The King's Court

XXXVI

The dinner was just as I expected. 

Opulent tables and cutleries. A massive chandelier illuminating the whole banquet hall is on top of us. 

Kami lang ang naroon. Lorence sat at the head of the table and servants lined behind us.

Maraming pagkain sa mesa and I am pretty sure we won't be able to eat all of it. 

Another set of food was set down for us to finish but with the tension and the pressure soaking the ambiance, I don't think I would be able to swallow food. 

Tanging mga tunog ng kubyertos lang ang mariring ko habang kumakain kami. I stole a glance in Lorence's direction and she was just eating silently. I wonder what she was thinking. If she was thinking of accepting the truce or not. The crippling anxiety did not really help my case and every bite I made felt like I was swallowing metal. 

"This is a rare occasion," started Lorence dahilan para mapatingin ako agad sa kanya. 

Nikolas nodded and he took a sip from his glass. "Your father and your sister visited Visaris several months back." 

A smile tugged Lorence's lips as she placed her glass down. "I remember the incident. It was when someone attempted on your life by placing poison on your wine." 

I cleared my throat when the attention went to me. I was tasked to do it but the Northern Princess did it first kaya naman hindi ko iyon naituloy. 

"I was aware of Evelyn's involvement with it," said Lorence and I fidgetted on my finger. The tension was growing and it tasted bitter. "I was aware of my Father's scheming to kill the Crown Prince of Visaris and he tasked the spies planted in your Kingdom to do the deed." Tumingin si Lorence sa gawi ko. "And the Southern spy tasked to kill you ended up saving you instead."

I am not exactly sure where Lorence was going with it but I nodded in her direction, confirming what she just said. 

"She did save my life," Nikolas said and smiled in my direction. 

"You betrayed your Kingdom, then, Evelyn Diaze," she said and eyed me. I hitched my breath. I knew this was coming but it still was a shocking blow. I have practiced this many times on our way here. I have pictured out the conversation but I never came up with a good way to go about it.

Leon and Nikolas looked at me. 

"She did what a human would do and that is to save someone from harm's way--"

"Am I talking to you, Leon?" 

I saw how Leon clenched his jaw and the way that Lorence called Leon casually did not escape my ears. 

"She can't be blamed for something she didn't want to do," Nikolas said and the tension became even thicker in the air. At that moment, I just wanted to disappear. How am I supposed to defend myself when I was not even the real Evelyn Diaze of this world? 

"She signed up for it. She volunteered herself to be a spy and you're telling me she didn't want to do it?" 

"While it may have caused great disappointment for you to see me still alive, Queen Lorence, I believe this is not a good subject for us to talk about especially if we're aiming for peace." 

Lorence placed down her glass and looked in Nikolas' direction. And heavens, I don't know if it was their innate authority but looking at them makes me feel like I'm looking at clashing storms, trying to prove who's stronger. 

"I invited you all here because I wanted to see Evelyn Diaze and see how she--a spy of the Southern Crown--somehow ended up being a part of the King's Court. Did you really think I invited you here for a peace talk?"