A Tale of One Deviant (Book One)

Chapter 66: Fae, Dinner, and More

Kitri and I took a seat at the end of the long table, twelve females and one man staring at me.

I ignored them all, not a single greeting from me or them, as some of them glared at me. A few who seemed to have personalities similar to Flo, waved.

     The table was noisier down here, where all the young and lively girls sat, compared to the solemn atmosphere over there.

     The man, who I took to be their father and the husband of the beautiful lady sitting at the head of the table, looked like the joyous type. Someone who would rather be down here talking to his youngsters, rather than his grown daughters who were just like their uptight mother.

     In other words, needlessly gloomy and endlessly boring. Quiet and reserved is how someone would put it in the nice way.

     The food was already there, meaning that Kitri and I were very late. I didn't take that long to change, so I didn't see it as my fault. Also, we'd left those other girls, the ones sitting at the top of the table, behind us while we walked. How'd they get so far in front of us?

     Eh, oh well. Not my concern.

     The food on my plate looked very good, but since no one else was eating, I didn't. I didn't know if I would be able to eat it all because of the food I had earlier while dancing with much friendlier people.

     "Kitri, do you mind introducing your friend there?" His father asked, an easy look on his face as he smiled lightly at me. The only one here with blonde hair, the mother, sliced a discreet look at him which he promptly ignored.

     "Sure, Father." Kitri stood up again and held out a hand. I took it and curtsied when he mentally told me to. "Sisters, Father, Mother, I would like to introduce you to my friend. Her name is Firea, the third daughter of Earl de Libellule of Bytriste."

     "It's an honor to meet you," I announced lightly while keeping my head down, eyes closed.

     "Brother," Flo, a few seats from me since I was sitting on Kitri's right and he was at the foot of the table, spoke lightly as well and drew Kitri's attention as we sat down.

     "Yes, Florence?" Kitri turned his gaze towards the spriggan who looked like she was barely holding back her questions.

"How did you meet her?" Flo started up the conversation when her mother started to eat. Then, the rest of them started eating gracefully, and I took that as a signal to start. Matriarchal family, huh?

     "I met her at the end of the terror in Basusda."

     "Why were you there?" Flo turned her confused face to me.

     "I was heading over to the duke's estate when my carriage was hijacked halfway there."

"Really? What happened then? How did you survive?" The girl from earlier who was smiling at the crowd was bright and asking interestedly now.

"My...body guard," it was still kind of a secret that Thérèse was a maid, "killed the ones who hijacked us, but then they were affected by necromancy and she had to kill them again. To get revenge for the ones who had been guarding us, she killed the First Terror of Basusda and the one controlling it. Then, fought of all the monsters until dawn. Then, I met Kitri cleaning it all up."

"There was such a long story to that?" Kitri was looking at me a little shocked.

"I haven't told you, have I?" I realized as I looked over at him.

"No, you have not," Kitri kept his face clear of the pout I knew he was about to make. This was such a formal and stiff setting that I found it uncomfortable to even breathe.