by Nira Steele
During this time their empty plates were cleared away from the table. People began moving around the room as they mingled with the other guilds. Andie studied the crowd intently to avoid engaging in the arguing. Gazing through the gap in the partitions, she watched as the sea of outfits mixed into a mass of colours.
Then one of the musicians made a loud announcement from the stage. Tessa rose from her chair and quickly slid aside several of the privacy screens. Andie gazed out across the hall and spied a figure she recognised immediately.
It was Thaddeus, looking like he had just stepped straight from the pages of an ancient Roman tome. Dressed in a long white formal robe, one of his shoulders was draped with a heavy fabric. The rich cobalt blue cloth was edged with gold and silver stitching. Andie was surprised to note his white hair only reached the top of his shoulders. His extremely long beard was bound into sections, each piece gleaming with a metallic clasp.
Gliding regally through the crowd he headed straight towards the stage. As he stepped onto the short staircase the entire room fell into silence. When he reached the top he smoothly moved to the centre of the platform. Clapping his hands just once, he began speaking in fluent Latin to the assembly.
Unfortunately Andie could not understand a single word he was saying. Glancing at Tessa she hoped her little friend would start translating. Tessa said nothing in response, instead moving her hand across the table. Poking out underneath her fingers was an inscribed silver disc.
“Use this,” Tessa murmured as she kept her eyes fixed onto Thaddeus.
Looking away, Andie smoothly reached out and placed her hand over Tessa’s. As her little friend withdrew her arm Andie could feel the smooth metal beneath her fingers. In an instant the old Magister’s words became intelligible.
Well this would certainly come in handy.
They spent the next few minutes listening to all the birthdays being announced for the week. As each name was called out, a round of clapping then ensued. Andie found it all a bit boring until they came to the end.
“It gives me the greatest of pleasure to regale you with some joyous news. We have a new addition to our community,” Thaddeus declared. “Would Ariel and Traian please join me on the stage.”
Raising her eyebrows Andie turned to Tessa.
“Is that the Ariel you work with?” she asked quietly.
“Of course. We only have one here,” Tessa replied softly. “She gave birth three days before you arrived.”
“Oh wow! So she’s married then?”
Leaning in close Tessa’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“It’s a bit of a lengthy story but they are officially engaged now.”
Andie’s eyes grew wide.
“Traian is the son of a Magister. He was betrothed to someone else when he came of age,” Tessa explained quietly. “He’d already fallen for Ariel but she is only the daughter of a common gardener. For several years he delayed his marriage until his parents began to pressure him. There was no way they would ever accept Ariel so he embarked on an illicit affair with her.”
“I’ll bet that got them into heaps of trouble,” Andie whispered. Glancing sideways she saw a small procession heading towards the stage.
“Nobody knew until Ariel announced she was pregnant,” Tessa revealed. “By that stage she’d been carrying the child for over six months. It completely changed everyone’s view of the relationship.”
The air filled with applause as the two young Draconarid took to the stage. Andie saw a tall young man with his pale blonde hair pulled back in an ornate hair clasp. Ariel was quite similar to Tessa only her brownish blonde locks fell well past her waist. Mostly covered by a long veil it was a much darker shade than her partners. Dressed in a flowing lavender gown Ariel held a small bundle against her chest.
“They make a fine couple,” Terenus commented from the other side of the table.
Tessa’s face was practically glowing with delight.
“It’s been twenty years since we’ve had a birth,” she revealed to Andie. “You may have noticed there are no children around here. We physically mature at the same rate as humans do.”
Blinking, Andie realised she had only seen adults in Lunaris. Completely fascinated she then began studying everyone around her. Some of the crowd were getting to their feet and raising their hands into the air. They all appeared to be older Draconarid, each of them dressed in the finest of attire. Then one of them closed their eyes….
And their palms started glowing.
Glancing around Andie saw the same phenomenon occurring everywhere. Then she heard the sound of scraping wood as Terenus rose to his feet beside her. Raising his arms he closed his eyes and joined in with the spectacle.
Andie felt a slight tug on her sleeve. Turning towards Tessa, she could see her eyes shining with emotion.
“They are all accepting her,” the little Draconarid whispered thickly.
“The baby?” Andie murmured.
“Yes.”
Turning back towards the dais, Andie saw Ariel lifting her child up. As the baby began crying the entire room started brightening. The huge gem rotating high above was turning a brilliant white.
The whole hall had fallen into silence. The only sound was the tiny strains coming from the little bundle of life.
It was one of the most profound things Andie had ever seen. Then people started lowering their hands to bring the moment to its closure. The enormous gem slowly faded back to its original warm glow. As the light softened the whole room filled with conversation. The young couple stepped down from the stage, straight into the arms of their welcoming families.
“That was magical,” Andie breathed.
“I’m so glad you got to see it. With any luck you’ll be here for the wedding too,” Tessa warbled.
“Oh wonderful! When is it happening?”
“Next week,” Tessa responded. Smiling, Andie hoped she would still be here too.
Then Thaddeus’s voice rang out through the air.
“I thank you all for accepting this child into our House. May her days be long and her life replete with love,” he proclaimed.
A round of applause erupted from the hall. It was so loud Andie found it almost uncomfortable. When it finally died down Terenus made a loud declaration.
“How marvellous!” he boomed out with a big smile.
Turning to look at him Andie enquired softly, “May I ask you something?”
“Of course,” he responded as he reached for his glass of wine.
“Why wasn’t the royal family here for this?”
“I believe the child has already been presented to them,” he advised her.
“Ah, thanks.” Reaching for her own glass, Andie could not help but notice the clear divide between the townsfolk and its rulers. Did the royal family ever appear before their people?
Apparently Terenus had the same thought. Frowning, he studied the contents of his glass.
“Honestly, you would think one of them could have dragged themselves out here,” he muttered. “It’s not like they have far to go.”
Touching Andie’s arm, Tessa leaned in close and whispered, “Look over to the far side and you’ll see a doorway. They’re all hidden away in there.”
Andie cast her eyes right across the Banquet Hall. She saw a gap in the opaque partitions lining the outer edge of the room. Instead of a Magister’s table there was a high carved arch of stone. She could see nothing within the entranceway, not even the surface of a wooden door. There was only a dark expanse which reflected no light at all. It looked so shadowy and ominous….
Then the room came alive with the strains of lively music. Scanning the stage, Andie spotted Willa sitting in the centre of the group.
Andie could not help but be impressed by Willa’s skills. Was there anything the clever matriarch could not do? Smiling, she turned back to her companions. To her astonishment Terenus was now grinning like a naughty schoolboy.
“Come on my dear. Let’s sho
w Andie how it is done,” he said cheerily.
Tessa was now glaring at her father.
“Why do you do this? You know I hate it,” she complained.
“But your mother is playing her lute. You know how disappointed she will be if you don’t dance at least once.”
Grumbling, Tessa rose slowly to her feet. Frowning like a beautiful grumpy flower she shot Andie a look.
“You just wait. You’ll be his next victim,” she muttered.
“But I’ve eaten too much!” Andie whined feebly.
✽✽✽
Andie stifled a yawn.
After an hour of intermittent harassment Terenus had finally given up on her. She wasn’t trying to be difficult as she would have been fine suffering through a waltz or two. Trouble was Andie did not recognise any of these dances. They were far more complex than anything she had ever seen before.
Unfortunately there wasn’t much else to occupy her. Sipping on yet another glass of wine, Andie could feel her cheeks beginning to warm up.
None of the townspeople had come anywhere near her tonight. Frankly, she had found it an enormous relief. With such short notice for the occasion it had taken her ages to relax.
She did have one very charming visitor though - Marcellus had dropped in for a short conversation. Dressed in a long chocolate brown robe he was looking rather dashing tonight. The lush velvet fabric was doing wonders for him, completely softening his rugged appearance. To her surprise Andie found herself noticing just how handsome he was.
As they sat at the table she could not help but stare into his eyes. They were hazel, the wonderful type which seemed to change colours. Tonight they looked bronze as they picked up on the hue of his robe.
It felt quite comforting talking to him, very familiar. Almost as if he was actually a human.
The same could not be said for the rest of the room though. They just watched her between the gaps in the partitions. Not openly of course as they were far too clever to be obvious. However if she was quick she could catch their eyes by glancing sideways. It became a little game for her, something to kill the time while she waited to leave.
Rubbing the side of her neck, Andie absently wondered what time it was. If only she had remembered to wear her watch tonight. She did bring it back from her aunt’s house and put it somewhere in her dressing table….
Then she noticed the entire hall was falling silent. The music had stopped and the sound of the crowd had disappeared with it. Peering through the space between the opened screens, Andie saw people dropping to their knees.
This could only mean one thing.
Andie’s eyes snapped straight towards the stone archway on the other side of the hall. Staring intently she watched as a sea of heads sank slowly before her. Then she saw something, a white figure just beside the darkened entrance. Completely shrouded in pale cloth they held a long pike in one of their gauntleted hands.
Instantly she dropped to the floor. Gripping a chair leg, she copied the now familiar royal bow. Silently Andie prayed she would not be noticed in the crowd. Kneeling in tense anticipation she began pressing her lips together.
Tessa and Terenus were absent from the table of course. It was just her luck they would not be here when she really needed them. She had forgotten the metal disk as well - it was still sitting on the table top.
“Dammit,” she muttered, bowing her head down.
In the distance she could hear footsteps travelling across the flagstone floor. They were measured and smooth, slightly muted by something covering them. Closing her eyes Andie held her breath as she prayed the sound would fade. It wasn’t diminishing though - it was just growing louder and louder.
“Good evening, Andie.”
Hearing her name she immediately wanted to dissolve into the floor. Wincing hopelessly Andie peeked forwards to confirm who was actually there. As she looked up a drape of white fabric came into view. It was the shade of newly fallen snow, the soft folds falling down over the floor.
Completely petrified, Andie kept gripping the chair leg like a sailor clinging to a mast. However there was no hope of survival here - her ship was definitely going down this time. Was this the reason she was invited tonight, just to endure this encounter? Why had nobody thought to warn her? It was just too cruel for words.
Then something completely unexpected happened.
Lord Laurentius’s face came into her view. He had kneeled down right in front of Andie and leaned forward to catch her gaze. Absolutely mortified she gaped back into his pale blue eyes.
At this range he looked remarkably different. He seemed so much younger, even softer in a strange, almost vulnerable way. His face was still beautiful but not aloof like it normally seemed. She had assumed from the way he behaved he was at least four hundred years old.
A warm smile spread quickly across his lips.
“Do you still want to kill me?” he asked softly.
Andie was well aware of how she had behaved the last time they met. That feeling of rage was something she would never forget. Strangely, he did not seem concerned she had wanted to murder him.
He reached out as she continued gripping fiercely onto the chair leg. Still smiling, Laurentius brushed his fingers lightly over hers. As she flinched at the contact he released a deep chuckle.
“You are like a little bird now, so delicate and tremulous. Come, I want you to meet someone,” he said softly.
She felt the warmth of his hand on hers, then he started to rise… within moments she was standing too. Astonished, she found herself staring straight into the base of his throat.
Now she was upright the full impact of his appearance was coming into play. Unlike his face, the rest of his body was toned and strong. Fortunately Laurentius was covered from the waist down in flowing fabric. His chest was a different matter though as the only thing covering it was a single drape of gauzy white cloth.
A silver chain encircled his throat which joined at the front to form one long strand. It ran down over his chest, ending with a large clear gem. Both his arms were adorned with silver bands glittering with coloured stones….
Andie realised she was staring. Feeling her face heating up she slid her gaze away.
The only mercy to this moment was the fact everyone was still bowing down. Through the haze of embarrassment she barely noticed as he placed her hand on his arm. Then he began gliding forwards, towing her along beside him.
This was insane. Andie was so terrified her feet should not be moving at all. But they were, and for this brief instance she was eternally grateful for it.
Moving through the sea of bowed heads Andie fixed her eyes on their destination. At least there would be no crowd on the other side of the darkened archway. As they passed under the ornate stonework she felt the touch of a heavy fabric.
Now she was in a much dimmer space. Lit by tiny wall candles, the long hallway seemed to be hewn into the mountain. She had not noticed where the Banquet Hall sat but it seemed to be built against one of the surrounding peaks.
Laurentius paused briefly and glanced sideways at her.
“You may find me harsh sometimes but it is never without necessity,” he said in his smooth deep voice.
Blinking, Andie took a moment to work out what he was referring to. Then she realised he was talking about their last encounter again. Was this some kind of excuse for what had happened on the platform?
She had no idea how to reply to his statement. Fortunately he did not seem to be expecting a response. He glided forward again, towing her gently along without another word.
Leaving the hallway they entered a cavernous space. Filled with flickering light, it felt very airy and cool in here. There were tall silver candelabras spaced everywhere around the floor. Topped with huge cylinders of glowing wax, they cast their light up over the walls.
Large images stretched up into the darkness all around Andie.
These pictures did not look like paintings. They were much too clear, almost like huge p
hotographs. The vast scenes covered the walls in a patchwork of images.
Most were beautiful soft landscapes filled with flowers and Romanic buildings. Not all of them were pleasant though – a few contained some very dark themes. Sprinkled amongst the scenery were depictions of large battlegrounds. Each contained at least one white dragon violently attacking human beings. The powerful beasts were tearing their way through the mobs of terrified people. Were the poor humans actually armed? It was hard to tell as they all seemed to be fleeing.
Then Andie’s eyes moved to the middle of the room. Positioned in a square were four enormous chaise lounges.
Their pale coverings almost glowed in the candle light. They looked soft, like a ring of clouds hovering above the dark floor. In the centre sat a huge black slab with its surface dotted with silver trays. Next to each chair sat a small table which appeared to be woven from tiny strands of silver. Topped with a disc of clear glass, the bottles resting upon them seemed to float above the intricate metalwork.
Andie had never seen anything like this. Not even in the most fantastical of movies. Absorbing the incredible setting, it took her a few moments to notice who was actually here.
There were three people - two of them lying along the huge couches on opposite sides. Between them reclined another person who was facing directly towards her. Swathed in a voluminous white robe, there was something glittering upon his head.
Andie was so stunned she almost managed to pull up in a dead stop.
Laurentius kept her moving though, guiding her around the back of the chaises. As they edged closer Andie started catching snippets of their conversation. They were speaking in the language of the Draconarid, the ancient Latin dialect with its long rolling sounds.
Swallowing thickly she tried to calm herself down. Hopefully this was just a ‘meeting’ as Laurentius had advised her.
They passed behind one of the lounges as they circled around to the far side. The closest person was facing away from her so all Andie could see of them was a drape of cloth. Sparkling softly in the candlelight, the occupant’s long dark veil glittered like diamonds.
