The Queen of Dawn

Chapter 7

As the sky got darker outside, the more drunk people became, and the loud noise of the crowd got even louder and more raucous.

Azora was fifteen minutes into the party, when she realized her husband was still sitting idly in his throne, watching the party-goers dance. His eyes danced around the room, as if looking for something, and he slouched in his chair.

"If I'm boring you my lord, you can just tell me to leave." Azora mumbled, staring at her hands as she played with the hem of her sleeve. She immediately regretted saying that, as she did not wish to be sent back. Even though she had spent her fifteen minutes at this party just watching everyone else, and tapping her foot in time to the music.

The King looked at her with surprise, and his eyebrows raised.

"I guess I am a little bored." You could tell by the tone of his voice that he was extremely bored.

Azora looked up at her husband before gathering her skirts and standing up.

"I guess I shall take my leave then." She did a quick curtsy and turned to start making her way down the stairs, but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned back around to see King Kalian standing with his hand outstretched.

"Come dance with me."

Azora took his offer, and placed her hand in his, and they made their way to the dance floor, where a whole lot of other couple stood in a circle, waiting for the music to start. Azora and Kalian took their place in the circle, arms linked together, Azora holding her cumbersome skirts in the free hand.

The band struck up, and the couples began their quick paced dance around the room in a circle. The dance consisted of small, quick hops, and small gallops. The dancers all shifted position from linking arms with their partners, to all putting their hands in the middle of the circle, and continuing the small hop steps, before going back to their partners. At this point the music began to get faster, and everyone switched partners to the person across from them, landing Azora with one of the Kings men, who gave her a cheeky grin as the jolly music got faster and faster, and they ended up spinning around the circle.

Azora began to feel dizzy and giddy, and she laughed loudly with her dancing partner, who seemed just as dizzy and giddy as she, before they switched partners back, and she was back with her husband. The music ended and she curtsied and he bowed, before she took his hand once again as he led her off the dancing floor.

He gave her a big grin, a genuine one. Not a mocking or cheeky one, and Azora gave a small smile back, as her heart soared.

"Did you enjoy the dance?"

Azora nodded, her smile growing a tiny bit wider.

"Yes I had fun." She whispered.

~~~

The hours went past and people got drunker and drunker, as the banquet itself was starting. People sat in the barely used Dining hall, which had been specially cleaned and decorated for the party. Azora was sat right at the other end of the table from her husband, and they both sat in large thrones, an upgrade from the small, but still luxurious, chairs that everyone else sat at.

The food was spread in the middle of the large table, food ranging from pheasants to eggs, to potatoes.

Azora was surrounded by her ladies in waiting, and Maddy sat right at her side, extremely drunk.

"Azora, your so lucky you have a husband, did you know I came here because my father is trying to force me to marry a  wealthy snob, who's so uptight. I'm so glad you are such a good friend!" Maddy shouted, her words slurring together. Azora felt as if the whole table could hear her, and her face went red.

Azora took a sip of her wine and stuffed some food in her mouth. Tonight was a banquet, and banquets are meant to be fun.

~~~

The night went on, and Azora made sure to stay as sober as she could, only taking a sip of her wine when her throat got dry and she needed a refreshment. Everyone else however, got so drunk that the noise became to deafening for her. She felt claustrophobic, and when everyone went back to the dancing, no one would dance properly, and they were all sloppy from the intoxication.

The air in the hall began to get stuffy, and Azora needed to leave.

She found a door out to the servants hallway and entrance. Azora knew her way around the servants entrances, she often hid in them when she wanted to get away from the world, so she made her way up the servants stairs and down servants corridors to get to her room.

She turned a corner and saw a scene that made her gut twist and her eyes water, a scene that made her question every person she had ever trusted.

It was Maddy, backed against a wall, her dress pulled down to her shoulders, and a man kissing her neck and shoulders. She breathed a name that made Azora run all the way to her room, and throw herself on the bed.

"Kalian."