" Arena!," Fawna called out the moment she got to the banquet table where Arena was. She was shocked to see the huge piece of blueberry tart on her plate.
Fawna wasn't pleased but instantly decided to ignore it since she had more pressing questions to ask her.
Standing beside her alongside Parona she started speaking trying to reduce the awkward tension she felt in the air.
" Arena! When we saw you fall, we were shocked and terrified," said Fawna going ahead to grip Arena's left hand which she wasn't using to hold her plate at that moment.
Arena then tried her best to liberate her hand to enable her to eat her tart with ease, but the more she tried to pull away, the more Fawna held on to it as she continued talking.
"I and Parona were petrified so much so that we couldn't move from the spot we stood on at the bottom of the stairs where we were, but we are so happy that you are well and alive irrespective of the embarrassing events that happened to you,"
"Yeah, it's such a delight that you have enough energy to eat such a big tart," said Parona unable to stop herself from commenting on the plate that Arena was holding.
" and you also look better, when I saw you fall, you looked so pale and your hair parted in various directions, I don't think I can ever forget such a memorable image of you," Fawna gently spoke without thinking too much about whatever it was she wanted to say, trying to divert Parona's attention from the tart while trying to communicate with her through her eyes.
However, Parona would have none of that and she sharply replied.
" Yeah, I don't think anyone here would ever be able to forget that image of her," she said shaking her head slightly to show her disapproval
.
" What happened to you is the reason why we take etiquette lessons so that even when us ladies fall or faint, we are to do it with the utmost elegance and grace," Parona continued speaking, straightening her body and standing taller while raising her head higher just enough to prove her point.
Meanwhile, Arena's hand was still in Fawna's own and she was getting tired of watching her blueberry tart without being able to eat it.
Instead of listening to Parona drone on about what happened to her and how she should have fainted better and more stylishly, all that went through Arena's mind was the various ways by which she could get Fawna to release the hand she still held.
" It's fine, I'm fine now," said Arena pulling her hand away from Fawna's own with a little more force than was necessary.
"how am I to display such unladylike behavior the kind that has never before been seen if she keeps my hand, preventing me from being able to eat with it," she thought before looking around and noticing that even though the Queen was gone, a lot of nobles had chosen to remain and a lot of them stood talking to their fellow friends or relatives around the banquet table.
"I guess that for my mother's sake, I'm going to have to be more subtle about whatever I do," thought Arena, as she couldn't wait to finally get rid of both of them for good.
"Without beating about the bush, I'm just going to say things as they are," she abruptly spoke up after deciding that unless she decided to pour the entire blueberry tart on both of them they were going to keep sticking to her like glue since her parents had more social standing than their own and their mothers would probably be livid if something happened to their connection with her.
" We do not get along very well and I would like for us to stop being friends and for the both of you..." She said looking both of them in the eye one after the other.
"... to stop talking to me," Arena spoke, finishing with a note of finality in her tone.
"What are you trying to say?" Fawna suddenly asked never having imagined that Arena would ever say such a thing.
Arena was about to speak up and reply when she heard a voice speak up from behind her,
"What she's trying to indirectly say is that she considers both of you to be nothing but parasitic friends whom she no longer wishes to interact with," Said Sahana who had been standing a few feet away from them listening to their conversation while waiting for the rest of her family in order for her to leave the banquet.
"Hummmp, let's leave Fawna," said Parona grabbing Fawna by the hand.
"I never liked your company, and I hope that both of you enjoy each other's company," she said looking at both Arena and Sahana as they stood side by side before pulling Fawna away, who still had a dazed and surprised look on her face.
"That was fun," Sahana said smiling at Arena as she wiggled her eyebrows at her.
"I agree," said Arena, giggling at Sahana's expression delighted to meet a free-spirited person who wasn't as stuck up as the people she was used to.
"My name is Arena, from the noble house of Wilferdor,"
" Sahana Velin," said Sahana maintaining the huge smile on her face before thinking in her mind,
" One friend gotten, Only about ten good ones left to find," Sahana thought as she took a dessert plate from the banquet table pilling some blueberry tart into her plate intending to enjoy it with her newfound friend.