Prince whose calm face was now replaced by a displeased one for the first time.....
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