Queen Celouise's face had paled in anger to leave two red spots high on her cheeks, she sat forward, perching on the edge of the seat and fixed Grethron with an icy stare.
"Tell me this is some kind of unfair jest," Celouise's voice was eerily quiet, the calm before the storm.
Grethron shook his head slowly.
"You unbelievably stubborn, obtuse old man!" Celouise exploded, "How dare you! Not only have you stamped all over the rights of this man here," she indicated Dumar. "You have blatantly defied myself and my late husband, your own brother."
Grethron appeared as if he were about to speak but the queen cut him off.
"Do not attempt to defend yourself against this, Grethron. What did you think, that no one would notice? Did you honestly believe I would forget Jarhine, your king, forbidding you to do this?" Celouise shook her head in disgust.
Hold on, you had another brother who was king here. Prince Grethron? Dumar thought in shock.
"You cannot tell me," the queen continued berating Grethron. "That Jarhine did not tell you not to do this! I know he did as I was present when he did so," Celouise trailed off as memories of her husband ran through her mind.
She sat quietly for a moment before standing and making her way over to Dumar.
"I offer my sincerest apologies, Lord Dumar, for the transgressions my brother-in-law has made against you." She said, "If there is anything I or the Kingdom of Rothmury can offer in recompense, you need only to ask."
Grethron cast a look of shock at his sister in law as she made the offer. Dumar looked up at the queen, unaware as to whether he was supposed to stand, scratched one cheek and replied.
"Well, it's just Dumar for starters and I'm quite hungry, so is there any chance of something to eat?"
One side of her mouth curled up.
"I am sure something can be arranged," she said.
***
A short while later, the small group had been relocated to a massive banqueting hall with only five of the huge array of chairs in use.
Two immense hearths sat at opposite ends of the room while the high, vaulted ceiling stretched away above, wood-panelled and decorated with painted scenes.
Winged beings, that reminded Dumar of angels from some of the pictures he had seen on Earth, looked to be interacting with lesser beings.
Huge palta raced and frolicked in green fields while people herded other creatures in pastoral settings. Similar in style, the tapestries hanging from the walls held other scenes of landscapes and the open, Dumar wondering what their significance might be.
Large wheels hung from the ceiling in several places, each with wax trails running down their sides from the candles that had been in them.
Similarly, Dumar saw numerous iron constructs which also held candles, all unlit as illumination came from the windows set high in the walls.
The table running through the centre of the room had been expertly crafted from some dark wood, polished to a mirror sheen. Dumar counted thirty chairs on either side and felt something like awe as he looked at it.
The Company labs had been clean and clinical, white and stark. This array of soft, golden and dark, polished wood was comforting in some primitive way.
The smells of cooked food, wine and water tantalised his senses and he hurried to take a seat, eager to satisfy his needs.
Celouise sat at the head with Alystra and the other man, who had been introduced as Prince Warval, on one side, Grethron and Dumar on the other.
A massive array of meats and bread along with fruit platters and pastries had been laid out before they arrived and Dumar's mouth began to water the moment he entered.
Royal Guards stood by the numerous sets of doors that allowed entry to the hall as Celouise bade them all sit and eat their fill.
Dumar grabbed eagerly at the food and set to with zeal, barely tasting what he ate in an attempt to stave off the almost painful hunger pangs he felt.
The royal family ate more slowly, Celouise and Warval contemplating what to consume for a few seconds before taking it. Alystra ate mechanically with barely any regard to what was placed into her mouth, swallowed and washed her mouthful down with her drink before staring the whole process once more.
As he ate, Dumar wondered about this strange family of people. The queen was understandably quiet due to her son's death earlier, Warval seemed quite introspective and rarely spoke to anyone and Alystra did nothing but stare at Dumar.
There seemed to be no conversation, no sharing of fears or feelings over the death of Saruline, Grethron's reappearance or the approach of his brother Malthrom.
Grethron appeared to be sulking following the dressing down the queen had given him and was apparently content to drink himself into insensibility in the chair beside Dumar.
The big man slowed his foraging as his stomach filled and his table manners returned.
"You seem to have quite an appetite, Dumar," the queen observed.
The big man swallowed his current mouthful and replied.
"Yes, my metabolism is fairly unique."
Celouise looked puzzled.
"Excuse me, your what?"
"Metabolism," Dumar repeated. Once he noticed the queen's expression he added, "It's a term for the way the body uses food for fuel. If I don't eat fairly regularly, my body doesn't work well."
Dumar omitted the further facts which were that without a regular supply of calories, some of the bio-circuitry installed by the Company ceased to function, leaving him weakened, with a very basic set of abilities.
The queen was nodding slowly as Dumar spoke, returning to silence after he finished.
Alystra had finished her food and resumed her study of Dumar, the big man had endured in silence so far, however, now his hunger had been abated he turned on the woman.
"Is there something I can help you with?" He asked.
There was no look of shock or surprise, however, the princess simply looked at him with the same direct stare she had all day and asked.
"Why is it that I cannot read you?" She asked.
Celouise looked sharply at her daughter, then at Dumar.
"Because I'm not a book?" The big man asked flippantly. "What are you on about?" He asked.
Once again he got no reaction from the princess. Celouise broke the silence that followed.
"Alystra is empathetically aware," she explained. "Although she has no feelings herself," Celouise added sadly.
The queen turned to her daughter.
"What is the problem, Aly?"
With no change in expression, the princess examined Dumar once more before answering the question.
"I cannot sense any form of emotional state from this man at all," she stated flatly, "Everyone else here is transmitting their feelings." The princess added in the same tone. Alystra turned to Dumar and asked. "Why is it I am unable to sense any feelings from you?"
"No good asking me," Dumar replied. "I've never heard of anything like this."
"I ask you as it is you who is different here," the princess explained in her flat tone of voice.
Dumar sighed.
"Well, sorry but I can't help you."
"I find this unusual," Alystra stated. "It is a phenomenon I have not encountered before. Would you be averse to allowing me to study you?"
Dumar considered for only a moment before replying.
"I thought you lot had a few more pressing matters which need to be sorted out," he paused. "And no I'm not going to let you study me either," Dumar yawned behind his hand.