As soon lord Rawclaw was done speaking, servants emerged into the room, carrying all kinds of food. Greasy chicken with sweet sauce, grilled tomatoes to the side of perfectly cooked lamb, pastries and bread were passed left and right, chatter grew louder despite diners being mouthful.
I stared at everyone, not wanting to look at my food or even start to think of how I'm meant to eat it. and maybe, because I didn't want to go back to the man sitting to my side, arm heavily on my armrest. My armrest. As if he has no chair of his own, as if he had never heard of personal space, or public decency. As if he is not the noble knight he claims to be, not to me at least.
That doesn't stop him from nearing my ear and whispering:" You know Ria..." I took a breath, that nickname he uses." I have always thought you were quite the good student, weren't you?"
I turned my head, finally meeting his gaze. In that moment I felt like no one was but us. No person existed and no other creature lived except for him and I, and while the univers was vast and spacious, enough to contain us with our hatred and arguments, we were stuck so close, breathing the same air, feeling the same feelings- or so I hoped-, antagonizing everything we had said and done mere years ago.
" You were always so smart, yet you know not how to use cutlery, why?" I ignored him. His voice is disabling my speech.
Who would've thought that Hebron and I would be here having dinner together willingly?
Remembering that I have a dinner I need to have, and an act I need to preform on top of that, I returned my attention back to my empty plate. My reflexion was one I could not recognize, of a woman with flushed cheeks and love in her eyes. That was not love, she must be confused. She must've confused his pretense-care with sincere want, she shall not listen to his talk, for his talk is full of lies, for she is to be a woman of brilliance and strong will, for he is the reason she sees a weakness in herself, for that is the reason "she" and "he" can never become "they", for I may not be able to stand at the mercy of him, and his hazel eyes, and not bend my will.
But I must resist. As far as he knows I hold great hatred toward him, which is not wrong, yet not completely true.
I reached forward, filling my plate with some chicken I've been eyeing for a while and some boiled vegetables. As I contemplated which of these utensils I shall use first a hand appeared before me, taking my plate and replacing it with his. I looked at him in disbelief, why was forcing myself to look decent if one could take another's food with no second thoughts? Just as I decided to fill my newly empty plate with the same dishes I picked first, I felt a palm rest on my thigh under the table and I froze. To say I didn't expect this treatment in my stay here would be a lie, but to be objected to it on my first day and at a welcoming event is way beyond my expectations. The man sitting next to me appears to be another knight, one who joined us late and did nothing but drawn expensive liquor like his life depended on it. The old Huaria would have stood up quickly and made a scene out of it, as one should. However I decided to take the more reasonable approach, the one that would draw less eyes and result in no casualties.
I threw a pleading look toward the duke, urging him to help me somehow, but he did not seem to understand, if anything he looked more perplexed than ever. I don't blame him, I don't go around smiling at people without intent, and I certainly do not plead.
So I took it a step further and called out his nickname, only for his ears to hear " Ron, please!" I nearly hissed, and my one-sided conversation didn't bother the other knight as his hand was now roaming my thigh freely. My right hand reached for the tablecloth, fisting it in my palm to contain any reaction from escaping.
But instead of looking down and seeing that filthy man's hand on me, Ron smiled. A lazy side grin, almost as if he enjoyed my pleading- and he might have enjoyed it- and said in a husky voice, one of a man intoxicated and unable to think though I saw no drink in his hand :
" Oh my sweetest Ria! How I like to hear you speak my name", he then reached forward and freed the tablecloth from my grasp, interlocking our fingers while at it. his fingertips pink and mine red with henna.
I pulled on our joined hands, as if to make him grasp how serious this is:" Ron! This is no game we play, I urge you do something! It shall be a favor I am indebted to repay, just be quick!"
" What are you-", he stopped talking once his eyes fell on my lap and saw it. and I know he saw it all because his face contorted instantly and his grasp on my hand tightened.
" Sir Staveros!", he said sharply, and that hand on me was gone.
" I expect you outside. Now." he said as he stood up, too eager to leave and do whatever he's telling himself he has the right to do.
He reached down and gave me my plate back, food sliced into bite-sized portions, a fork neatly placed atop. " Eat. And meet me in the drawing room we were at this morning." he kissed my temple then addressed the rest of the table :" I have urgent business to care for. Please keep my guest entertained."
With that he left.