Araman

~ 13 ~

   Raliena attended dinner that night, much to the King's delight. It was held privately in one of the King's rooms. This one lined with books and ornaments of gold and crystal, most of which were used for holding candles, basking the room in a warm, flickering glow.

Raliena was the last to enter, everyone was already seated. She met Kassen's gaze first who beamed at her. Then Dergen caught her eye but remained expressionless.

Raliena still hadn't decided what to do about the talk she had heard between Dergen and his servant. She was still trying to process the information; there were things she needed to consider before approaching the King. Other than not having any proof that Dergen was planning, who knows what, Raliena did not know if the King would even believe her word against his, despite the fatherly connection they had, Dergen was trusted and had a way of manipulating situations she could not compete with.

"I apologise for my lateness." Raliena said curtseying to the room.

"No need to apologise my dear, please sit." The King gestured to the empty chair next to Kassen and she nodded and made her way round to the chair. Kassen stood and pulled it out for her, which she allowed, smiling at him shyly.

Dergen regarded them curiously. He was sat opposite them, Lady Nanerter on his other side. It seemed she had gone up in the state of things due to her supposedly saving their honoured guest's life; something she flaunted and used to her advantage.

"I assume you have a good reason for not being here on time, Sa Raliena?" Dergen asked but not maliciously, at least not obviously to anyone else at the table.

"I am sure you would be the first to know if I had, Zea Dergen. As with everything." Raliena retorted. She glanced to her side where she saw Kassen watching her intently.

"Yes, I suppose I would." Dergen took a sip of his wine and licked his lips very deliberately.

The whole table regarded them both, each reading the exchange differently. Even Princess Sherin watched them with interest and a tense silence fell.

"Shall we eat?" Kassen offered, to everyone's relief. The King stopped frowning at the mention of food and beckoned the servants forward with the first course.

Normal conversation followed soon after and everyone relaxed again. The main topic of conversation was the impending Unisayan hunt. Not Raliena's favourite topic but she endured; there were now more important things to think about. A new threat sat just across the table from her; one who could not stop staring at her whenever he wasn't directly engaged in conversation.

Raliena made an effort not to look affected by Dergen and even held his gaze a couple of times in an attempt to make him just as nervous. Of course, he simply followed this with an amused smile before turning his attention elsewhere.

She also noticed how he rubbed absently at his chest and looked somewhat uncomfortable. Once he caught her watching him and it was Raliena's turn to smile and flex her hand around her water glass.

"...That must be a lovely place to have a picnic." Sherin was talking again about the gardens out the back of the castle. Raliena was very pleased the Princess enjoyed them so much, as she too loved the gardens and had always thought it was a lovely place to eat and spend the afternoon on the grass with the flowers and the sound of the waterfall.

"I could take you tomorrow." Raliena blurted out.

"And Kassen too?" Sherin asked hopefully.

"Of course."

The table turned to look at Raliena in surprise. Apparently she had not been unobvious in her avoidance of the General. Kassen had even turned his attention to her.