Dragon Rising

Chapter 4 - The Ball

The ballroom felt completely different than it had before. While the decorations were still similar, the amount of people in the room was staggering. Roshaun was caught completely off guard by the crowd that gathered before him. He was announced by the herald upon his arrival and everyone turned their attention to him and erupted in voluminous applause. Roshaun felt his cheeks flush and quickly made his way to his place at the table next to Jalia. More people were heralded in as the hours continued. Eventually, the only people who were left to enter were the heads of each family and the king himself. When it was time for the ball to officially start, a procession of the families began.

Mordecai, the steward of Sylvinor, started the progression. The man was dressed in a simple blue tunic, he had a lean physique and carried himself with confidence. The next set of people to walk were announced as Duke Greigor and his wife Roxanna.

"Those are Chrono's parents," Jalia said quietly leaning over to Roshaun.

"That explains a lot," Roshaun whispered back which elicited a small laugh from Jalia.

Greigor was a monster of a man; easily a head taller than even Chrono. His long hair and wirey beard were splattered with streaks of white and braided neatly. His wife, who was dwarfed by her husband, was a somewhat plump woman with a rosy demeanor; her cheeks wrinkled with her smile. Their sons also entered along with their parents: Rurick, Bornick, and Broll.

Next was the Duke Harold and his wife Anne. Roshaun was informed that these were Sharon's parents. The duke and his wife were both petite and carried themselves with a reserved regality. Harold's hair was short and stark white while his wife's was golden and cascaded gently down to her shoulders. Roshaun could tell that Sharon got most of her looks from her mother.

Finally, King Loin was announced and everyone stood as he entered the room. He smiled and greeted various nobles on his way to the table where the other families were situated. Everyone remained standing until the king finally seated himself.

"My friends," he said, "I'm sure you are all aware of what we celebrate tonight." The crowd roared in applause again and Roshaun did his best not to look anyone in the eye. The king quieted them down before continuing, "We celebrate Roshaun, the Sylvinor heir, being found. The four can once again be one. So eat, my friends! Eat, drink, dance, and be merry. Today we rejoice in the providence of the gods!" Another cheer bubbled out of the crowd as the servants began to bring out the food for the guests.

The meal was full of various meats, vegetables, cheeses, and breads that were all passed around and served where requested. Roshaun's apprehensions about the evening began to subside as everyone settled down to eat. Jalia even shared about the time she accidentally set the hem of Chrono's pants on fire when she was younger. This, of course, elicited raucous laughter from Chrono and his family as they began taking turns imitating the faces Chrono made when he realized what had happened.

"They are a lively bunch aren't they?" Roshaun asked Jalia who only nodded in response.

"You should see them with the rest of the family," Sharon laughed, "There is no stopping them when they get like this."

After the meal was finished and there had been time for the guests' food to settle, the time for dancing began. As the first musical number began to play, Chrono and Sharon rose from their seats and made way to the center of the room and danced. Jalia grabbed Roshaun's hand and pulled the hesitant young man out with her and began the dance with him alongside their friends.