The banquet hall was colorful and grand, the nobles are so happy to live up with it's name. Marquis Ariel Fordenn and Consort Pamela entered together with the five young ladies.
Laria is stern so is Arianne and Tiara. Fierre and Sierra was in awe since this is the first time they entered the banquet hall of the Palace, and that theirs could not compare.
There was gold and gems everywhere! The giggled and was ready to socialize. They have a lot of friends in the Academy, and they are all cheery for them. The atmosphere was warm, but the three elder sister remained stoic, and did not budge a little.
"The Emperor really did decorate the hall using our gems without paying! How funny," Arianne snorted and fan herself rolling her eyes. Tiara nodded when she was called by her friends but Laria did not allow her so because her magic has been on the lose and she could control them well.
"I know right," Laria rolled her eyes, "As if the Kingdom does not care at all at the war coming," she gritted her teeth.
It was her and Prince Darius was doing all the work. As if those nobles does not care at all. She cannot wait to see their faces if they got captive by the East Empire. She smiled at the thought. She couldn't wait ripping their face off.
The banquet is lively. The food includes a lot of chocolate mousse, different types of curry, hardboiled eggs for some reason, mashed potatoes, pre sliced fruits like apples, banana, melon, kiwi, pineapple, and mangoes, ceviche, potted seafoods, sushi, pastas, fried rice, a roasted chicken, menudo and a tamarind soup with pork.
Cervian Sales, a girl from countryside brought a special dish that smells bad, but if you are good at food you'll taste it for sure.
"What's that?!" Princess Monica snorted at the fishy odor. "Who dares bring such in the banquet hall?!" she shouted and now all of the eyes are in her.
Cervian is a daughter of Baron Sales from the countryside. Her parents wanted her to offer the dish to the King and Queen of the delicacy their territory can offered. They served it to every visitor and pride themselves the creator of the delicious meal.
"What is a countryside looking girl doing at the Royal Banquet?!" Cervian's body shivers and could not move. She was in awe.
Monica Hernaioux Eternal is the 1st princess of Eternal Kingdom, and the third in line of succession. Her mother is the current queen so she is a brat. Laria wanted to remove her too.
Laria does not mean harm in the kingdom, but she really want to replace the officials sitting. But she wanted to remove her father the most.
"I heard that your mining site is declining, Marquis Fordenn, does this mean that you do not control it very well?" Duke Falcon ask, mocking him.
Duke Falcon is an enemy of the family because they both have a mining site. The difference is that the land of Fordenns is blessed with Goddess Rosana that it produces very beautiful gems, every week. It is beyong incomparable to what the Falcons have. However, due to neglect of the Marquis, this is happening.
"Of course not!" he retorted. "It's just that our family is so busy in opening our new business," he declared proudly.
"And what could that business be?" Duke Falcon bet that there is none. Knowing the Marquis, he is an easy go lucky man who does not know anything about the business.
He knows that Ariel Fordenn became the Marquis because of his wife, Eris. Now, she is dead. Eris Tatiana Winterialle is the illegitimate daughter of Duke Winterialle. The duchess disliked her so much that she did not bat an eye when the Duke wed her into the Fordenn family. Thus, since then, the House Winterialle did not give a support to Laria and her siblings. As Ariel and his only sibling, Arnold left the house and pursue his journey at being a magician in the magic tower of the West.
Arnold disliked the way the imperial system was now. Many citizens are suffering, while the Emperor is living his life lavishly. The only hope of the Kingdom now is Prince Darius, and he hoped to support him one day for his fight in the throne.
"You will know, soon," he arrogantly said and smiled with the Consort, "If nothing else, we will go now." The couple walked confidently when they were stopped by what the Duke said.
"You must be so confident that Lady Laria will become the Empress," they stopped and Consort Pamela was like she was thrown a bucket of water with ice, shivers. The crowd who hears the approach now murmured at each other. And Laria smiled.
"What?!" Consort Pamela could not help it.
The rumor has been planted.
"The Winterialle family is entering!" Because it was one of the four dukedom, they announced it. They have special treatment for the four major family.
Laria did not bat an eye when she see the Duke and Duchess of Winterialle at the banquet hall. She ignore them like how they used to even when their mother was alive. That made the Duke gritted his teeth.
Ashton Winterialle entered the banquet hall with his silver hair and gold eyes, like a dazzling star of the night. The surroundings turned chilly and that made the guest shiver.
"What a way of showing off his powers," said Tiara and rolled her eyes.
"Yes, to get everyone's attention," Arianne whispered back.
He is their cousin but they hate his guts. They haven't played eversince nor meet because of how they view Eris, their mother. So of course, they feel mutual hate with them.
"That ugly duckling is our grandmother?" Tiara ask, she does not speak much but she could not help but throw an insult to her mother's family that they have seen for the first time.
"That bitch is the one who abuse our mother! I cannot wait to strangle her hair!" Arianne snorted. This brat.
"I'll make Sebastian kidnapped her," Fierre added.
"Me too! I'll make Nerfon help!" and they all giggled.
"Do not be like that, girls," she speak and observe every move that Winterialle family is having. They are showing off their wealth and power.
Laria feels suffocated. Of course, she is angry. Whose daughter won't get angry by what they did to their mother?
After that, everyone feel smooth, as if the air is hugging them.
"The Aeras family is entering!" then the trumphet was blown, and the Aeras family entered. Duke and Duchess Aeras looked like they are from another world. Of course, they are an exceptional beauty too.
Their brown hair and black eyes are remarkable. They have two young daughter and three boys, same as Laria.
The eldest is warm and cheerful, and is smiling everywhere. The family looks really warm and happy. Laria wanted to be their acquantance, she know they would be a great help in the future. When Aeolus Aeras and Laria meet eye halfway, the two blushed.
Laria's heart is beating too fast. So is Aeolus.
"King Darvin Augustine Hernaioux Eternal and Queen Nefaria Lizelle Eternal is entering!"
"All hail the King and the Queen!"
"The Sun and the Moon of the Empire!"
Laria grinned when she heard this. It's time for the real banquet to start.