The Castle Guard

07) A Royal Banquette

      The throne room of the Karistan royal castle was decorated in a mixture of gold and red with a red carpet at the center starting from the great hall towards the dais upon which two thrones sat three steps upper than the common floor where everyone else mingled while the king and queen sat higher than the rest to show their superiority in hierarchy, two stone pillars resided on either side of the dais on both hanged the royal Mickan red banner with golden lining and a golden dragon at its center along with a sword at the dragon’s center. Beautiful classical music swayed through the room almost drowning the various voices, servants holding trays of wine and small foods or appetizers as they were called walked about in a maze of people catering to everyone’s needs making sure there’s wine at a moment’s notice for the king’s invitees, the guests though tried not to drink too much preserving their attention for the main event for which they had all been invited.

King Aydra sat at his throne listening to voices of the nobles and mages he had invited to his castle mixing in harmony forming a low hum hearing laughter rise and fall from somebody in the crowd from time to time. The whole room was buoyant with cheers and a happy mood, along with the barrage of beautiful decorations, food and drinks prepared by the servants, he had invited nobles, mages, merchants from all over the kingdom to his castle in the hopes that his son would find his future queen among them. Preferably one who is related to a noble so as to strengthen their rule over the kingdom as he himself did years ago in this same room, his eyes probed the crowd looking many beautiful women came from all over wearing dresses adorned with jewels that complemented their dresses and beauty each one hoping to capture the prince’s attention.

“ Count Desderius of Nickleshton and his daughter Lady Adriana!” the royal announcer exclaimed snapping everyone’s attention towards the door, standing beside a well dressed older man everyone knew as Count Desderius was arguably the most beautiful lady in the whole room. She had the perfect body; slim fit not too skinny. Medium height, dark flowing hair, soft flush cheeks , light green eyes, small nose with dark red lips. She had a rosy skin complexion, her smile left the men in a daze, wearing a simple dark green backless dress with no sleeves that tightened at her abdomen showing a part of her cleavage then loose flowing going downwards. There were gasps in the crowd as they gazed at her beauty; women were immediately racked with red hot jealousy their anger only grew as men continued to stare. Adriana’s come back from her travels being so pretty stunned most that’d seen her when she was very young they were impressed with her growth into such a beauty. Among them the king he felt nostalgic due to her striking resemblance to her mother of whom King Aydra had a passionate affair before her untimely passing, he felt butterflies rise within him at the memories.

Queen Kahlan was in the crowd locked in a heavy conversation with arch mage Kalyn when Lady Adriana entered, suddenly curious as to the reason for the shift in everyone’s concentration. When her eyes landed on the beauty at the opened doors a pang of jealousy and hate poked her heart, her eyes immediately darted back the king who was without doubt captivated like most men in the crowd staring at Lady Adriana even more so she secretly knew. The king had had many affairs over the course of their marriage which had lead to the birth of quite a number of illegitimate bastards usually raised within the castle as the maids’ children most of the staff knew of the king’s affairs some, it was an open secret within the castle. The queen normally never cared much for that “Men will be men.” She usually said in dismissal focusing on other important things rather than the king’s ‘w****s’ after she’d gotten her male royal heir the rest were but trash in her eyes.

Of course when the affair between Adriana’s mother and Aydra begun she knew immediately, she considered being well informed her “superpower” to a point of having spies in all corners of the castle. Queen Kahlan just dismissed it as her husband’s latest ‘Conquest’ yet when she laid her eyes on the woman a twinge of jealousy and anger sparked within her igniting a flame of hate unlike anything she ever felt. She knew asking her husband to stop and find another woman was of no use not to mention it would be very humiliating so she took matters into her own hands along with help from her dear friend arch-mage Kalyn.

Tonight when that girl showed up she felt the same hate ignite in her heart, everyone moved allowing Adriana and her father pass walking across the red carpet as they headed to greet the king. Her dress formed a triangle on her back that trailed down near the waist it was a mystery how it stayed up some of the men imagined it not staying up as she walked grace fully across the red velvet carpet. King Aydra all the while could not tear his eyes off the young beauty feeling increasingly uneasy as she continued her approach stopping at the lower steps both of them bowed in respect to the king “Greetings your majesty!” Count Desderius exclaimed in a burly voice that went with his round short figure and round eyes with moustache lining his upper lip.

“This is my daughter the Lady Adriana,” the count continued “she recently came back from travels” the king’s eyes were on Adriana the whole time “Greetings your majesty!” she spoke with a lustrous voice while doing a curtsy giving the king a good view of her plush bosom.

“Uh ok,” the king managed to say “it is no problem my old friend!” his voice almost gurgled then stood up composing himself. “Let the festivities continue!” he announced noticing everyone had stopped quiet staring even the music had stopped. Everyone immediately went back to whatever they were doing with the court music resuming, many stealing a glance towards Adriana any chance they got.

The king stepped down the dais in his button down black blazer decorated with gold linings over a white shirt with dark brown tight trousers and lace less shoes. Atop his silky dark hair sat a golden crown shaped like gold vines around his head forming two diamond concentric shapes with four angles on his forehead, a gem rested at its center that for some reason changed its color according to the king’s mood and plain translucent white when it is not worn, it now glowed cyan with red slowly rising.

Count Desderius cringed when the king referred to him as a ‘friend’ taking all his will power not to charge at him then and there ‘You slept with my wife then killed her you bastard!’ he thought angrily fortunately he had a crazy good poker face and held his tongue. The queen appeared almost immediately at his side the moment he stepped onto the floor in her long floor length golden dress that fit her figure, her blonde hair tied in a knit bun around her neck a diamond necklace sparkled.

“Your majesty!” the count bowed and Adriana made a curtsy “Count Desderius! You and your beautiful daughter are welcome to the castle” she mouthed the word ‘beautiful !’ with a glint of anger in her eyes threatening to break her fake façade, “The King and I welcome you!” King Aydra hadn’t spoken a word his eyes remained strained on Adriana, queen Kahlan inwardly cursed at her husband’s stupendous behavior, realizing their eyes were on him he stuttered “Um well your welcome to stay as long as you want.” He spoke suddenly sending waves of pure anger within the queen.

She forced a smile “Oh and Dear I am sorry for your mother’s death” she spoke hiding her menace hoping to upset the king, seeing his forehead wrinkle she knew she’d succeeded, “Thank you, your majesty” Adriana spoke politely “Her death was untimely but we have since begun to recover…. Though not yet.” Her eyes almost blurred with sadness.

“Sorry for our late coming, we had some menial troubles along the road, nothing too bad though” the count interjected “Oh no problem our prince has yet to arrive” the king spoke “Come on get a drink and mingle!” after the count and his daughter blended into the crowd king Aydra raised his hand signaling one of the two guards standing on either side of the thrones to come “Where is the crown prince?” he asked the guard answered staring down “In his chambers your majesty” the king’s forehead wrinkled in annoyance ‘damned kid the banquet I host for him and he doesn’t show!?’ he looked at the guard glaring as if it was his fault and ordered “Bring prince Walren here now!” his voice stone cold, “yes your majesty!” the guard bowed quickly and left feeling relieved.