Raguna
The air was filled with excitement when the maid who had delivered the letter led me to the ballroom. There were about a dozen people present, all chatting in small groups or pouring themselves drinks from colorful bottles. I noticed that more than some had blue-toned hair, which led me to believe that these were the cousins that were mentioned in the letter.
Immediately, Bianca rushed to me. "Welcome, Mister Raguna. It is a pleasure to have you here!" She grinned uncharacteristically and handed me a glass filled with a deep red liquid. Against my better judgment, I downed it in one and got another; my head was still pounding from the other wine I had drunk.
"'Tis a pleasure to be invited," I returned, smiling. Then she led me to a man and woman, both with bluish hair. She wore a lacy white dress and he wore a tuxedo. I felt very under-dressed all of a sudden, considering that I was still wearing the clothes I had arrived in. But then I reminded myself that I had no other clothes, so I didn't feel so bad. It's not my fault! I thought.
"Raguna," Bianca was saying. "These are my cousins, Rosalind and Max, from Alvarna."
"Nice to meet you," all three of us said, exchanging handshakes, bows and curtsies. Then I met the mayor and his daughter, both of whom seemed quiet, but who welcomed me all the same.
"It was nice to meet you," I said, and then followed Bianca to a long table along one side of a wall. It was filled with all kinds of foods, from meats to cheese to wine. Jasper de Saint-Coquille was busily piling all kinds of delicacies onto his already overflowing plate, and didn't seem to notice as we walked up. I suspected that this was not the first serving he had eaten, as the buttons on his shirt seemed fit to burst more than usual. Bianca turned a light shade of pink and smiled.
"I apologize," she stated. "He takes being a gastronomist very seriously. At times, it get a bit...embarassing." I waved aside his rotund shape.
"Never mind about him." I said. "I see some pudding over there that I'm very interested in."hen I served my self a bowl, grabbed another drink, and the rest is history.