Verinia was confounded.
When had Viola Grandpire's voice ever been so sweet and mellow?
The Sovereign's children looked at each other again, all of them thinking the exact same thing.
"Viola." Su'Datheram Derzev allowed his eyes to linger on the woman for far too long. Verinia noted the sweet smile on her face at the acknowledgment and the flair of her movements as she sat.
Narunel's serpents...
"Witch," Syvia muttered under her breath. The Fifth Princess kicked her under the table.
"Have some decorum, Syvia."
The two girls started glaring at each other, fighting a valiant battle with their eyes.
"Kaelbi," Verinia greeted pleasantly, being met with curious golden eyes. One more set in the sea of many. "How are you finding your room?"
"Wonderful, Su'Adrit. I have an uninterrupted view of the city beyond the wall." Kaelbi smiled fondly. "The architecture of Zanza never ceases to amaze me."
Second Prince Jelico nodded airily. "This city was once home of the magi'ki. They built imposing structures in view of this palace."
"I understand that Light Tower itself was home of the High Magus?" Viola input as a servant placed her food before her. The Su'Datheram looked at her. She pretended not to notice and smiled kindly at the servant.
"That's right. This palace—this entire city, was built to withstand the darkest of forces. Forces we cannot fathom ourselves," Verinia said.
Fourth Princess Numer hummed her agreement as she cut her food. "I suppose they knew what was coming with the curse, or maybe it was simply a precaution."
"Either way," Fifth Princess Neska added, "it's fortunate that they knew how to engineer the city. The people may not have been saved, but the history was and our ancestors found it."
"Apologies to all," a young, enthusiastic voice rang out through the space of the dining hall. Verinia's face brightened considerably from its placid mask as Halen approached to kiss her cheek. "Siblings. Father. I was caught up engaging in the most riveting debate of politics."
"Politics?" Syvia look up halfway through cutting her mutton. "I thought you wouldn't take politics for another two turns, Halen."
"Ina had my curriculum advanced months ago," he stated simply, taking a seat beside Verinia.
"Mine has been advanced as well," the Fourth and Seventh prince said at the same time. They glared at each other.
"As has mine." Fifth Princess Neska smiled provokingly at Syvia. The Third Princess kicked her under the table.
"Mine hasn't."
At one side of the table, Ninth Princess Zinar pushed the food around in her plate sadly. She was only six turns of age and was such a sweet and sensible child. She was the youngest of the princesses who could roam the palace.
All children under the age of six would be confined to their mother's courtyards until it was time for them to learn. Then, they would be able to join the others.
"That is because you're still learning the first steps, tiny." Eighth Princess Vadya pat her little head. She herself was not much older than Princess Zinar, but as they were born of the same mother, Princess Vadya cared for her like an adult.
"I want to learn quickly so that First Sister can advance my school too!" Little Ninth Princess clutched her cutlery with a fierce determination scrunching up her small face. Everyone laughed at her cuteness.
"Very well, then. Study hard." Verinia smiled at her and winked.
Halen startled suddenly, looking between the addition of mother and son at the table with surprise that lasted barely a moment before it was replaced with an easy smile. "You must be Kaelbi."
"I am, My Prince." Kaelbi bowed his head, provoking a waved hand of dismissal from the boy.
"Call me Halen. We are, after all, brothers." Then he looked at the mother, and whatever delight had been in the young prince's eyes dimmed just slightly. "Su'ni Grandpire."
"Su'Darath," Viola greeted, using the title for the throne's heir.
Her lips were pulled taut into what could only be described as the spiritual semblance of a tense smile. Not quite real yet somehow stretching her lips just the same.
"What were you all speaking of?" Halen took up his fresh wine and drank the cup heartily, looking first at his eldest sister, then his other siblings.
Verinia felt her smile grow larger. "The withstanding architecture of former Nefre. Kaelbi here has expressed his interest in them."
"Oh. It's a fascinating history, really." The boy speared a green leaf with a vapid smile. "Our ancestors located to this very place for reason of its architecture. The old capital looked nothing like this city does. For one, they had no pinnacles over their constructions and it was much smaller than this one. In any case of crisis, we may offer asylum here."
"Does the city have the means to offer protection for so many? Oalta is a continent, after all."
Everyone turned to regard Viola as if she were a fool.
Had she completely missed the size of Zanza upon her entry to it? There were countries that were smaller than the capital. The entire capital peninsula could host two or three countries worth of people quite comfortably.
"Nefre was a city hosting one hundred million magi'ki and their families, whereas Zanza holds only an odd four million to the day, many of whom are manual experts." Halen's smile was a touch sarcastic. "I assure you, there is food, shelter and perhaps other things."
"If we don't multiply," Syvia added. "I was speaking with Pera Anthipeia of the draught her mother concocted to prevent conception—"
"Syvia," Verinia warned, but it went unheeded. Her little sister continued as if she had never heard her.
"She uses leerwood. Unbelievable, isn't it? I thought leerwood was meant to increa—"
"Syvia." Verinia glared for barely a moment before the look shifted into a pleasant smile. The change was so quick that no one could decipher when she'd frowned and when she'd begun to smile.
The Sovereign's children shivered. The First Princess was not to be trifled with. Even though she was younger than some of those seated, she had their well-earned respect.
"Tell your brother about the Thalon."
"Oh!" The Third Princess instantly began to shift topics, but the Fifth Princess spoke before she could.
"Becka Alpert has received a pure blooded Thalon stallion for her fifteenth cycle."
Syvia's mouth hung open in the shape of the first unformed word she was going to say. Instantly, upon having her words stolen by that wretched sister of hers, she felt incredibly aggrieved.
"The Alperts?" Kaelbi asked, confusion lacing the tone of his voice. "The merchant family?"
"Precisely." Sixth Princess Dresderia leaned back in her seat with a smug look. "Where does a working class family find the coin for such a thing?"
"Weren't they involved with the ivory trade during the last turn?" Halen looked between his sisters. "I suppose that's where."
"No," Their father expressed in a rare moment of familial participation. "Not ivory. Pearls."
"Hmph. No wonder." Syvia narrowed her eyes as she poked her plate. "Now I'll have to hear Becka boast about her family's new acquisitions."
As always, whenever Syvia spoke, Neska also had to speak. "You know that they purchased a manor near Su'na Darienis' own here in the capital?"
"In Goldenseal Lane?" Third Prince Rukan expressed his disbelief. "They're that wealthy?"
"Apparently."
"I don't believe it at all." Syvia's nose rose high in the air with disdain. "Those Alperts must be doing something illicit to have so much coin. Becka has been too boastful."
"I wasn't aware you've even spoken to her, Syv." Verinia tried to remember all of her sister's friends in her head. She would have remembered the corpse-like paleness of Becka Alpert being amongst them.
"I haven't, but I know of her and Marsiree Sarivi says she's been insufferable since her family came upon fortune."
"It comes from her mother," Viola said sourly all of a sudden. "Ro'ni Alpert has a penchant for flaunting her newfound wealth."
The Third and Fifth princesses smirked, a sly look passing between them before it was smothered with innocence.
Syvia waved a hand. "Well, not everyone has the grace of true aristocracy."
"But they will certainly try to imitate it." Neska daintily dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin. "I feel quite bad for people like that woman."
"You can't feel bad for commoners putting on airs," Sixth Princess Dresderia said. "They know what they're doing."
"Sounds like jealousy," Halen muttered, receiving a cutting glare from his sisters for it. He gave them all a look and held his hands beside his head in surrender, provoking laughter from his brothers.
"I suppose the next step for the young Miss now is marriage," Verinia commented slowly. "I wonder how that will be."
"They will most assuredly try to latch her on to someone of the old blood." Syvia turned up her nose. "Upper, of course. Not lower House."
"Of course it won't be lower House." Fifth Princess Neska snorted. "Do you think they're flaunting wealth like desperate peacocks just to saddle that girl on to whatever man they come across? They want her in the Su ranks."
"Impossible."
Everyone turned their heads to look at Seventh Princess Natzat. Like all the other princesses, she was very beautiful, but her presence was often overlooked because she preferred to keep her silence.
When she spoke, however, her voice was so cold that it could freeze the heavens.
"To put a commoner in the Su ranks… how low will our continent fall to do such a thing?"
Every word Princess Natzat spoke was coated in thick disgust. Her entire face was pinched with fury.
"It's a popular pastime to climb rank these days," Second Prince Jelico supplied with a derisive laugh.
"It always has been," Verinia agreed gently.
"Those who don't know their place will eat dust." Princess Natzat smiled like an angel. "The gods will see to it."
Everyone shivered as the sensation of spiders crawling down their backs began to assault their senses.
"Oh," Verinia began suddenly, drawing the table's attention to her. "Your Effulgent Majesty, the hunt you've been organising? When is it due?"
The Su'Datheram made as if he would look at her, then moved his eyes away before they could meet her face. "The second of Dava."
All of the siblings looked at each other in confusion. The second of Dava? Why? There were no feast days near that date at all.
"That is my cycle, Your Effulgent Majesty."
Verinia nearly broke the cup of wine in her hand.
All of the siblings looked at each other again with a tacit understanding, and all of their eyes became pinned on her once more.
"Oh, how wonderful!" She exclaimed, releasing the cup because if she didn't, she would injure herself. "Your first cycle with us! How many turns, Colby?"
"Twenty, Serenity."
Her eyes met the Second Prince's before everyone's eyes turned toward the Sovereign, who carried on with his food as though they weren't there at all.
Verinia liked to consider herself as a peaceful person who used intelligence instead of brute strength to achieve the results she wanted.
It was her carefully polished image to appear like a graceful, benevolent mother figure in front of everyone at all times.
Never in her life had she wanted to resort to violence as much as she did in that exact moment.
It was growing inside of her so fast that she felt like she would break wind from the swelling pressure in her guts.
"Well," she choked out, as if an onion had been lodged in her throat. "We are fortunate to celebrate with you."