Since the snarky girls had backed off she made simple polite conversation with the boy across from her and a few others, all the while wishing she could be back in her room reading or better yet, back at her estate with her close friends.
An egg salad was served as a side to her near-empty main dish which held a large leafy green, some sauce, and some decorative garnishes, to emphasize the fact that she had no main dish or at least no meat, but she certainly wasn't about to go starving with all the sides that were provided.
But... did anyone else have egg? The dish seemed too hearty when the theme was to either gorge on decadent meat or mock those who only got to eat plants. Eggs seemed like a loophole. She looked up and down the table but as it was a feast there were so many dishes it was kind of hard to tell.
"Why does she have that when no one else does?" a girl asked bringing attention to her eggs.
"Her champion provided them and requested it be served on account of her health." the server responded.
several boys and girls both chuckled.
"All he was able to catch was an egg? That's embarrassing." A boy exclaimed to a round of laughter.
"Yet that is still more than you," she said taking a bite.
"At least I didn't cheat like some." she gave him a nod of agreement, though that was probably his father's decision, not his.
"It's actually rather creative and resourceful, there's both wild quail and Duck eggs in here along with several tubulars. They could have been harvested during the hunt in the woods, but they wouldn't have been reported as a kill because no animals were murdered." she quickly came up with a probable story. "That's just like my thoughtful and kind mystery man." she gushed taking another savory bite, it actually was quite good.
"A real man would have killed at least a rabbit."
"A cute and fluffy bunny? but that would be so sad." one of the girls nearby said, real sadness in her eyes.
"The hunt is meant to show how well we can protect and provide for a woman, hence why the larger the pray the better the husband material he is." a man two seats down stated proudly.
"But I've never needed protection from prey and I could buy meat or a hunter's services. Besides, by your logic that would mean that the best husband material here would be Duke by a long shot, so if your logic is correct all the ladies here should be vying for his attention." there was a pause where everyone looked around uncomfortably at the idea or checking to make sure he didn't hear, she made sure not to look because she didn't want her foot in her mouth right now.
"Yet I haven't heard anyone swooning over the great accomplishment of downing a grizzly. Now that is the kind of animal I'd need protection from. But if that isn't the key to attracting women, It may be worth asking a woman or two what they are actually looking for in a man rather than jumping to silly conclusions."
"but my father said-"
"Is your father a woman?"
"No! Of course not."
"I didn't think so, does he spend time seeking the insights of women?"
"Of course not!" he sounded offended by the idea.
"Then how would he know for sure? I always wondered if men gathered amongst themselves and shared silly stories about what they thought women wanted without actually ask a real woman, but how foolish would that be?"
"And what would you want?" the man across from her asked. At least he wasn't overly prideful.
"Well I only speak for me and not all women, but what I'd look for most is someone who I could trust and respect, and who would trust and respect me back. I can hire someone for almost anything but I can't buy trust or respect and someone you trust by your side can make all the difference in any given situation. Even going to bed each night could become a nightmare if you didn't trust the person closest to you." she added alluding to the fact that even a woman could kill her stronger husband in his sleep, or with poison, or just make their life hell. Most had likely witnessed at least one woman a sister, mother aunt grandmother, or someone else's relative that got her revenge on a man before when she was furious.
The hopefully thoughtful silence was interrupted when the Duke stood up and walked out before the dinner plates had a chance to be cleared. Was the weight of all those stares getting to him? he seemed to walk more hunched and a little too fast as he left, it made him seem shorter and his shoulders more narrow... but when leading his men back from the frontlines or at the ceremony where he was given his new title and rank in front of crowds of thousands he'd stood tall. But who other than her would be crazy enough to impersonate him and why? He didn't even say or do anything.
The whole table seemed to relax when his figure disappeared, the girls talking about how scared they were. as the boys tried to pretend they hadn't been. But she felt kind of sad, even if that wasn't him. The fact he was treated like such a paria hurt.
When dessert was served she was given a cup of medicinal tea and a bowl of ham bone broth which she guessed she could get away with since it was broth and there was no actual meat. It smelled delicious but did he really have to rob her of dessert? This "caring" was getting rather annoying and she felt like he was messing with her. It was an odd way to get his payback.
The waiter leaned down and whispered "Your kind gentleman offers you his sincere apologies for his earlier blunder and hopes this soup will suit your taste better." she looked at it skeptically unwilling to believe it wasn't partly a mean prank, but it did smell good, it reminded her of cozy evenings in the kitchen during a cold winter storm. It tasted just as good as fortifying for the soul as the body.
"Why did they give you soup instead of dessert?" the boy across from her asked curiously. She'd learned his name was Lord Coriander.
"Oh, I think because I was sick the other day, the doctor must have thought this better for my recovery than sweats," she answered simply and tried a sip. It was a heavy flavorful soup and she finished it all along with her tea.
Feeling warm and sleepy from her meal she excused herself early to head to her room, maybe she could get away with a small nap before the Ball. A scared guard ducked out of the room from a side door just before her, his brown skin and dark hair catching her attention. So it was of no surprise when she turned the corner down the hall, the real Duke Ravi'en stepped into view wearing the same simple guard uniform she'd seen him in the day before.
"You don't look surprised," he noted.
"Who was pretending to be you?" she asked out of curiosity.
"My guard, I got the idea from a crazy and brazen Lady, and he's not at all happy about it. You don't think to many others realized it wasn't me do you?"
"You probably fooled most because fear distorts reality but anyone who knows you wouldn't fall for that so I doubt half the elders did. Maybe only the ones with poor vision. His skin is much lighter than yours and he hunches too much..."
He was grinding and she didn't know why but it lit up his blue in a breathtaking way so she had to look away embarrassed. He wore the patch on the other side to hide his mismatched eyes.
They were almost at her hall, was he walking her all the way back?
"Will you be going to the Ball tonight?"
"Unless I'm actively retching my aunt will insist I go, even then, who knows," she said unenthusiastically.
"Well, then I hope to see you there."
"Will you be dressed as you or someone else?" she asked.
"Where is the fun in telling you that? Now that I've gotten your critique I'll utilize gloves and pay more attention to posture." he teased.
If those girls at dinner knew how charming he was... all too soon or just in time, her Door came into view. "Ah, well, this is me... so good night, thank you for the escort sir knight" she said noticing another couple in the hall.
"Ah yes. It was my pleasure my Lady," he said giving her a slight bow. If he got caught this would totally ruin his reputation. What made it worth the risk for him, she wondered as she closed the door behind her and leaned against it to catch her breath. And why was she winded after such a short walk and only one set of stairs, she wasn't really getting sick... was she? She did feel a little warm; maybe she did need a nap...