The Throne is Mine

Camilia

Camilia's POV

"Our tradition is to fold the napkin in half and use the inside layer of the napkin when we need to wipe our mouths. This allows us to avoid the trouble of smearing our clothes." Marie smiles at me as she pats my hand. We are seated in the royal dining room, awaiting our special guest.

"Once the queen is done with her evening meal, everyone is expected to set down their silverware, and proceed to leave the room. Whether they are done or not, the maids will clear off the table."

Marie has gone over this a hundred times. The rules and the laws of the royal court are all that courses through my mind nowadays.

"Stabbing is prohibited. As a queen, you are expected to hold your fork with your left hand and knife in the right. No scooping either. Push the food to the very back of the spoon, and eat from there."

There are so many rules that go with a royal dining, I'd rather just eat in my room.

"If you catch someone breaking the rules, inform me and we will scold them after."

Here comes the hardest rule to follow.

"There is a strict rule about how the conversation begins, continues, and ends. It's the woman's duty to strike up a conversation with the person on their right. In your case, the person to your right, is the guest of honor. When you eat halfway through your meal, it is your duty to cease conversation with the person on the right, and start with your person on the left."

She glances at the clock on the wall.

"They should be arriving very soon."

We are expecting a small party. The table consists of nine chairs.

Marie gets up and requests from the royal entertainer to begin. He bows on stage momentarily and then calls to the other performers. Today's performance will consist of a puppet show. The show takes place one hundred years ago when my great grandmother ruled. The scene will be in the arena where my grandmother had killed her competitors.

Marie takes her seat at the opposite side of the table and flattens her dress.

"Sit up." She says from the corner of her mouth. The doors open as I plaster a smile on my face and straighten my back.

The violinist takes off. He manages to create a dark, powerful, bright, and mellow sound all at once. 

I had to remind myself that they were human too. They strode in with such captivating grace, I had forgotten to hide my expression.

"Her Majesty, the Elemental Queen." Marie says in a proper fashion. I stand beside my chair and extend my hand. The mass of reds and blues smile in unison. Their pearly whites dazzle my eyes.

My suitor twists my hand in a delicate manner and plants a kiss upon it. He raises his head and grants me a wink. The six others after him, curtsy, and stand behind their chairs.

I take the first seat, and everyone follows suit.

The seats are harder than I remember them to be. I can not for the life of me find a comfortable position. All eyes are on me and await my first instruction.

"Let the eating commence!"

Immediately, every door in the dining room bursts open. The chefs come to our table like ants to a candy bar. Each arm of theirs, holds four or five dishes. They remove the vase of flowers and replace the empty center of the table with a roasted boar.