The evening wore on, with talking and laughing and dancing for many of the guests. Many thought this was a spectacular banquet with delicious food, nice wine, lovely arrangements, and so on. The guests from the Fort thought this was kind of boring.
It was no real dancing, no real drinking, the conversations were plain and the band was lousy. Some of them, like Antonius and Inelle, had taken the opportunity to vanish as soon it was given them, but the rest was still in there. They kept themselves busy of course; Sherlyn danced and talked to other ladies, the Count talked money and politics with some council members, Gimlon had totally occupied Lionheart, Adela did her best to be charming and Talroze listened to stories about things that wouldn't matter at all in two years. The General kept to the original plan and stood in a corner and drank whiskey. But the reason it was boring was that they realized they were outsiders. They actually didn't understand these people. In other words, they got a deeper understanding of why Medea had left this life, in more than one way. Because they got questions, many questions, sounding like this;
"How is it living in mines?"
"Are minds more like humans or horses?"
"Do you enjoy being in the military? With all the heavy work I mean?"
"Why are you not married yet?"
"I saw you talking to your men before the ball, is that something common you do?"
And it was, for the most part, stupid mistakes, but Talroze drew a line when Lady Irritan mention it was space enough in the stables if he rather wanted to sleep there. Then, it was thanks and goodnight, yes we're tired, yawn, let's go, everyone, thank you for tonight. But even then it was far past midnight and the last fireworks and burnt down anyway, so everyone accepted and they got off to bed.
"Have these people ever seen a centaur before?!"
"Or a woman in uniform," the General yawned.
"It's like they don't have any decency!"
"I would be happy to rant about it, Talroze, but I'm too tired, or just bored, to even think," Adela sighed. "Let's continue...tomorrow."¨
"Tomorrow will be great. See you," Gimlon and the Count disappeared and Talroze followed them with lashing tail.
So they went to bed, with two more days of the banquet in front of them, even though tomorrow would be more relaxed and not so noble-ish. Plus, a very gifted singer would make her voice heard, and the tension between our two parts would grow stronger because of it.
YOU ARE READING
The Fort: Lions first roar
FantasíaFar out to the West, almost at the Unpredictable Ocean, just right before the three-mile-forest, there is a fort. A small town behind high walls. The Fort is a part of the dwarf's estates, and one of the younger lords is set to rule it. All set and...
