Olivia turned to her father and gave him a questioning gaze.
"Let's just sit for the meal first" he immediately changed the topic.
The table was adorned with a sumptuous spread of food and elegant china. They all sat down, and the room filled with the clinking of cutlery and polite conversation. Despite the apparent normalcy of the scene, the heavy weight of Ariel's absence loomed over them.
"Olivia, it's been too long," Aldric spoke up suddenly, his voice tinged with both warmth and sadness.
It had been a trying time for their family ever since Ariel's disappearance.
He looked disorganized, compared to the usual organized handsome king.
She smiled back at him, "yes your majesty, it's being a while"
He smiled at her and focused his attention back to the food.
