HOUSE OF SILVER: THREE
In the capital, there was a string of festive lights. Fireworks flew high above the city, then rained down like shooting stars.
On the streets bright faced children scurried around, laughing and shoving each other with hands full of sweets.
They mirrored the excitement of the men and women sitting at different ends, looking into jewelry stores with the shadow of a lover in mind.
In the palace halls, a banquet was in full swing. Tables upon tables of food and wine and men and women in bright colored fabrics. Maids and servants scurrying around to attend to the need of each guest.
The king sat at the head of it all. He cleared his throat and raised a golden cup filled with liquor, "to Aspyn Silver, my nephew and his bride, princess Charlotte. By this marriage we seal the union of the old house to the new. The Silver's to the Harrington's!"
A loud uproar seized the hall. Then an applause. Amidst this all, no one said what they actually thought. Where was the bride and the groom?
How could they, for the life of Eldard, be absent from their own wedding banquet?
It could only mean two things, they speculated. Either they were a couple eagerly in love with each other... Or there was, indeed, already trouble in paradise.
But matters such as these were best kept to the heart and only spilled in secret before family members and close friends... Who knew what could happen with this creatures?
The king leaned to his right and whispered to his brother, "where on Earth is your son, Gilbert? Would he desert even his own marriage ceremony?"
"Forgive me, my Lord," Gilbert Silver responded, "am certain he was only here a moment ago."
"Does he not know the significance of this marriage? Would he rather the kingdom be thrown into chaos once more?"
"You know how it is with young people who are newly married–"
The king leaned back and downed the wine from his cup completely, "there is a chance that he may be my heir one day, but how am I to trust him if he keeps acting this way?"
Gilbert swallowed to keep the fury tingling in his chest. But the moment he parted his lips to speak, a servant approached them.
"Your highness," he bowed to the king, "there's an issue with the princess on the upper balcony."
When the men seemed unmoved, he added, "it's a matter of urgency as she's threatened to jump to her death in the face of prince Aspyn."
"What is going on Gilbert?" The king sounded alarmed.
"She wouldn't do that, my Lord" he replied, "she's just creating a fuss... She has been a lover of attention for so long she's forgotten where her status now lies."
"I don't care where her status or position may currently lie, so go to her at once. This marriage was your idea from the start to feed whatever fantasy your son habored, so do whatever you have to, to make it work, I refuse to have another social scandal for his sake!"
