The petite girl jumped up from her bed, grasping her neck and struggling to breathe. She stood from her bed abruptly and approached the door, stumbling and tumbling into furniture.
"Young miss!? What's wrong!? Did you hurt yourself? I heard banging!" Annabelle yelled anxiously from behind the door, grabbing the doorknob, which was already twisted from the other side. The door slammed open as the young miss grabbed Annabelle's collar. "Annabelle. What year is it?" the girl integrated with a terrifying and grim expression. "Y-young miss!?" Annabelle stuttered flusteredly, shocked by the young miss and her nervous mannerisms.
"Did you not hear me ask you a question? Answer me!" the young lady yelled hoarsely, tightening her grip on the maid.
"I-It's the year 323, three centuries after the empire's founding!" Annabelle replied hastily, her eyes wide and dilated while starting back at the young miss. The girls stared at each other in silence before the young miss released the maid returning to her calm and stone-like expression. "I see. Take me to breakfast now, Annabelle." the young lady said calmly. "I-I... Y-Yes young miss, right away!" Annabelle said in a fluster, quickly composing herself and moving next to the young lady bowing deeply. "After you, young miss," Annabelle said softly, returning to her professional attitude.
After a short glance, the young lady walks past Annabelle, promptly followed by the young maid. "Who will be at breakfast today?" the young lady asked quietly while walking with a haughty air. The way she moved made all who observed know she was a lady with an excellent pedigree as if she had power engraved into her being. "The young misses siblings will be present at breakfast as well as your visiting cousins and aunt. The misses fiance will be present with the lord overseeing the breakfast." The maid replied with little change in tone as she walked swiftly behind the lady, the dinner hall now in sight. The two girls are directly in front of the door to the dining room. Two large brawly guards were posted in front of the door, standing upright. Their gaze was unmoving, merely staring straight ahead with no shifting. "The young miss has arrived," Annabelle said firmly behind the lady stirring the two guards to move. With strict and practiced moments, the two guards began to move, pushing the doors open stiffly.
"Finally, you're here, Hisako. Everyone is here. Take your seat so we can begin breakfast." The man at the front of the table said with little change in tone. There was a sense of ease and authority in the individual's speaking. The placement of where they were sitting made it easy to deduce the individual speaking was the lord. He was dictating when the meal began and directing the people before him to do as he commanded with little effort. The gentleman was an older sort with a larger frame and a surprisingly robust figure. At the same time, his silver hair and the wrinkles between his brow presented his years of life. His deep blue eyes were piercing and commanding. He intertwined his long slender fingers, placing his elbow on the arm of the chair and overseeing the people around him as Hisako sat a few chairs away from the elder.
Hisako sat next to a pair of identical twins to her left and a visibly agitated young gentleman to her right. Nine people were at the meal, with the children sitting towards the far end of the table and the adults closer to the lord.
"Now that everyone is accounted for, breakfast will start. Bring in the food!" The Lord commanded, stirring the standing servants to begin a quick and orderly chain of movements. There was a little wait before the food was placed on the table and plates put in front of each person present. The room was silent, with little movement besides the clanking of silverware against plates. The atmosphere was relatively rigid, with no warmth in the room. Hisako ate slowly, not making a sound before feeling her hair get tugged. It was a slight tug that many would hardly even notice but was an unmistakable feeling to the person experiencing the event. Hisako's brows furrowed as she placed her utensil back in its proper place, stopping any motion. With little hesitation, Hisako was about to speak up before a loud clang was heard with silverware and food being flung straight to the ground.
"I can not take this anymore! My grace, there is a reason for my visit. Time and time again, I have been denied any ability to speak my mind, but no longer can I stay silent!" The child to Hisako's right stood abruptly, slamming his hand into the table and pushing his meal to the edge and creating this dramatic scene. "I cannot bring myself to continue this engagement with your granddaughter!" He said fiercely with a fire in his eyes, obviously determined.