The Karvaile Chronicles

Contest and Discovery

As they walked (Or steered their hoverchair) to the dining room, Ojed leaned over to whisper to Flora.

"Thank you for this. She's loving it. It's good to see her so cheerful."

"I am glad I could do something for her. As a bonus, this will be good practice for hosting events when I'm queen. That's what the last dinner was, except it got interrupted by someone."

"Yeah, someone who put a blaster wound in my chest," inserted Abrianna, who had been listening in on the whole conversation.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that again," he said, his cheeks burning red. "I really didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"Oh stop the blushing, you're turning into an ornament," muttered Bri.

"I know Ojed, I was only teasing you," Flora replied with a smile, and everyone went and sat in the dining room.

Nodis popped up, and with him a team of uniformed servers who carried out plates.

"Your appetizer has arrived. Numa Nuggets with Sarlacc mucus dipping sauce, enjoy!" the butler announced as the plates were delivered.

Nodis remained in the room afer the servers had left, watching. If he recognized the Mirialan as his attacker from the last dinner party, he either didn't want to say anything, or just didn't care.

"So, Flora, tell us about yourself," Ojed asked. Flora looked up at him, stirred from her conversation with Rylee.

"Well, um, I was just telling Rylee about how my mother taught me to cook," the Duchess said.

"What are your parents like? If you don't mind me asking that is," he said.

"Oh no, I do not mind. Well, uh, they, they died a few years ago. But, they were wonderful. My mother was an amazing cook, and she had the brightest green eyes. She could not keep a plant alive to save her life, but she loved talking walks in the gardens. My father was away a lot on business, but he always found time to spend with me when he was home. He would take me to a holomovie, or a museum. He loved history too, and gave me long speeches on the history of Karvaile, colonization to present. They annoyed me when I was little, but I appreciate them now. A queen should know everything about her planet."

"I'm sure you miss them. I know we miss ours." He put his arm around Rylee, pulling her close.

"What were your parents like?" Flora asked.

"I never met my parents," Nodis inserted. "Oh wait, you're not talking to me... my bad..."

"Way to be a downer Nodis," said Bri, her comment accompanied by an eye roll. Ojed continued without acknowledging the butler at all. Though, he was so preoccupied staring at Flora, that it was possible he actually hadn't heard.

"Rylee is too young to remember, but they were amazing. My mother would take me exploring. I was a handful growing up! My father also loved us dearly. He worked hard so we could be comfortable. But then they had their accident..." He trailed off.

"They sound like they were wonderful people," said Flora comfortingly. "We all know what it means to lose parents it seems."

"But we have to be strong, right? It's what they would've wanted," Ojed said. Flora nodded in agreement. The Mirialan moved as if he were about to reach out to take her hand, but Bri suddenly stood, interrupting the moment.

"How about some dessert Nodis?" she said a bit too loudly.

"Coming right up!" he said, and retreated to the kitchen.

Ojed gave the body guard an annoyed glance, but took the hint, and resolved himself to a new subject. "So, what do you like to do around here?" he asked Flora.