Elara
The day of the banquet finally arrived. The throne room was decorated with golden and purple tapestries, the light of the chandeliers casting dancing shadows on the stone walls. Musicians played dark and majestic tunes, while the guests gathered around tables, dressed in splendid gowns and rich costumes. For one evening, the kingdom of Valdoria was a place of celebration, though the tension in the air was palpable. The court was always a place of intrigue and politics, and tonight would be no exception.
I circulated among the guests, wearing my simple work dress, carrying trays of food and wine. The nobles, though they considered me invisible, would occasionally glance at me out of the corner of their eyes, murmuring about the special task I had been entrusted with. It wasn't common for a servant to be given such an important role, let alone one involving a gown made for a royal event. I did my best to remain discreet, blending into the crowd while keeping the importance of my mission in mind.
King Aldric, as always, stood at the center of attention. His throne, placed on a raised platform, dominated the great hall. He wore a black tunic and a red cape, symbols of his power and authority. His gaze pierced the room, cold and unreadable, but his face bore a fatigue no one was accustomed to seeing.
The banquet continued with an air of great ceremony, but there was a slight shiver in the atmosphere. As the evening progressed, I found myself at a discreet table, observing the guests and the interactions between the various lords of the kingdom. Yet, my gaze kept turning back to the king. He seemed more thoughtful than usual, less sovereign, almost... human. He drank his wine slowly, his eyes fixed on an invisible point in the hall.
I briefly wondered if this change was due to the state of the kingdom, or if something more intimate, something else, was affecting the king. Perhaps he, too, felt the crushing loneliness, the absence that had weighed on his shoulders for years. I was almost certain of it. But I couldn't afford to dwell on these thoughts. I was just a servant, and he was a king. Our worlds were not meant to mix.
Suddenly, a servant came to inform me that the king wished to speak with me. My heart leapt in my chest. This was the first time he had summoned me outside of my normal duties. The gown I had made was now displayed on the platform, but the king's gaze had yet to settle on it. He was still deep in conversation with a noble from the northern lands.
I approached slowly, my hands trembling. I bowed slightly before him, and for the first time, he looked directly into my eyes. For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, as if unsure how to begin this encounter. Then he spoke in a softer voice, less authoritative.
"Elara," he said, his gaze scrutinizing me with an unusual intensity. "Come here."
I approached, my eyes lowered, and stopped a few paces away, waiting for him to continue.
"I see you've done a remarkable job. The gown, I mean." He paused. "It's beautiful. Perhaps even more beautiful than I had imagined."
A shiver ran through me, and warmth flooded my face, though I tried to remain calm. "I'm honored that you like it, Sire."
He looked at me for a long moment, as though searching for something in me. "You're different from the others. You don't look at me like the others do." There was a heavy silence between us, almost tangible. "Most people in the court are afraid of me, you know. But you… you don't seem to be afraid."
I was surprised by this remark. I bit my lip before replying, "I don't believe it's necessary to fear a man unless he harms us. You are a king, Sire, and I have learned to respect the laws of this kingdom."
Aldric studied me for a moment, his penetrating gaze seeming to pierce my soul. Then, slowly, a slight smile formed on his lips. "The laws of the kingdom…" he murmured, as though reflecting on his own words. "Yes, of course. The laws."
He turned slightly, as if t