ASTURIAN ISLAND
19.02.8462 - 7:00 PM
With only an hour to go before the party started, Nair had already left her helpers on their own and retired to rest. Some tables were just being set and covered with beautiful gilded tablecloths embroidered with gold thread. Huge fruit baskets were arranged like a painting, here and there between the Ballroom, the Dining Room, and the Games Room. In addition to the fruit tables, there were also meters and meters of bread tables with whole pigs on them, and in some cases, poultry meat. The helpers organized four long tables in the Dining Room, each featuring 58 chairs, all of which were carefully set up with an assortment of gilded crockery and cutlery. The lights were all intensified, and candles were placed in chandeliers and lamps scattered throughout the rooms that would host the party.
The Music Hall was the only one not filled with food tables. The stage, which in addition to its usual organ with its pipes that grew along the walls of the room, had been equipped with one of the manor's grand pianos, in addition to a green harpsichord carved entirely with rococo, a series of black chairs and other larger instruments such as a harp, two double basses, two cellos and other percussion instruments in the back. In front of the stage, more than two hundred chairs were arranged. The organization's plan was for the chairs to be removed soon after the performance of the small orchestra. At that time, the Music Hall would be transformed into a kind of nightclub, with loud music and lots of alcoholic drinks.
Eight o'clock was when all the guests started to arrive, entering through the high double doors of the Ballroom. In a few minutes, all the guests were already inside the Asturian Manor's Ballroom. Although there were two hundred and twenty guests, the group did not occupy the entire Hall, which remained largely empty. The hosts guided the guests to the tables with bread and fruit and instructed them to help themselves. Some waiters circulated through the public, serving sparkling wine in vintage crystal glasses with gold details. All the guests were in formal dress, and everyone's attention was taken when they noticed someone coming down the stairs. The excitement was soon cut off when they saw that the group descending the staircase did not contain Richard, just a few lower government officials and the Chief of Economy.
Mila was wearing a tight black dress so long that it completely covered her plain black heels, with a neckline that went almost to her navel. That night, her black hair was arranged to the side, with a short fringe covering part of her face. She had made curls with her hair and included a longer extension. She had also called for extreme makeup in black and navy blue shades, which further enhanced her eyes. Mário wore a dark blue suit with a peaked lapel and well-cut. His hair was all shiny, slicked back with an immense amount of gel. He walked down the steps arm in arm with Scarlet, wearing a pearl-colored dress embroidered with gold accents. Her blond hair was pulled back into a herringbone braid that went down from her left shoulder to the front of her body. Unlike Mila, Scarlet wore some jewelry, and her whole body seemed to glow, while Mila's was pure shadow.
"Damn steps," Mila said, holding on to the railing to avoid falling if she tripped over the long dress.
"Nobody told you to choose Morticia Addams dress," Commented Marta.
Unlike her daughter and daughter-in-law, Marta wore a gray skirt and white shirt, with the last buttons open showing part of the cleavage. She wore only her usual gold necklace with two dangling dolls: representing Mila and Mário. Her tone was totally neutral.
"At least I didn't come dressed for work," said Mila. "You sure could use these occasions to get fancy and find someone to make out."
"Oh, I'm comfortable like this," said Marta. "And if I want to make out with someone, I doubt they deny me just for the clothes. Isn't that right, Nair?"
"Sure!" Said Nair.
The lady wore a black skirt and dark tights, with a small black loafer shoe with a silver turtle brooch. A brooch identical to her loafer shoes was also pinned to her black shirt.
"Was Mila who chose your clothes, mother-in-law?" Asked Mário.
"No, it was actually Vaughan."
Everyone laughed as they reached the ground floor and passed through the guests heading towards the nearest table with a golden pig in the center, surrounded by several small loaves of bread. Vaughan, for that occasion, had left the black aside and wore a red suit, all embroidered with wine accents. He wore a black shirt buttoned to the collar but no tie. His hair was completely down and flowing to the front of his shoulders. The sunglasses made up the final look.
"I'm glad you're fine," Continued Mário. "Van is looking like those rockers with awful taste."
"Thanks!" Said Vaughan. "It's the face of a tired and sloppy rocker."
"And Lélia, where is she?" Marta asked.
"She's upstairs. She needed to go to Richard's room before," Nair replied.
"Oh, I see," Marta spoke in a suspicious tone.
"There they are," said Mário.
At this moment, the whole room started to clap as Richard and Lélia descended the flight of stairs to the central landing. Everyone's jaw dropped when they noticed that Richard and Lélia, still rosy-cheeked beside the regent, were holding hands. Lélia was dressed very simply, in long pale pantaloons, a shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a tall clog. Her wavy hair remained without any special hairstyle, and she smiled nervously at the audience of guests who watched them.
"Good evening," Richard said in a vibrant tone. "My dear guests, thank you very much for coming to the Asturian Manor today," Richard looked at the faces of the guests, mostly government employees. "Today, we celebrate three hundred and thirty-three years of independence. We will have three full days of parties on the continent, with a wonderful program, which is already happening. So, I thank all of you who left off today's wonderful schedule to come here. You are the foundation that helps to build and maintain our dear Asturias. As a foreigner, I can say that the people of Asturias very well received me, and today, I am more part of Ástur and Asturias than Saint James and the Angels Land. Today we will have a short presentation. We will have the pleasure of watching part of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Vindobona. They accepted my invitation and will delight our ears interpreting the song Astúrias, followed by Mourão, by César Guerra–Peixe and Clóvis Pereira and ending with Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2. Für die Musiker von Filarmonica, bitte, kommen Sie in die Mitte des Saals. Everyone! A round of applause to these wonderful musicians."
Richard let go of Lélia's hand and opened his arms to the audience below. A few people moved to the center of the room and made little bows to the received applause.
" Vielen Dank für Ihre Verfügbarkeit," Richard said to the musicians. "Well, I would like to take this party time to announce an important event in my personal life, which should be made public," Richard cleared his throat. "I would like to inform everyone that Lélia Mota and I are in a relationship."
"Uhaul," Mila's scream echoed throughout the hall, which soon followed the girl's joy in 'cheers' and 'congratulations.'
"Amazing!" Said Mário.
"I would never imagine," said Scarlet.
"I already imagined," Commented Vaughan.
"Well, after this officialization, I would like to invite everyone to eat some of those fabulous treats prepared especially for you, and then we can go to the Music Hall," Richard said, indicating the door on his left.
Richard and Lélia descended the steps to the Ballroom and were greeted by various guests, taking longer than they imagined to finally reach their little group.
"Congratulations!" Mila shouted with her mouth full of food and holding a glass filled with sparkling wine with the other. She hugged Lélia dropping some of the drink on the floor.
"Thanks," Lélia said awkwardly, hugging the others. "How are you? Enjoying the party Nair threw?"
"Loving it," Scarlet said.
"Me too," Mila agreed, finishing swallowing a piece of ham. "But feeling a little bad, we're here having fun while Fernand is in jail."
"Yeah, me too," Lélia said, looking down. She had received the information from Nikolas that Charlotte had accepted the agreement to keep the rescue secret and had decided not to give the good news to the others, not even to Richard. "Look, Anna is over there!"
"Hello, people!" Said Anna approaching the group. "Beautiful party," Anna looked up at the mezzanines of the Ballroom, all decorated with gold ribbons. "And Lélia, Richard, my dear friends, Congratulations! You can't imagine how happy I am," Anna hugged them both at the same time.
"Thank you, Anna! I am also thrilled," Lélia smiled genuinely.
"So am I," Richard spoke, pulling Lélia close to him. "Everything seems like a dream."
"I can imagine," said Anna.
"Well, let's go to the Music Room?" Richard questioned, indicating the door that connected to the room mentioned.