Chapter 8
Midwinter was always highly anticipated. Everyone wanted to get gifts, and go to the balls and the banquets… people shopped for months to prepare for Midwinter. That Midwinter was no different. On the first day, there was only a banquet. The king and queen decided too many balls were extravagant—and the queen hated them.
There were lots of tables set up in the dining hall. The royal table held Jonathan; Alanna; Eliena; Leo; Myles; Eleni; George; Rose; Thom; Thom's wife, Elizabeth, who was Raoul's cousin; Raoul; Thayet; Gary; Gary's wife, Cythera; Buri; Liam; Numair; and Daine. It was packed—the most packed as it ever been in recent memory. The pairs were obvious by who sat together: the king and queen beside each other at the head, Eliena and Leo to their right, Numair and Daine beside them, Buri and Liam next to them, with the row ended with Myles and Eleni. Gary and Cythera sat directly to the monarchs' left, with Thom and Elizabeth beside them, followed by George and Rose, and Thayet with Raoul sitting across from Myles and Eleni. Jonathan was closer to Eliena, while Alanna was near Gary.
Eliena was dressed finely in a silver-edged midnight blue dress. The dress had long sleeves leaving her shoulders and an appropriate amount of bosom bare, but the sleeves managed to show off her beautifully sculpted arms perfectly. There material fell away at the elbow, becoming a graceful bell that wasn't cumbersomely large. Her skirt was full—but not as wide as a ball gown. Her hair was pulled into a horsetail that draped over her shoulder in lovely curls. She wore a small silver crown on her head, with only her stone around her neck and small diamonds in her ears. She, of course, wore the ring George had given her. Leo, beside her, looked magnificent. His midnight blue hose matched Eliena's dress, and was topped by a shirt of the same color and a light blue tunic. His hair was perfectly combed and his eyes shone. The lovers held hands under the table as often as they could.
"Your Highness." A bowl to clean her fingers was offered. Eliena turned and nearly gasped.
"Neal?" she whispered. He looked up at her, green eyes wide. He hadn't been expecting her to address him. "What are you doing here? First years never serve the royal family!"
"The boy who was going to serve you spilled something on his shirt. So, here I am," Neal replied.
"Eli? Is there a problem?" Jonathan asked. His look plainly told her, "Deal with it." She tossed her head.
"No, of course not, father," she replied. She cleaned her fingers. "Thank you, Page Nealan." Alanna smiled proudly at her daughter. Eliena had much better control than she did.
When Neal returned to the kitchens, Kel stopped him. "So? How was it?" she asked.
"Don't ask," Neal muttered.
"She already did," Merric of Hollyrose informed him. Neal glared at her.
"Still mooning over the princess?" Faleron of King's Reach asked. "You know she's with that squire now."
"Leo," Neal supplied. "Squire Leonard of Pirate's Swoop."
"Yes, him," Faleron said. "I don't think you'd have a chance with her anymore."
"For your information, I'm not 'mooning'—as you so eloquently put it—over anyone, least of all Eliena of Conté," Neal told them haughtily.
"Sure," Kel remarked. "Of course you aren't pining for Eliena. That's why you stare at her every time she comes to help you. Of course that's not pining."
"Shut up," Neal snapped.
"Nealan of Queenscove, if you are going to serve the royal table, you must be prompt!" Master Upton Oakbridge, the master of ceremonies and the pages' etiquette teacher, scolded.
"Coming, Master Oakbridge," Neal called. "See? You're making me get in trouble!" he hissed to his friends. As Neal walked out, Kel turned to her year-mates.
"Something tells me this isn't going to be fun," she remarked.
"Here, here," they agreed.
Author's Note- aw, poor Neal. I feel bad for him. Eliena too, actually. Ah well. REVIEW.