Amelia Merlin

Part 106: The Feast

"A toast!" Roderick raised his goblet. The feast to welcome Amelia had happened two days after her interaction with the Monatheon's. There were several minstrels, banners with wolves (hung in her honor), hundreds of blue candles placed in three gigantic chandeliers above them. Amelia sat at the head table with the Monatheon Family, in between Blaxton and Roderick. Her friends sat a table right below them and Oliver kept giving her ridiculous faces which made her choke more than once. It felt a little childish but she didn't care.

Roderick stood up with his raised cup, "A toast to our new queen! Long may she reign!"

"Long may she reign!" the crowd drank to her and Amelia smiled at them.

"Your grace,"Blaxton said when everyone went back to their own conversations.

"Yes?" Amelia turned to him.

"Have you ever been on a hunt?"

"I haven't. We don't do them where I grew up."

"Shame. There's nothing quite like a good hunt!" he boomed. "And we have some of the finest fucking dogs you've ever seen in your life!"

"Blaxton!"Roderick snarled. "Watch your tongue when speaking to the queen!"

"It's not a problem. I've heard worse." she laughed lightly and Roderick went back to stuffing his face. "So what do you hunt?"

"Stags mostly. Sometimes boars but usually stags."

"Are there any animals you would never hunt?"

"Of course! It's forbidden to hunt bears in these parts. Since it is our sigil. And we never hunt magical creatures."

"Why?"

Blaxton was animated while talking about hunting, "Because, your grace, magic is very rare in Kalishterya. The lizards have all but extinguished it. So if we see something magical, we don't touch it."

"The Lizards are Akkedis' followers, aren't they." she said tightly. Looking over the crowd, Amelia saw everyone seemed to be having a good time. The mention of Akkedis had made her feel cold, but no one else seemed affected.

"Yes , your grace."

"How many Lizards would you say are in the North?"

"Hard to say, your grace. Could be any number I suppose. They have spies everywhere, people who slowly do their work."

"What does their work consist of?"

"Mostly eradicating magic. They track down anyone who has is connected with it and kill them or capture them." Blaxton seemed to be getting bored of the topic and Amelia wanted to make a good impression on her new friends so she dropped the matter.

"So, your father told me earlier tonight that you would be coming with me when I go to war?" she said cheerily.

"Yes!" Blaxton laughed, a deep barking laugh. "He said I need to see battle before I turn eighteen. So he will stay in Castle Rock while I go to war."

"Are you excited?" she tried to keep her voice pleasant but it was honestly getting difficult. There was something a bit distasteful about Blaxton.

"Yes of course, your grace! I can't wait to show those fucking southerners who owns the fucking world!" Spit flew from his mouth as he talked.

"How gallant." she mused.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Roderick stood up, "Let the dancing begin! My queen, might I have the first dance?"

"I would be honored, Lord Monatheon." Al had spent the last two days teaching her every dance he knew so she would be ready, and Amelia was eager to see how well she could do.