It started as a splendid dinner party with friends: Elincia, Geoffrey, Bastian, Renning, a few other close friends, and I. Just a small gathering to celebrate our safe return to Crimea; additionally, a last bit of leisure time for Elincia. Tomorrow, she would resume her duties as Queen and I would continue to serve as one of her retainers. It was also time to catch up with each other; some of our party had not been involved in this most recent conflict between laguz and beorc and Ashera.
Suddenly, one of our guests at my Uncle's end of the table, a nobleman from Port Toha, inquired into the reappearance of Lord Ike and the Greil Mercenaries at the start of the conflict. Clink. My knife cut into the pork loin and against the plate with more force than necessary. I could feel the heat of concerned stares from my closest friends. I nodded to Bastian, who sat across from the inquirer. At my end of the table, Elincia gracefully attempted to change the topic of conversation. However, the curiosity of the inquirer was a fire, thirsty for knowledge.
As its searing flames began to singe my neck, I hastily swallowed a glass of water, but to no avail: the conversation was spreading across the entire table. Our party was small; our table was small. To maintain two conversations was, unfortunately, an impossible feat. I looked up from my empty glass of water, eager to find the pitcher necessary to refill it. Before I saw the pitcher, my eyes drowned in two pools of blue, telling me that it was alright to leave the table. They would put out the fire. Discreetly, I rose from my seat and slipped away, anxiously removing my necklace as I left the room.
