The Raven's Source

Chapter 29 - Holiday Gala

The carriage was small enough to fit down the streets to the City Hall and it came to a stop right in front of the main doors. Not too many people had shown up yet but Cerno preferred to arrive early and make a later, more quiet entrance from the back of the room instead of from the Grand Foyer like everyone else.

As they entered the main hall after leaving their jackets at the coat check, Sheja and Leena gasped at how huge the room was inside. There was a grand staircase that lead down to the main floor, large round tables scattered down the sides of the hall and tables full of food lined the back. Shej noticed a large mezzanine along the back of the room above the banquet tables and the table setting seemed to be a special arrangement to face forward and observe the crowds below. An orchestra was setting up on a stage at the front of the hall, the stage having two huge Christmas trees with stacks of presented underneath on either side. Every table and wall was decorated to celebrate the night and Shej squeezed Leena's hand a little tighter, excitement actually building in her chest.

Cerno lead them to a set of guarded stairs at the side of the banquet tables, the stairs leading up to the mezzanine where the special table was set.

"We dine up here," he said with a smile.

"It's a wonderful view of everything from up here," Ily commented.

"And we get the smell of all the food," Twyn added, his stomach already growling.

"All of our food will be delivered straight from the kitchen," Cerno advised. "It will not be given the chance for anyone to poison Sheja."

"I thought you said she was going to be fine?" Leena asked.

"The Seer's vision implies that, yes," he answered as he sat in the most center of the table, Rosalie taking the seat to his right. "I refuse to entertain the opportunity for someone to screw that up."

"Umm, Cerno?" Leena started, looking around as she bit her lip and laid one hand low on her stomach. She looked a little uncomfortable all of a sudden. As Cerno looked up at her, she furrowed her brow a bit. "Where is the ladies room? A baby thinks my bladder is a punching bag."

He smiled. "There are some in the main hall where we came in, but for us specifically, we'll use the ones by the kitchens. Right behind the banquet area downstairs, you'll see a guarded hallway that leads towards the kitchens. Just past that are our bathrooms."

"Thank you," she said, taking Sheja's hand and leading the way.

"Just don't go through the door past the bathrooms. It leads outside and you won't be able to get back in until someone opens the door for you."

"Got it." Just as her and Sheja started down the stairs, she felt a force pinning her to her place. She groaned with the sensation of having bumped into an invisible wall. "Sheja?" she asked, closing her eyes as she let her spouse fix the issue.

"Oh, crap. Sorry," Shej said as she came back up to the table and leaned over Rose's shoulder. "Could I ask you to accompany us?"

"Huh? Sure. What's up?" Rose asked.

"Leena made a pact with me yesterday and it makes it to where she can't be very far from you or my brother at any given time during the Gala."

"Oh. You should have said something," Rose chuckled, getting to her feet and walking with them to the restroom without hesitation.

"Slipped my mind with everything that was going on," Shej said.

The three ladies walked together to the restroom, the guards at the entrance to the hallway smiling and giving a polite bow to them. Sheja stopped as she looked down the hall.