Speria Island

Chapter 7: Dinner Is Served

The guest had begun to gather in the lavishly designed dining room. The high back black chairs were fitting for Kings and Queens to sit upon. The Italian mahogany dining table was long and oval-shaped with a tiger's head carved into each one of the large round table legs. 

Six chairs sat along both sides of the nearly twelve-foot-long table and two chairs sat at the heads of the table, one was missing a place setting and in its place was a big, black onyx colored box with a foreign crest that consisted of one main shield that was made up of five smaller shields with a crown designed around the main shield. The main design of the Crest was a checkerboard design that consisted of thirteen red and twelve silver squares.

Fine, Flora Danica China, Queen Elizabeth sterling silver utensils, and crystal goblets were placed neatly on the table. Burning white candles stood in crystal votives up and down the center of the table while a fire burned in the fireplace giving the already cozy room a nice warm feeling.

Sari and Bailey entered the dining room together with their conversation cut short by the grandeur of the room. Sari stopped and studied the lone box.

"I think I'm underdressed," Bailey said, as she scanned her camouflage clothing and compared it to Sari's brown dress pants and button-up white dress shirt.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it." Sari encouraged. "I think you look fine." She smiled.

"Thanks," Bailey said as the black onyx box drew her attention.

"Interesting Crest." Sari acknowledged.

"It's weird," Bailey asked.

"What is?" Sari inquired.

"This crest, and so many other things in this house, seem very familiar to me." She said as she slid her hand slowly over the crest.

"I've never seen it before, it looks foreign." Sari examined the crest briefly before moving around the table to find her seat.

Kathan entered the room stopping to give the mysterious box a quick look.

"I'm so glad that I am not the only one who didn't dress up," Bailey said, relieved that Kathan was still wearing the clothes that he had on when he arrived on the island.

"Yeah, I'm not doing that. These clothes are fine. Your clothes are fine, don't worry about it." He encouraged, before looking at the box again. "I've seen this crest throughout the entire house. It must be 'a thing'." He added, throwing up air quotations, as he walked around the table until he found his seat.

Sari found her seat across from a casually dressed Justen as Bailey took her seat in between Kathan and Chiboy, who dropped the overly laid-back look in favor of traditional African apparel, a multi-pattern, yet earth tone dashiki and matching kufi hat.

Katana entered and suddenly felt overdressed in her little black dress and heels. She sat quietly down at the end of the table beside Gio and across from Jahnel, who also had not changed her clothing. This caused her to contemplate returning to her room to put on something a little more casual.

"I think I am overdressed." She whispered to Gio.

"I think you look great. Look at me, I am wearing a suit coat over khakis." He chuckled, causing a smile to spread across her face. "And look," He pointed at Justen. "He has on a suit coat with jeans. I think it's safe to say that nobody got the memo on what to wear."

Dorian sauntered in wearing a short, black, lace-paneled, sleeveless cocktail dress and quickly found her seat beside Sari.

"See, now you're not the only one." Gio joked.