𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 || 𝕂𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕥𝕠 𝔸𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕠

22. Dinner, With A Chance Of Drunkenness

The clinking sounds of silverware chimed throughout the dining hall, disrupting an otherwise empty silence. The stars outside the window twinkled in the deep indigo sky, free to dance as they wished. They mocked Kanari, singing of their liberty from all duties. Or perhaps, their duty was to be free. To shine bright in their own way, for forever.

Meanwhile, Kanari was being held hostage in a torture mechanism people tend to call dinner parties. She sat tensely as she tried to eat the meal before her. Tonight's dinner was prepared even more finely than usual, due to the presence of their guests. A mixture of the usual Mondstadt-like food they had each day and Inazuma's traditional cuisine was set upon the table.

Plates of the freshest sashimi were placed beside beef stew, bits of carrot and potato floating in the crystal bowl. The delectable aroma of ratatouille swirled with the sweet scent of crab roe kourayaki. Various other foodstuffs were piled on the table, but the centerpiece was obviously the ginormous bowl of miso soup in the middle. Both the literal and figurative warmth that exuded from it was immense. The odd yet beautiful blend of cultures was displayed on the long table for all to dig into.

She sat Princess Ayaka, each of them exchanging the occasional glance. A few of the lords sitting a bit farther down the table were talking in hushed voices, but other than that, there was no conversation. It was evident that everyone was waiting for the kings to start. King Ayato sat at one end of the table, while King Diluc sat on the other. Kanari and General Kujou were on the Inazuman king's right and left, respectively. It was comforting to be surrounded by mainly people she was somewhat close with, at least.

"Did you know, Thoma was the one who oversaw the making of the entire banquet," Ayaka whispered suddenly.

"Interesting," Kanari murmured, nodding slightly.

"He's quite the expert on Mondstadian culture as well!" Ayaka exclaimed in a hushed voice. "He was originally from Mondstadt, actually."

Kanari raised her eyebrows with intrigue. It rather made sense, for his appearance wasn't very common for Inazumans. She wondered why she'd never thought about it before.

"So," Ayato said finally, making everyone's heads turn. That, Kanari realized, was the power of a king. The profound power to draw everyone's attention with a mere word. "In honor of our guests from Mondstadt, I shall be hosting a ball in five days time. I believe the details shall be sent to you all soon."

Everyone nodded with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Everyone apart from Kanari. She merely sipped her water blankly, staring, but not seeing. She was rather nervous about the ball. It would undoubtedly be a much worse experience than the dining party she was currently occupied with. Perhaps she could just spend the night with Ayaka and Sara quietly. Though, she doubted that would be possible due to the number of suitors Ayaka received.

"I look forward to it immensely," King Diluc responded courteously.

"I too look forward to getting to know you better, Your Majesty," added Princess Fischl. She spoke sweetly, her voice swathed in honey.

Kanari glanced at Ayato, curious for his reaction. He was smiling politely, but his eyes showed no warmth. King Ayato at his finest. The King Ayato that said every word carefully, laying out baits and traps for his enemies. The King Ayato that had politicians in his grasp before they even knew it, always operating in the shadows as his sister spoke and cared for the people. The one that Kanari never found herself speaking to, only observing as he snared others.

"Do you play chess, Princess?" Ayato asked, no hint of malice in his voice, though Kanari knew better than to trust his simple words. They had gathered information about their guests just after they came back from their walk. He already knew that Princess Fischl knew the basics of chess but did not play often.