The feast started up as the werewolves began to eat. Prince Rawls served Lillian a little of each dish before serving himself. Her plate was overflowing with the lovely food and she happily dug into her meal. Nearly everyone ate in silence as the only sound was the clinking of cutlery. She tried to focus on her meal as she could feel the eyes of the werewolves on her. Lillian knew they were judging her harshly and she couldn't really blame them. They had never seen or heard of her before today and she had a feeling that they didn't even know their prince was engaged before this announcement.
She could also feel Prince Rawls' eyes on her too. Was he also judging how she ate? She had been trained in fine dining since she was adopted by Lord Culpepper. There was no way she was embarrassing him due to lack of social skills.
About half way through the meal, Prince Rawls stopped stealing glances at her. Lillian still didn't let her guard down and continued to slowly and thoughtfully eat each piece. Damn, this food was wonderful.
She placed her cutlery on the plate after she finished eating. She was sure her corset was going to burst at this point. The food here rivaled that of the finest chefs. If she were to eat such decadent meals from now on, she would weigh as much as a horse soon.
"Was the food to your liking?" Prince Rawls asked as he finished as well.
"Oh yes! Everything was excellent. My highest compliments to the chef," Lillian exclaimed, very pleased with the meal.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. What was your favorite thing?" He asked, his full attention on her.
"I liked the venison pie but I must say the cake was my absolute favorite," she admitted, blushing a little in embarrassment as her favorite thing was something only children seemed to like.
Prince Rawls chuckled and smiled at her, showing off his set of dimples.
"I will make sure that it is the dessert of choice each night."
"Oh no! I couldn't possibly ask that of you. Sugar is so expensive and it would be a waste to use it solely on cake," she replied quickly.
She didn't want to say she had no control and would gladly eat it till she was the shape of a barrel. Sugary desserts just tasted so good Lillian couldn't resist the temptation. He gave her a little smile as if he knew what her thoughts were but didn't press the issue further.
The subjects began to come up to their table and gave them their congratulations before leaving. The room emptied out rather quickly and they were left alone, only the staff remained as they cleaned up the feast.
"Shall I walk you to your room?" He asked though Lillian highly suspected there was only one correct answer.
"I would appreciate it," she replied and held out her arm for him to take.
The walk was done in silence, which while fine with her, seemed to make the prince highly uncomfortable. It was as if he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself to do so.
"Have a pleasant night, Lady Lowe," he said as they came to her door.
"Goodnight, Prince Rawls," she responded with a bow and entered her room.
She could hear him standing outside the door for a minute before he moved on. She made sure to lock the door after that.
Even though the feeling of dread coming from him was still there, this castle amplified that feeling 10 fold. Lillian couldn't place her finger quite on what that feeling was trying to tell her. Prince Rawls didn't seem to have ill intentions but still that feeling followed him.
Lillian undid her corset and let her belly breathe freely. She let her dress drop around her ankles as she walked to the bathing room. She started up the bath so she could wash the dirt off her body from the long trip on the road. As the water filled the bathing tub, she added a few drops of perfume to the water. The water was warm as she let her body slide into the tub after it filled. She felt much better as she figuratively washed away her past in the scented water. She was still apprehensive about what would happen here but she had made her choice and knew that there was no going back now.
The water grew cold as Lillian finally got out. She dried herself off, wrapped the towel around her, and stared out the window. Her windows overlooked the courtyard but she could still see the beautiful night sky. She noticed movement in the bushes in the courtyard but after a few moments nothing else happened. That feeling of dread came back strong and no matter how she tried to focus on something else, that feeling wouldn't go away.
She shook her head as she walked to the wardrobe. She slipped into her nightgown and brushed her hair out before wrapping it tightly into a bun. She settled down into the soft bed and closed her eyes waiting for sleep to overcome her.
---
What Lillian failed to take into account was all the activity that still took place at night in a castle. Each noise had her startled awake. By morning she was exhausted as she heard the castle start to really come alive for the day ahead.
Lillian got up and stretched her body before she dressed in a light blue gown. She brushed her hair before she went to attend breakfast. There were many ladies and gentlemen walking around as she followed the smell to the dining hall.
There was once again a large spread of food out for the taking. Her mouth was watering at the possibility of trying more of the delicious food.
Prince Rawls was standing at the head table with a new man today. They seemed to be having a rather heated discussion about something. They sensed her coming over and the man simply bowed to her before leaving.
"Lady Lowe! I find that you had no issues finding this room?" Prince Rawls asked her, smiling happily.
"I did. The wonderful smells lead me here. Are all the days filled with such rich foods?" She asked curiously.
Prince Rawls chuckled at her and led her to a chair to sit in.
"No, unfortunately not so I apologize. This is only for a few days so everyone will think of the wonderful food when they think of your arrival," he said as he sat down next to her.
A young girl, about the same age as Roy, came hurrying to their table and sat beside Prince Rawls with a huff. The similarities between the two were certainly striking. The same gray hair, same distinctive jaw shape, and those same golden eyes.
"Oh that's quite alright. I would gain too much weight if I continued to eat like I did yesterday. Thank you for thinking of my future," she replied, to which the girl huffed.
Prince Rawls looked over to her and looked very displeased with her behavior. Lillian took the opportunity to introduce herself and hopefully dispel the foul mood.
"I don't believe we've had a formal introduction. I am called Lady Lowe," she said as pleasantly as possible.
The girl looked at her with a pout and huffed, turning away from her. resisted rolling her eyes. Same attitude as Roy when he had to attend a formal gathering.
"Florence!" Prince Rawls scolded.
"It's alright. Children will be children," she assured him.
"I am not a child! I am nearly 12!" Florence yelled.
"Actions speak much louder than your words. Why not show me that you are not a child instead of yelling it?" She asked.
It was a trick that worked with Roy so it was worth a try. She could see the cogs in the princess's head turning as she thought on her words.
"It is nice to meet you, Lady Lowe. My name is Princess Rawls," she said with confidence.
Lillian smiled at her and clapped. The young girl instantly blushed and tried hiding behind her hair.
"You look so much more beautiful when you present yourself with such confidence! Oh don't be shy now. Show the people how elegant you are, Princess," she told her.
The princess sat up again but kept her eyes glued to the table. Prince Rawls stared at her in awe of the exchange.
The food was served and our conversation ended. The food was once again amazing. Prince Rawls served the princess first and then her, as was the social protocol. Each item was made with expertise and with the finest quality of ingredients. Damn, if this was just to impress her, it had done its job.
Once again, the meal was eaten in silence. She noticed that the prince's attention was on the princess and not on her today, which was such a relief. There were less people around today's breakfast than last night's dinner. The ones who were here today looked to be ones that held higher ranks if their fancy clothes were anything to go by. She caught sight of the man he was talking to earlier. Judging by his uniform, he must be some sort of military officer. Lillian wondered what was going on that he seemed so deep in thought.
Breakfast was quickly finished and the princess seemed to be pouting again. She felt so bad for her.
"Princess Rawls, would you give me the honor of showing me around the castle?"
"You really want to spend time with me?" She asked, surprised but hopeful.
"Of course. Why would I ask if I didn't mean it? I have a younger brother and I miss him so much. It would make me quite happy to spend time with you," she explained to her.
Lillian honestly felt bad for the child. She was probably alone except for her tutors, as she had yet to see any other children wandering the halls of the castle.
She looked towards the prince who nodded and she all but squealed in delight. She took her hand and they were off. Surprisingly she chatted non-stop unlike her brother… or at least she assumed Prince Rawls was the princess's brother and not her father. She would have to ask later so she didn't make a fool of herself in public.
Lillian's day was filled with a long tour and lecture about each resident in the castle. She was not naive in her thinking that the castle was the residence only for the royal family; it was where all matters of government were held along with the home of select officials. Her room, as well as that of the prince and princess, were part of the castle dedicated to royal residence. It was in the part that was defended by the sea.
Finally it was once again time for dinner and it was equally as grand as her first night. Prince Rawls made sure to give her a larger slice of cake today. She felt a small smile come to her lips at the sight of the sweet dessert.