A Country Falls (Greatest Thief 3)

Chapter Forty

After the ceremony, there was the party. Tables in the castle's main ballroom were covered in some of the fanciest meals I had ever seen. Roasted chickens and geese, pork and beef. Countless loaves of fresh bread. Bowls of stewed or roasted vegetables and potatoes. An entire table dedicated to seafood—huge fish and many strange animals I didn't recognize. Another table held bowls of fruit, cakes and pies. Many of the guests hovered around the tables, putting food onto the little plates they all carried. Servants rushed around constantly, taking dirty dishes from guests, or more often, from the corners of tables where they had piled up.

A band was playing music, and in the middle of the room the guests were dancing. When they weren't dancing or eating, they stood in smaller groups talking. Jalor and Mayah made their way through the crowds, arm in arm, making sure to talk to as many of the guests as possible. Tandrin and the Queen were doing the same. Tannix was obviously trying to cross the room to get to me and Acen, but he kept being stalled.

Acen and I watched as he worked his way closer. Acen was the only knight really guarding Tannix, everyone else had been dismissed to enjoy the party.

When Tannix finally reached us, he looked relieved. "I was hoping Tandrin would soak up most of this attention," he said lightly. "He used to, whenever we had to attend parties like this. I guess I overlooked the fact that he'd be getting attention as the king this time."

"But he isn't really the king yet, is he?" I asked. "So does he even have the authority to do ceremonies like this?"

Tannix's gaze flickered towards his brother. "It's slightly more complicated than that. He's been Acting King since the war was declared. In any other circumstances he would have been properly crowned ages ago. Part of the reason he did this ceremony was to help legitimize him. Esmeranda insisted he do most of the speaking. This way, if any of the older advisors and nobles who dislike him try to claim something he does is illegitimate, it would also mean Mayah's wedding is illegitimate. Or even Valkiros' crowning. And nobody, no matter how much they dislike Tandrin, would want to discredit either ceremony." He shrugged. "There's a reason I hate politics. Now, Finn, if you could—"

He was interrupted as someone came up behind him and grabbed his hand. "Tannix, you have to come dance with me." Tairia didn't bother with a regular greeting. Up close, her identity didn't stump me the way it had in the church. Her long blue dress, fancy braided hair and jewellery made her look older and very elegant. But up close, she was still Tannix's little sister. Her smile and bright blue eyes made that obvious.

Tannix pulled her into a hug. "I didn't know you were coming!"

"I wasn't. I think mother really didn't like the idea of all three of us being away from home at once. Not that I blame her," Tairia said. "It was really hard waiting for news. But I promised her I'd sail home tomorrow morning, so she let me attend."

"I thought I saw my little sister!" Tandrin joined us dramatically, sweeping Tairia into another hug. He had somehow done the impossible—escaped the crowds of people trying to get a moment of his time. When he put Tairia down, he picked up her hand and raised it to his lips. "My very grown-up little sister."

"Stop," Tairia giggled, pulling her hand from his. "I'm angry at you. You didn't tell me and mother that Esmeranda was expecting twins!"

"I didn't know," Tandrin protested, grinning. "Besides, you can't be angry at me. I'm the king."

"You were my annoying brother before you were king," Tairia pointed out. She whirled to face Tannix again. "Like I said, you need to come dance with me. Because every even remotely eligible woman at this party is going to ask you to dance, and then you won't have time for me. So, you're dancing with me, first."