The Royal Brigade

Chapter 40: First And Last Dance

Evanity's POV

As soon as my coronation ended we immediately proceeded to the Great Hall where the Royal Banquet took place.

A long table was set up for the royalists and I sat in between Tarah and Solaire facing Avery across from the table while my mother and Liren took their places at the head of the table.

"I propose a toast to the reigning Learnah Twyla and the newly crowned Davian of Airy, Evanity!" Liren cried out standing up and raising his wine glass in the air.

All of us did the same thing and when we sat down once again we began to eat. Conversation easily flowed around the table and I found myself laughing at the hilarious jokes that Haiden was telling us.

"And there was one time when Sol and I were wandering around the forest," Haiden said with a mischievous glimmer in his almond shaped hazel eyes. "A sudden howling sound came out of nowhere and the bushes in front of us started to shake. Sol ran to my side screaming hysterically because she thought that there were wolves nearby. It turns out that the howling sound was just made by the wind and behind those bushes was a cute little bunny."

Laughter erupted around the table and Solaire's cheeks flamed red with embarrassment. She shot daggers at her brother and aimed a kick on his legs under the table.

"Ow!" Haiden complained and scowled at her. "You're so abusive."

"Stop embarrassing me!" She hissed back at him.

Before their small argument could grow into something much bigger, I clapped my hands together to gain the everyone's attention around the table.

"Sol, who was the guy whom you kissed in the gardens awhile ago?" I asked her changing the topic.

She averted her gaze from the rest of us and focused her attention on the empty plate in front of her. She was silent for a few moment before she finally said, "He's Arron."

Haiden seemed to regained his overprotective brother mode on his sister because he asked her looking annoyed, "And who is he in your life? You've never mentioned him before."

"We just met back in the forest in Enthrall," Solaire replied sounding defensive. "And we're just friends."

"I don't trust him," he told her his gaze hardening as he glared at her. "Stay away from him."

"It's none of your business who I make friends with," his sister retorted looking pissed off. "I-"

"Enough!" A hand suddenly slammed down on the table making the plates of food and utensils jumped slightly in the air. "Stop arguing you two," my mother said frowning at the twins. "You're ruining the peaceful atmosphere of this ceremony."

"I'm really sorry, Your Highness," the twins said apologetically at the same time. Then they looked at each other in astonishment and bursted out in laughter.

Learnah Twyla smiled at both of them and then signalled the musicians in the far corner of the room to play some music. All at once, music filled the entire room and everyone stopped their conversations as they listened to the melodious harmony that the musicians were playing.

One by one, couples started standing up and dancing in the middle of the room. An unfamiliar Airan approached my mother and - to my utmost surprise - asked her to dance. My mother nodded and smiled at him and allowed him to whisk her away to the dance floor.

"Do you know him?" Tarah asked me staring after the two of them who were beginning to dance along with the others.

"No," I answered looking at my mother and the Airan in confusion. Then I saw my mother smiling happily at the man whom she was dancing with and suddenly it didn't matter who that man was. What's important was that she was finally recovering after my father's death.