Erivale: The Lost Princess

Chapter 9: Part 2

The rest of the day, I felt the overbearing weight of the stress of my knowledge weighing down on me. Around every open door, I expected Renatus to jump out use his magic on me. I was suspicious of everything, continually reaching towards or walking close enough to objects to see if I could sense the magic within them. I focused on every word I heard, wondering if it was more clues as to the mystery that was unfurling around me. Long story short, I was a wreck.

My language lesson ended early because nothing the instructor said ever actually made it in my head. We were both frustrated with my poor performance but knew I wasn't in the mindset to actually get anything done today. I retired to my room and found myself doodling absentmindedly, trying to distract myself from my roiling thoughts.

A knock on my door alerted me to Soren's entrance, and Gerard welcomed him into my room. "Amberleigh! Good news, you have been invited to dinner with the Council."

I tried to ignore the pang of anxiety that ran through my body and put a fake smile on my face. "Wonderful, I shall have Leda help me prepare immediately."

"This will be a perfect opportunity to practice your etiquette lessons and to learn from those around you. As a queen, your diplomatic activities and conversations with allies are imperative. Try to learn as much as you can."

"Will do, thank you for informing me, Soren."

As the doors closed behind him, I felt myself sag against the chair I was sitting in. Dinner with the Council? Today of all days? I was too on edge to handle this. "Gerard, how do I sit through an entire dinner and pretend like everything is fine?" I hissed.

"Try to treat it like a mission. Your objective is to be silent and collect information. Some of the things you hear may help us figure out this mystery."

I put a hand to my head where a headache was beginning to form. "I guess."

Leda dressed me in a pale lavender tulle dress similar to the fashions I had tried on before the ball, and soon I was sent off to one of the most critical moments of my life. Any slip up at the council dinner could be my death. The danger is still imminent within the palace, and with Renatus as a new lead, I had to be on my best "clueless" behavior.

The dining room used for the council meeting was at the opposite end of the palace. I had never been in the far-left wing, and as we walked, the traditional white stone used in the architecture began to transition to much rougher, dark grey stone. The air was cooler, damper, and older. It was clear to me that this section of the palace was much older than the rest.

As the door opened to the large dining room, my eyes widened in surprise. It was the room from the painting. The large round table was now covered in food, but there was no mistaking its resemblance to the foreign memory.

Many of the council members were already seated when I arrived on Soren's arm. He directed me to the seat to the right of Luciana and helped me into my chair before disappearing. The servants too went once they filled our plates, and soon the only non-council members left were Renatus and me. He stood against the wall behind Heinrich and Luciana. No slip-ups, act normal. I chanted to myself.

As I ate, I tried to hide the nervous shake to my hand. Conversations went around and around as the representatives from the different nations discussed seemingly meaningless chatter. For such an important meeting like that of a Unified Nations Council dinner, I was surprised at their discussions of court drama and royal inconveniences. It wasn't until dinner was complete that the real talks began.

"Rebel activity has been rising within Breeze, what say you?" Radburn addressed the group.

"We have also had an increase in rebel activity. They are targeting Ithican school supplies as they cross the border into Gelida," Sabah informed, Walcott merely slammed his massive paw on the table and growled.