Hi guys!
First, thanks to @cn3433 for the fan art on the side:)
Next, I'm happy to say I'm regularly number 1 (or at least on the top) in the Fantasy and Adventure categories (a few days after I've updated) and I want to thank all of you for that. It's really encouraging and I wouldn't be that far without you:)
Hope you have a good week!
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Chapter 16
Since I actually had no idea where we were going, I soon let Chase take the lead again. He stopped in front of an ornamented wooden door. I could hear lots of noise coming from the other side, along with the incessant chatter of a crowd of people.
My hands got clammy and I wiped them discreetly on the skirt of my dress. Chase's gaze followed my hands.
"Nervous?"
I nodded.
"Don't be, you have no reason to. Remember when you were nervous about meeting your grandfather? Well it turned out fine, and he already loves you. Everyone else will too, I know it."
I nodded feebly, "All right."
"You'll be sitting next to the king, okay?"
"Okay. Who else?"
Chase frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Well, unless you seclude the king and make him sit all by himself, then I think I'll be sitting next to other people, no?"
"Oh, yeah, right. Um, actually, I didn't think of asking about that..."
"Well, who usually sits next to the king?"
"His advisor, sometimes some governors of other cities, or high-ranking officials, and people like that."
Well, that was reassuring. I grimaced.
"Don't make that face, Hailey." Chase chided me. "Oh, and Aiden told me to tell you that if there was a problem, just pretend to faint and he'll rush to your rescue and get you out of there."
I laughed, and the prospect of the banquet suddenly didn't seem as bad as before.
"Well, thank him for that, I'll be sure to keep it in mind."
Chase smiled. "It'll go just fine, though, so there'll be no need."
"Right."
He put his hand on the door handle.
"Just go sit on the empty chair next to the king, and keep a smile on your face."
I swallowed and nodded.
Chase opened the door, and a mix of noises and an array of smells assaulted my senses.
"You're not coming with me?"
Chase shook his head.
"Sorry, I've got to go sit with the others."
I nodded, took a deep breath, and I stepped in.
The room was huge. The ceiling was held up by wide arches, and large windows let through the last rays of sunlight. In front of me was a small table -at least, it seemed small compared to the rest of the room- that oversaw the whole room. From there, two long tables stretched out the length of the room. People were crowded around them, talking among themselves or greeting newcomers. A feeling of panic rose through me, but I crushed it instantly.
Recalling Ellie's long lessons, I held my head high, straightened my back, and stepped slowly to the empty chair that was waiting for me, to the left of my grandfather. The king, who was seated in a large chair of carved dark wood with a back that looked like two great wings, rose up when he saw me to pull my chair out for me.
I smiled timidly in thanks, and he put his hand on my shoulder comfortingly. His eyes were warm, and I thought I saw a glimmer of pride in them as well.
As people took note of my presence, the room quieted a bit and I received some curious glances. I sat down self-consciously, smoothing the skirt of my dress, and spotted Autumn in the sea of people.
She was seated on one of the many wooden benches that lined the room, next to a young boy who was stuffing his mouth with bread. When she caught my gaze, she smiled encouragingly. I mustered a nervous smile in answer. She mouthed something, but I was too far to understand. Then, the little boy next to her tugged on her sleeve, getting her attention, and she turned to him, ruffling his hair and engaging in a conversation.
I let my gaze travel over the throng of strangers and caught sight of Aiden. He was talking animately to a group of friends, using many hand gestures, and they were all laughing and shaking their heads at him. He turned to see me looking at him and gave me a toothy grin and two thumbs up. I grimaced, and he put the back of his hand to his forehead, falling backwards in a pretend fainting spell. A giggle escaped my lips, and Aiden's friends looked back and forth between us with confused expressions and started talking all at once, presumably asking him questions.
I directed my gaze towards the big doors at the opposite end of the room. They were wide open and led directly outside, onto a wide set of stairs and a terrace. It seemed everyone was already inside though, even if some people were still standing near the doors talking to each others.
Chase was standing there, too, looking towards me. He smiled, and pointed at his upturned lips. I felt a genuine smile settle upon my own lips, and he nodded, as if to tell me I would be fine. And I knew he was right. After all, it was just a banquet, and if some of these people didn't like me, well I wasn't going to waste any tears on them. I mean, I had only been here a day, and I already had three amazing friends and a grandfather, who, it might be worth to mention, was nothing less than the king of this whole place.
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So I know this is pretty short, but I didn't have much time to write lately and this seemed like a good place to end. Hopefully you enjoyed it all the same even if not much happened.
EDIT: end of the chapter, people, not the story...