The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 47: The Dinner with the Amitiels

"The Lady Alaric Elliot of..." Cocytus looked at me, waiting for an appropriate title for me. I just stared at him, shrugging my shoulders off since I do not really care how he would introduce me.

Cocytus rose his eyebrows. It felt like he wanted to hit me with the glare that he threw at me, but I just evaded my glance away from him only to watch the expressions of the members of the Amitiel family, his family. The family that has been currying for favor to both the Deity of Immortality and the Seer. And, of course, it would not hurt to also be favored by me that everyone expected to have the greatest of power besides the royal family.

But they were not the people I was expecting.

Cocytus has been an exception for the whole while I was with them. The moment that I found out who I actually was and the duration that the Dalcanorian kids have known of that fact, they have treated me rather differently than before. They would not look me in the eyes, they would bow their heads when we passed by each other, and even Caspian Cashel, who have always loved teasing me, have started to also avoid me. The manner of speaking that Hermes used on speaking to me has become extremely formal and even Layla would not talk to me, within her eyes was a reverence in which she has never looked at me before with.

Meanwhile, as I went back to what was actually happening in the reality and casted aside any of the lingering thoughts within my mine to focus on the events unfolding before my eyes.

"The Lady Alaric Elliot of the Dalcanorian Thirteen Noble Family Seats," Cocytus finally settled in with a subtle sigh then continued with, "successor of the Eirini and the Haefen."

Cocytus was raised and taken care of by Leigh himself. As far as I know, he was taken in by Leigh when he was young and has started showing a promising future as a Warrior. With ranks and official positions and titles, Cocytus has never been ignorant of it but he was not insecure about his lack of the usual standards of the pedigree of the people around him.

He was proud and that was because of his foster father and his skills. His prejudice was very well-deserved.

But I was not expecting the same with his biological family.

"My lady," Regulus Amitiel was the one who first greeted me, bowing his head slightly. His bow showed due respect, but it was stiff, and in his actions I could see that it was not something he was accustomed doing despite his relatively lower position as a mere keeper and caretaker of a Middle Ground. "We welcome you."

I nodded and reached out the back of my hand to him. He reached for my hand and kissed it briefly, not lingering but also just enough for his sincerity to be seen.

Cocytus' mother was wearing a serene smile towards me and I have the slightest of feeling that she must be understanding a great deal of this meeting base on how her eyes shifted from me and her son.

The second one who greeted me was the eldest Amitiel, Cocytus' biological father, Isaiah Amitiel. Then there was the headmistress whose eyes stayed staring at my face a second too long, the same was also true to the smiling woman, Amelia Amitiel while the boy, Cocytus' uncle and the youngest of the Amitiel siblings, also reached to my hand and gave it a kiss that was as light as a feather I almost did not felt it.

"Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Amitiel," I said and I tried to make my voice approachable and warm but based on Cocytus' slight shake of his head to me, I might have felt and made the whole family uncomfortable with the exception of the mild-tempered Amelia Amitiel. "As you know, I cannot go outside of the academy. It has been rather..." I said slowly, my eyes on Cocytus' coaching face, "blue," I said absentmindedly but then I realized that it was not appropriate and I changed the topic quickly. "Shall we all sit?"

Everyone was thankful for that change of the conversation's turn I made. It would really be awkward for everyone to ponder about my loneliness within the premises of the academy. Besides, I do not need to involve them.

We all sat down the circular table in the middle of the cottage, just past the fireplace that was still burning with cozy red flames. With that short walk between the door and the table, I got to observe the overall interior of the cottage. The stacked bricks were quite nice and there was a rustic style about the decorations. The sepia color of the lamps also gave a very comfortable atmosphere around us. Although the cottage's size was a snug fit for seven people, I think I could see why would the Amitiels want to hold the dinner here tonight.

In consideration of my situation, they would not be able to invite me in their most opulent mansion. Making me see that the invitation was made without any pretense would be better for their reputation in my eyes.

I anticipated that I would be facing some favor smooching people who wanted nothing but favor. What I was seeing, as I was observing the Amitiel family, was that they were very elegant and reserved.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" Cocytus asked me in a whisper as everyone was still settling down. "Makes you feel like part of the family. It's grandfather's idea." His eyes glided over to the patriarch, who was watching over the table as if he was some sort of an eagle.

His eyes caught ours and Cocytus swiftly looked away while I maintained my contact with him. With a tilt of my head, I smiled at him. He did the same, raising the glass of wine picked up by his side of the table and drank.

So it was his idea.

I looked around again. The platters of food have all already been laid down on the circular table and there were prepared plates and utensils already placed in front of each seat. There were no signs or traces of any servants, not even one to serve the wine or food. In the outside, this must have looked like a very intimate dinner gathering. Very informal and cozy, but every one of us knew that was not the real case. This was an official meeting between me and the Amitiel family's patriarch.

A meeting that would strengthen our relationship.

"Please help yourself," Amelia told me and reached for a platter to serve me some chicken. As it just happened, I was sandwiched between Amelia and Cocytus but just across from me was Regulus and the Headmistress Henrietta. "You are so very beautiful, please eat well, my lady," she said and I thanked her for her courtesy and just because she served me some food which was not really necessary.

The family started to eat with the topic on the table being the economics of both the country we were currently in and the Dalcanorian economy. It was very simple and innocent matters that I could not help but be in a daze.

Leigh basically sent me here, although I did said I would like to actually go, and I kept thinking that he said he wanted me to observe how they would interact to me.

But they all seemed to be normal and very much real.

"My lady, I hope you don't mind the humble way we prepared for this dinner," Isaiah Amitiel told me as we ate. Etiquette dictated that we should keep our mouths shut while eating, but since I have gathered that this was only an informal meeting with a very official agenda, I found out that we would be more loose on our manners.

I shook my head.

I was not certain how I would address each of them, but since they have already initiated to call me formally I guess I would need to address them as such. The Amitiel family does not belong to the nobility and the aristocracy so I do not need to call them with such stiffness in fear of making any offense to them. Not that I would want to make any offense to any of them of course.

"I thought it is actually charming," I said, trying to compliment them to ease the slight tension that I was feeling around us. I tried to smile, but felt as though it was rather awkward so I settled for a little one, just a tilt of the ends of my lips. "I would be uncomfortable were you engage me into a more..." I paused and thought of a word that would not offend them. "Formal," was the word that I settled in.

"I understand that this is your first time attending a potential official meeting?" Headmistress Henrietta asked. "This isn't, of course, that official but you probably know what I mean."

I guess that the arrogance in which the people from the Amitiel family have was inherently passed down with their genes. Even the way I was looked down by Isaiah when he asked me as though I should be anything but unsatisfied and ungrateful. Like being invited to this dinner was a great honor to me instead of me being the guest of honor.

There was a certain charm in that, I'd like to think of this that way. There were not overly arrogant, knowing that there was a due courtesy and politeness that my position required them to show to me.

"Yes, this is my first unofficial meeting with anyone since regaining my memories as an heir," I answered her.

"I hope you find this pleasant, my lady," Amelia said to me with a smile.

Though Cocytus have the only complexion within his family, it was evident that the same blood was running within their veins. It was not the case with Amelia Amitiel. I do not know if she was married by Isaiah Amitiel purely because of any political advantages.

But she was too pure and innocent looking to be part of this family.

Despite being taller than most of them, being I was taller than Henrietta, Regulus, and Cocytus' uncle, Acheron (who has the same theme as Cocytus' name which I found rather endearing), I always felt as though I was being looked down upon.

Then again, I would not really know if she was as pure as I thought she was so I erased all notion of assuming anything about Cocytus' birth mother.

"Thank you," I said warmly and fed myself with a spoonful of something on my plate.

"How is the food?" Regulus finally asked me, a very simple question which made my backbone rigid with anticipation.

"It tastes good," I responded.

"I heard that you'll be taking the position of your father as the grand duchess of the Elisnore city?" Isaiah asked yet again, very casual as though it was something we often talked about before though it was the first time we have ever talked.

Elisnore was the proper name of the city that the Elliot family was looking after, I later learned from Leigh, while Alrerk City was for the Alaric family.

It was actually the first time I have ever heard someone refer to the Elliot family name with the city it was governing, Elisnore.

Cocytus and I exchanged a brief glance wit each other. This was where it would begin, the official intricacies of being a step ahead of everyone. The mental games of politics. I know that I would not be good with this kind of thing, similar to Deo, I would like to have a simple and honest conversation without any underlying pretense and meanings.

Won't it be too much of a bother if everyone does not say what they actually mean?

"Not necessarily the Elliot Family Seat," I said coolly.

"The Alaric Family Seat then?" Headmistress Henrietta asked after her brother, supporting of the notion of her brother to continuously questioning me about my plans in the future. "The grand duchess of the Alrerk City?"

"I'm still thinking about it," I said vaguely, evading their maneuver to force me to divulge any useful information.

"Would this mean that the Lady Alaric Elliot plans to name a Family Seat after yourself?" The patriach of the family was quick to catch on.

I smiled at him, prolonging their anticipation until they break. Regulus Amitiel continued sitting on where he sat, composed. It was also the same with his children and only Amelia and the other boy were not interested with out conversation.

"That was not unheard of," I said vaguely again. I reahed for the glass beside my plate, skipping the wine of glass in front of me.

Though Leigh would let Cocytus and I drink some watered down wine, he would always warn us to drink in moderation. I would like to be clear headed when I talk to these people. Alcohol would only muddle the mind and I was afraid I would utter a word that would complicate and compromisw my position.

Cocytus and I exchanged another brief glance with one another.

I know they all noticed it and though that was merely an empty clue, I let them think what they wanted to think.