The Beautiful Chelona

3 : Night falls

Chelona and Astrea walked into the dining hall, with their heads held high. The royals of Noctin had already assembled into the hall, alone with their own father. He was dressed lavishly in the finest of linens. He had decided to keep his his midnight blue coat, which was embroidered in intricate patterns with golden and silver threads. It was one of his favourites. As soon as he spotted them, walking in fashionably late, his face lit up. 

"Ah, my beautiful blue birds are here!" He beamed.

Chelona and Astrea, both flashed him sweet, loving smiles. But no one but Chelona could tell, both the smiles were fake. Hers hid uncertainty, doubt, and misconceptions but the very forced smile that Astrea had managed was mysterious, and almost pitying. Strange. The both of them walked gracefully to the table and took seats opposite to each other. Chelona took the seat between Asterin Moonbeam and Rhea. She was usually invited to royal diners, the sisters always insisted she be there. Astrea, on the other hand had seated herself between the Moonbeam siblings. 

It hardly seemed like a royal diner. There seemed to be no respectful short talks, formality it felt like a family dinner, where anyone could do, say, act anything and yet, everyone was fine with it. The two people who were enjoying most seemed to be Fenrys and Astrea. They laughed freely, talked in loud voices like they'd known one another since ages.

We were served the most sumptuous meals. With roasted lambs and fresh plums and deliciously smooth and mouth watering meats with sauces. Special sweet delicacies of the new chef that seemed to melt as soon as it met with  the tongue. All sorts of sweet, juicy fruits sprinkled with powdered sugars and sweet syrups. Chelona eyed a large bowl, stacked with dragonberry pies, sitting at the far left of Chelona where she couldn't reach. Then she looked around for a servant or absolutely anyone who would pass her the bowl. Surprisingly enough, no servants were around the diner, it was only them and the four guards at the entrance of the hall. She looked to Astrea hoping to silently convey her plea, but found Astrea happily asking the princess to pass her some pepper. So Chelona swallowed her pride and awkwardness and said to the queen," My lady, could you so kindly pass that bowl."

For a second, the queen said nothing, just frowned slightly at her. Chelona's heart contracted. Then, the queen's face broke into a smile, as she passed her the bowl. "Do stop calling me that, sweetling. Call me Asterin."

Chelona smiled at her and silently took the bowl and helped herself to the pies. This new cook they'd hired, she thought, worked magic. She'd never in her life of luxury, tasted a better dragon berry pie. Astrea and Fenrys, were having the times of their life, or so it seemed. They were talking in low voices, their heads almost touching. Meanwhile, the princess seemed to be much more interested in her food than her brother's love life. Chelona could relate. Yet, she felt empty inside. Astrea was the anchor that kept her from wandering away from the real world. 

But at that moment, Chelona allowed herself to stop her racket of thoughts and only concentrate on the delicious food in front her. She bit into another dragon berry pie, its sweet and crunchy taste filling her heart and soul. She felt satisfied and grounded, and for that moment she completely accepted the Moonbeam's for what they were about to be: her new family.