The Hathway Kingdom. (Book 1)

Chapter Seven.

~Seven. ~

The banquet hall was packed by the time that Larissa and her uncle entered it. Larissa was stunned by the sheer number of royals, nobles and servants that were in the room, it was almost suffocating. She looked around with slightly wide eyes before she felt Elissa poke her in her side and she quickly composed herself as her uncle began to walk around the room with her.

As he walked about the room with her, greeting the royals and nobles, Larissa sighed and felt herself slowly getting bored. She looked away after she greeted an overly enthusiastic and friendly woman, fighting back a yawn as she looked towards the doors of the banquet hall as she saw a figure entering the room. She recognised the figure as one of the men from the rose garden and she frowned slightly as she watched them.

She watched them carefully, waving a servant away as they offered her some finger food appetizers that had been made up for the guests to tide them over until the main meal. She frowned as she looked at them and she let go of her uncle's arm as he spoke animatedly to the person in front of them. She watched the person before her for a moment before the head of the servants cleared his throat and tapped on a glass to get everyone's attention, causing the room to fall silent in an instant.

"Attention everyone! Your Majesties, Your Highnesses. Please welcome, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Romulus Falconer!" he said before she stepped aside, and someone stepped into the view of everyone in the room.

A male dressed in what looked like a brown velvet outfit stood in the doorway. His jacket was embroidered with gold bullion along the front closure, heavily embroidered in a gold swirl design at the base of the sleeves and the bottom of the front hem areas. A long pointed collar and caplet feature at the top of the sleeve, a pair of flat front pants with stirrups, a three-and-a-half wide heavily embroidered belt, a long cap with gold beaded Trompe l'oeil pin on the chest and gold lame brocade lining. A pair of long, brown thigh high leather boots were worn on his feet and the final piece of his outfit was the Imperial crown.

Made of gold in the frame with four crossed, four fleurs-de-lis and two crossing arches. At the top of the arches was a cross pattee with diamonds, pearls, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies decorating it, shining when the light caught them the right way.

Larissa, her uncle, and everyone else in the banquet hall all bowed and curtseyed to the Emperor as he came into the room.

"Greetings to you, Your Imperial Majesty!" they all said in unison, their heads still lowered as they all remained in their bows and curtseys.

"And to you all. Please, rise," he said to them and they all stood back up. "Now, I will greet you all properly and speak with you all individually once we have had our meals. For now, will you all please join me at the table for our meal," the Emperor said before he gestured for everyone to follow him into the banquet hall.

As he walked past each of the royals and nobles, they bowed and curtseyed to him again. As he neared Larissa and her uncle, he came to a stop and turned to face them. Both she and her uncle quickly ducked into low bows.

"King Julian. Would you be so kind as to introduce me to the lady you are escorting?" he asked as he gestured for both to stand up again. Julian glanced at Larissa for a moment, who then gave him a confused look but nodded her head, before he spoke up, replying to the Emperor.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. This is my niece, Her Royal Highness, Princess Larissa Hathway. The heir to our kingdom," he replied as he introduced Larissa. The Emperor turned to look at Larissa now and she ducked into a deep curtsey.