A Royal Engagement

Dining ala Royal

(DAYU)

For five days, it became a routine.

I will wake up early. As early as four in the morning to get ready. In reality, it is unpleasant to be awaken by a bunch of ladies whose age range from my age to the Queen's age.

I feel uneasy to let them assist me, a nicer word for them serving me, so I wake up early to ready myself and when the moment came for the attendants to knock on my room, I will open the door looking ready to start my day.

It will start with me and the Queen dining together for breakfast. Before I came, the Queen always took her breakfast in her room before she will start her day as the Queen of a King.

"But now that you are here, I am happy that I have someone to train to take my place once King ascend to the throne," she will said serenely as she put jam on her toast.

While dining, she will explain to me the customs of the Royals when they are dining.

"As the Queen, or in your case, the Consort, you will be the first one to be seated unless the Queen Dowager is present. Then she will be the first one to sit, you will follow, then your King..."

"Why won't the King sit first? I thought the King should be the first one in everything,"

"He is a man. You are his...lady, for the lack of better word. When dining, the ladies had to he seated and served first. That is the custom."

"But I am not a lady," I winced when she gave me a sharp look.

"Consort or Queen, doesn't make any difference. You are the soft side of the King. You are the weaker, the more fragile persona of the King. You will have to be seated and served first, as you are more fragile than him. Do you understand?"

Right! More fragile. I sighed, "Yes, your Majesty..."

The Queen sighed, "Dayu, I know as a man, you have certain ego. But when you married Qing, you will have to hide that manly ego and learn how to take care of your King's pride instead. You will have a harder time because you are a man as well but that is our situation right now,"

I nodded, "I understand, my Queen."

In a way, I do understand. I may not be a female and I will never be the Queen but the fact will remain that Qing will hold the masculine seat in our relationship. He will be the King. Strong, masculine and prideful. My role will have a softer edge on it.

The lesson continued.

"The gentlemen will stand up when a lady stood up from the table, but you don't have to do that. You are the Consort, you are higher than any woman who will seat on the table. The King may stand for a lady, but not you. All the other ladies can stand when you stand but never you to any lady. Is that clear?"

Crystal clear. I am the Consort. When dining, I have the highest position. The first to be seated, the first to be served and everyone will stand when I stand.

Wonderful.

Then the next rule floored me.

"The Consort doesn't eat desert on the dining table," the Queen said.

"What?"

No! I love deserts! My sweet tooth is screaming in panic.

The Queen smiled, "When dining, we are usually served with a seven course meal. The Consort or Queen can only eat five course. We cannot come across as gluttonous, Dayu. We are ladies after all..."