The dining room is more or less like a tightrope act. No one really knows how to interact with our new guest since having a foreign emissary who has a large influence over the potential relationship with a neighboring country is a lot more intimidating than just a simple messenger. One wrong move or comment and future attempts of contact could be ruined before it could even start.
"I do hope you find the food to your liking," I comment after taking a sip of my water. "We are still new to the whole royalty thing here, so large feasts aren't very common. Just enough food is cooked to feed everyone with very little leftover."
"The food is wonderful. I just hope that I wasn't intruding." The duke fixes another plate of mashed potatoes, and a maid brings another serving of cut steak to him. "It's actually kind of nice to eat a small intimate meal. I do not entertain much the idea of feasts since it's a waste of food; however, the king loves to throw banquets with plenty of food."
