STALE
“HAVE A SEAT, Elder Sister.”
“Thank you, Stale.”
I pulled out a chair for her—a small gesture, but one that drew a cheer from the crowd. Uncle Vest, the Freesian seneschal, wore a smile tinged with nostalgia as he watched us.
I moved to my own seat and found Gilbert waiting for me. I carefully tucked away my scowl and took my seat when the prime minister pulled it out for me.
Gilbert had offered chairs to Father and Pride in the past, but he took on this role for me starting at the second Precognition Festival after my adoption. At the time, I’d refused to let Gilbert offer Pride her seat as a way of displaying my hatred of the prime minister. But I was also Pride’s steward. It made Pride and Tiara seem happy to see Gilbert offering me a chair without either of us snapping at each other.
✦ ✦ ✦
GILBERT
WITH STALE SEATED, I stepped gracefully to Albert’s side. I leaned in and, with a smile, whispered into his ear, “I’m pleased to see Princess Pride has overcome her nervousness this year.”
As prime minister, I kept my tone formal due to the public setting. Albert quietly agreed with me. He sighed, glancing at his wife, but the queen was as calm and composed as ever. It was hard to believe she was the same woman who, in the antechamber shared by the three of us alone, had been so anxious about her children.
“Do you think the three of them are nervous? Goodness, I’m so delighted to be dining with them!”
Food arrived for those of us at the royal family’s table. Unlike the dishes the guests enjoyed, this food had been checked for poison. All of this was quite ordinary for the royal family, though their guests found it an extraordinary sight—even those who were accustomed to being around the royals.
✦ ✦ ✦
ERIC
“PRINCESS PRIDE is so damn beautiful, isn’t she, Eric?”
“Please don’t speak that way, Captain Alan,” I chided him.
We’d taken over for Callum and Arthur. We kept our voices low, our lips hardly moving. Imperial knights got the best seat in the house, as we could observe Pride and the royal family up close.
I tensed at Alan’s remark, trying to hide my displeasure. This was a dignified event, and we needed to keep our nerves from showing. My warning about Alan’s manner of speech wasn’t very persuasive, but the royal family and the Freesian people were both watching us. They wouldn’t tolerate us goofing off.
Still, I understood all too well how such a comment could escape Alan’s mouth. After all, the princess was smiling beautifully in that purple dress of hers. Upon arriving for our shift change, both of us had blushed the second we laid eyes on her. It was like she stole our hearts anew every time she appeared in a different dress. No one could forget that she was a fully grown woman, far more mature and elegant than the eleven-year-old girl we once knew.
A mass of Freesian citizens surrounded the venue. Not only did they want to dine on the high-quality food, enjoy the expensive alcohol, and take in the performances, but the banquet was also their chance to commit the sight of their beloved royals to memory.
Some of our knights were trying to catch glimpses through gaps in the crowd. When I spotted some of them jumping to see over the others’ heads, I couldn’t keep my distaste from showing on my face. The tables and chairs were full, the spots to stand and eat were occupied, and even the separate lines for observers couldn’t accommodate any more people. Other knights passed by the throng on their own business, but I knew exactly who they were all trying to get a better look at.
Everyone watched as the royal family began their meal, eating carefully so as not to make so much as a clink with their utensils. Alan and I picked up on the eager voices bubbling out of the crowd.
“Seneschal Vest… His style never changes, no matter how many years I see him.”
“Princess Tiara is so pretty, isn’t she? She and Princess Pride look adorable when they’re side by side like that.”
“So that’s the Princess Pride everyone talks about?! She’s beautiful!”
“I’ve heard rumors of how she stole the hearts of many princes and noblemen. But what else would you expect? She has Queen Rosa’s blood, after all.”
“Prince Albert has such an intense look. I think it’s lovely.”
“Oh my gosh! Prince Stale just looked at me! His face is like a work of art. Aaaah, he’s so handsome!”
“I’ve seen Her Majesty at this festival for the past seventeen years, but her beauty never changes.”
Over the past decade, the Freesian people had only grown to love and support the royals even more. Ten years later, Princess Pride’s reputation was completely different from how it began.
Awash in the warm words of the guests surrounding them, the royal family enjoyed a peaceful banquet.