"Oh honey, I'm not saying the dress isn't lovely. I just wish you had gotten white." My mother was in line for the lift again and pulling on the bodice of her dress.
Unlike mine, her dress hadn't been altered but the cut looked good on her so it didn't matter. She'd chosen a peacock blue gown. A bold color but her enthusiasm about it made it possible for her to pull it off.
"It doesn't matter, Mom," I said for what felt like the thousandth time.
"But how are you going to get married in a gray dress?"
"Mom," I warned her. I was starting to get upset.
"I'm just saying that," she started.
"MOM!" I finally yelled at her.
"You don't have to be so mean to me. I'm only trying to help." She stood there waiting for the lift and began to sniffle. Shit, she was crying. Hell, I didn't care. We'd had this conversation and then had it again. She went out of her way to bring it up every time she saw the dress. She'd even asked if it was possible for me to exchange it. Not once had she taken my feelings about it into account.
"But why gray?" She sniffled.
Enough was enough.
"I'm taking the stairs." I turned and walked away. I couldn't be around her right now.
"Why do you try to get me so upset? I'll just go to the room and skip the party." She tried to guilt trip me into staying.
"You can't it's mandatory," I called from down the hall.
I loved my mother, but there were times when she was the most insensitive oblivious person on Elrich. In a few minutes, she'd pull herself together and go to the ball. At this point, I didn't want to go either. She'd crushed all the fun out of it for me with her constant nagging and complaining. All over the color I'd chosen for my dress.
She just didn't seem to be able to get it into her head that I wasn't getting married. I wasn't going to have babies. I wasn't interested in any of that. It was hard enough keeping myself intact let alone having to deal with other people.
Gods above, I just wanted to fall back into that bed and sleep through all this. Mom would be back to normal in the morning having acted like our fight never happened. We wouldn't talk about it either because to bring it up again would cause the fight to continue. She was good at moving on after a fight. I was not. I would harbor resentment for days if not weeks.
I did love her but there were times when I just didn't want to be around her.
"Rille," someone said from behind me. It nearly startled me out of my shoes I jumped so hard. It was lucky I'd been gripping the banister or I probably would have fallen down the stairs.
"Oh Maize, it's you. Don't scare me like that." I turned and found Maize standing behind me on the steps.
"Thinking too hard," she commented and we continued down the steps together.
"Probably." I left it at that. The drama with my mother wasn't something I needed to burden Maize with.
"There will be food," she said and nodded as if this was the best part about the night. She may be right. I wasn't much of a dancer or a socializer, the food would most likely be the highlight of the evening.
"I'm hoping the food is better than the stuff they were serving on the boats. I understand why everything was steamed, but that doesn't excuse the lack of flavor in any of it."
"Agreed," Maize nodded.
We were nearing the bottom of the staircase and were having to weave through other people milling around. Everyone seemed to be waiting for something. Gathering this many people in the lobby really made what had seemed like a palatial room so much smaller. In some areas, we were chest to elbows with people.
Maize and I found a fairly open area behind a huge potted plant. We managed to squeeze behind it by pushing some of the child-sized leaves aside. A few people followed in our wake doing their best to find more space for themselves.
"I didn't realize this many people were here," I commented.
"Five boats," Maize reminded me.
She was right, there had been five boats. While the number of people on one of the boats seemed manageable having this many seemed like a daunting task. How big was this building that there were rooms for everyone?
Just as I was about to ask the lady beside me what we were all waiting for the huge double doors towards the end of the room swung open and people began to rush in. It was a funneling effect once the crowd started to move you had to move too. We got squeezed together even more as we neared the doors. I lost Maize for a bit but found her again right as we were going through the doors.
The room opened up and it was even larger than the lobby. Huge monster core chandeliers hung from the ceiling making the room bright. The mirrors placed on the walls probably helped keep the room lit.
There was an elevated stage at the end of the room where instruments were set up. So this was probably the room where the dancing would take place, but where were we supposed to eat dinner?
"Food?" Maize asked pointing to a table where there was a selection of appetizers and finger foods.
"I'm sure that's not what they meant when they said there would be dinner. I've never been to a formal dinner but I'm certain that they are 'sit down at a table' affairs."
"Snacking?"
"Well, it is supposed to be a meet and greet and dancing and I'm not sure how long that will take. So it might be to keep people from getting hangry during those events."
"Hangry?" Maize looked at me questioning.
"It's when a person gets super cranky because they are hungry. I picked the word up from some fishermen."
She nodded that she understood and we were moved forward by the crowd still pushing in behind us. We both decided at the same time that near the wall was where we wanted to be. Unfortunately, the table with the food was also near the wall and many people decided that now was a great time for snacks. We were pushed around a bit by middle-aged fat ladies piling little plates up with tiny little shrimp.
I was hungry too but didn't want to risk losing a limb to the mob at the food table. Maize agreed and we started to scoot along the wall further away from the table. Before we really knew it we were standing in the corner of the room looking at the stage from the side.
From the front of the room, we could see people still pushing through the doors from the back. People fanned out, but the room that at one point had seemed huge once again began to look small in comparison with all the people in it. There was another set of closed double doors across the room from the appetizer table. My guess was that it was the dining room and we'd be swept up in the crowd again when those doors opened.
"Maize should we try to go over there? I think that might be the dining room." I pointed at the doors.
"Doors aren't open," she said.
"I know but they will be and we won't be pushed around in the crowd if we are closer when the doors open."
"Good point," she gathered up her skirts and moved to step out in front of the stage.
We were part way across the room when Rience walked out of a single door behind the stage. We still tried to make our way across the room but the people had stopped moving around and mostly just stood in place looking at the stage expecting something to happen. I thought it was a bit premature since there were still people filing in from the back.
We were finally forced to stop trying to get to the other side when he started speaking. I mean, it's just rude to be pushing your way through a crowd when someone is supposed to have your attention.
"Welcome to the King Gustav III Island, better known as just The Island. I am Rience. I am in charge of this island. I have some announcements to make but we'd better wait until everyone has filed in before we start. Until then please enjoy the refreshments." He waved to the food table that was being guarded by the hoard of middle-aged fat ladies. Then he stepped down from the stage and began to have a conversation with a couple that was standing to his left. You just knew that they were some of the wealthy ones because they were wearing clothes that weren't ready made like most of us. The woman even had a string of what looked like real sapphires circling her neck.
Maize and I took that opportunity to try and press on towards the door. The crowd of people shuffling in was dwindling down. We'd be stuck where we were when that happened since we all had to listen to the announcements. We managed to get to the corner of the wall near the door and part way to the doors when Rience stepped back up on stage. We hadn't made it to our goal but we were close enough that hopefully we wouldn't be caught up in the mass of people when they started to enter.
"I'd like to once again welcome you to The Island. As most of you know this island was originally a research center due to its unique flora and fauna. King Gustav saw the potential of The Island's beauty and decided to turn it into a vacation destination for people from all countries. It has taken years of hard work but the result is what you see before you.
"We are still working on some areas, but we hope that you will find your stay here welcoming and pleasant. You are free to roam around the designated areas of The Island. We have a swimming area, hiking, and other wonderful outdoor activities. However, The Island is still a research center. You must stay on this side of The Island as the north side is off limits. There are still wild monsters roaming up there and some of them are rather violent and poisonous.
"Here, on the south side, it is perfectly safe. We have thoroughly cleared away any dangerous monsters and have put up barriers to prevent them from coming to this side. You may still stumble upon a Goblin Crab or two while on the beaches, but that is normal as they can swim around." He chuckled at this. I didn't think it was very funny but other people laughed as well.
"Also remember that you will need your second set of vaccinations in three days, your third set in eight days, and your last set in twelve days. This is to ensure you get the full course of treatment. Normally, you would have had all these vaccinations done before you got to The Island but the lottery was held at a time that made that impossible. We have medical facilities set up for these medical needs. As long as you receive your full treatment you will be safe and won't bring any potentially dangerous illnesses back to the mainland when you return. Thank you for your understanding on this matter.
"Next is our zero-tollerance policy. We've already had to deal with multiple infractions. Do not break the law. No top of our country's standard laws you must not break the rules of The Island. Any infractions will be met with incarceration followed by expulsion from The Island where you will be handed over to the authorities on the mainland." He glared at the crowd as if picking out individual trouble makers.
"Casino debt will be handled on an individual basis. Trying to cheat in the casino is grounds for expulsion. If caught there is a mandatory one year sentence for trying to cheat the crown. As I mentioned earlier, this casino belongs to our great king. If you cheat at cards it's considered the same as trying to cheat the king himself. Don't even try it." He once again glared at the crowd. He seemed to give a long look in our direction. "Our dealers are the best in the business and use magical manipulation detectors at every table."
Huh, so you could use magic to manipulate gaming? I never knew that. Not having magic it's something I never picked up. I learned something new today.
Rience continued on about moderation and more rules for The Island. I did listen and I heard everything he said, but to be honest my attention started to wander. While everyone was standing still it was easier to look at the crowd.
There were more people dressed in the premade white dresses than people in ornate ball gowns. It was the richly dressed people that caught my eye. There was a man wearing a solid red burgundy suit with the poofiest shirt I'd ever seen. He had a cameo pinned to his throat and had a woman that was mostly chest on his arm.
Her gown was so low cut I was amazed that she didn't fall out of it. If she leaned forward just a little I was certain we'd get to see the entire show. The man in red didn't even bother watching Rience he just gazed infatuated into his partner's chest and often moved his hand so he could rub her bottom. When he did this she'd tap his arm with the fan she was holding and giggle softly.
There was another couple beside them and they were probably married. The woman was looking daggers at her husband as he too gazed upon the glorious bounty the other woman was showing. She must have done something to her husband because he suddenly jumped looked at her and then began to blush three shades of scarlet.
The wife whispered something low to her husband that made him go rather pale. Poor guy, I had a hard time blaming him for looking at the other woman's assets. He should have been more circumspect about it though. Him gazing like an entranced Hypnotoad was embarrassing for his wife.
A sparkle caught my eye and I found myself gaping at a woman who had the most insane hairdo I'd ever seen. Twisted up in a tall curly cone on top of her head then draped all over with flowers, ribbons, and diamonds. It had to be a wig there was no way someone's natural hair could withstand that structure and the weight of everything she'd put in it.
The woman shifted and I was surprised all over again. The woman was beautiful. She put the woman with the breasts to shame. Oddly enough, she pulled off the extravagant hair. She made it look royal.
She had one small beauty mark under her eye and her lips were painted red. Other than that, she didn't wear any makeup that I could tell. Her dress and jewelry were simple too. It countered the extravagance of her hair and just brought more attention to her face. She was elegance and opulence all in the same package.
The crowd began to shift around me. Maize grabbed my elbow and I lost sight of the beautiful woman. I realized that Rience's speech was over and the double doors to what I assumed to be the dining room were opening.
Maize and I flowed with the crowd through the door. Thankfully, because we were so close we didn't have to fight the crowd long. Once through the doors, we popped out into an even larger room.
Seven rows of tables were set up spanning the length of the room. Several circular tables were set up near the head of the room that had little name cards on the plates. I would assume that the wealthy people had assigned seating and the rest of us minions were meant to sit at one of the rows of tables.
I wanted to people watch some more so I filed down towards the end of a table that was near the round tables. Maize followed along. From our vantage point from the corner table, we would be able to get a good view of most of the people who sat at the round tables.
The red dandy and the busty woman were the first who started circling the tables looking for their spots. They had been near us so it was understandable that they were some of the first to find their seats. The beautiful woman with the ornate hair began to circle the tables as well.
A man in a simple black suit followed along behind her. He was as ordinary as she was beautiful. He was so normal looking that he appeared somewhat homely next to the beauty. Her seat was the farthest table from us. It was a shame I wouldn't be able to watch her some more, but even more interesting people were filing in.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Most of the couples that were slowly filling in the circular table were unassuming upper middle-aged couples. There were a few younger couples but they were also rather boring to look at.
There was a pair that I thought had to be mother and son until they took their seats and he gazed enraptured at the older woman. There was nothing special about her that I could discern but he seemed to think she was the center of the world. He even ignored the busty woman who sat opposite him at the same table. Even though their age difference was great I wished them the best. It wasn't often someone found another person to be the center of their universe.
Another interesting pair were two men. I couldn't be certain but I doubted they were brothers or related at all. One of the men was short and portly and the other was tall and lean. They both had a feeling about them. I knew at once that no woman would ever come between those two. They were being circumspect but the loud sniffing and dirty glances one middle-aged biddy was giving them certainly drew attention to their relationship.
I wondered what would happen if the woman made a scene. Would she make a public scene? In the books I'd read, ladies of quality were trained only to do so in extreme circumstances. Two men being lovers didn't seem like the sort of thing to have a public fit about to me, but the woman was slowly gathering her courage and working herself up into a tizzy.
Interestingly enough the beauty stood up and went over to the woman. She leaned in and whispered a few words to her. The woman nodded about something and then the beauty and the mean woman switched tables.
Good for her!
Diffusing the situation by switching tables. I mentally cheered the beauty on. If I was in the same situation, I probably would have confronted her and made a scene. I wasn't one of those people who had been trained in etiquette since they could toddle.
Watching how the beauty had changed the situation made me rethink the possibilities of learning basic socialization skills. I wasn't very social but perhaps if I learned a thing or two about deportment I might not get into as many confrontations. It was a tool I had never considered before. Sure, being polite was always better than being crude but I had a trigger temper when I saw someone being treated poorly.
Unfortunately, I didn't think any lessons in manners would fix that temper of mine.
Then I received the biggest shock of the night. Cantrel stepped up to the circular tables.
Wait, wasn't he one of the lottery winners? Why would he be at the wealthy tables?
Even more surprising was that he was escorting my mother. She scooted along on her walker and seemed a bit dazed to be asked to sit at the circular table. Cantrel held out a seat for her and she slowly lowered herself into it. Then he swept away with her walker only to return a short time later.
He sat down and began what I assumed introducing himself to his fellow table mates. I was glad mother got to sit at the table with the dandy man and busty lady. The people seated there were mostly too caught up in themselves to care that they had a commoner in their ranks.
"Maize," I hissed under my breath nudging her.
"Mother?" Maize hissed at me.
"I dunno, she must have run into him in the lobby. Did you know he had money?"
Maize shook her head.
"Well. Gods above," I swore under my breath.
Mom was smiling at the busty woman and said something. The busty woman grinned and began to talk. I assumed it was about herself and the dandy since she kept reaching over to touch the man's arm. Then she held out her hand, on it was a huge ring. I could guess that she had been telling my mother all about their engagement. Mom dutifully gushed over the ring and said something else.
More people were crowding in and shuffling to find seats. Employees had shown up and had begun to herd the crowd along directing them to one of the long tables. They were alternating as the tables began to fill up. Their basic directions were to move to the front and take the next available seating. Don't skip a space between couples, don't save a seat for others, only VIP guests at the round tables, ect.
Two men who were obviously brothers sat across from us. They had the same orange curly hair cut short to their heads, the same swooping nose, and the same shade of whiskey-colored eyes. Both were freckled all over, but only one of them seemed to have a tan. They could pass as twins but I had the feeling they weren't actually twins. The tan one was a bit bulkier than the paler one. They were mid-argument when they sat down.
"All I'm saying is that it's rampant inequality and it should be addressed," the pale one complained.
"Hello, I'm Eric and this is Alex," the tan one reached over to shake our hands introducing himself and his brother.
"Maize," she said curtly glancing at them and then refocusing on the people gathering at the round tables.
"Rille," I shook his hand and held out my hand to the pale brother as well. He took it and seemed to have a moment where he had a stutter in his brain. He completely paused, gazing out into the empty corner of the room. Then a few seconds later he continued to shake my hand then let go. It was odd. I'd never met a person who did that.
"Rille, nice to meet you," the pale one muttered looking at the table. Eric, the tan one was trying to engage Maize but she just wasn't cooperating.
Alex suddenly glanced up and asked out of the blue, "have you seen any Zyanthropes here?"
"Huh?" I was caught off guard and couldn't really process the question that quickly.
"Horse," Maize commented glancing back at Alex then refocusing on the round tables.
"Horse?" Both brother's asked looking at her.
"Maize, did you see a horse Zyanthrope?" I asked.
"Unnn," she said in confirmation.
"Really?" Eric smiled at his brother. "See it's not as bad as you seem to think."
"I'm sorry but I'm a bit lost," I apologized even though I think it was rude of them to include us in a conversation that obviously needed some explaining.
"There aren't any humanoid guests. This was supposed to be a fair lottery but do you see anyone other than human?"
"Horse," Maize said again then nodded at the table my mother was at, "him."
"He's not a horse," Eric looked at the table in confusion. I think it was telling that his gaze automatically went to Cantrel. It seemed as though we weren't the only ones who questioned his humanity.
"What is he?" Alex lowered his voice. Not like anyone would hear him if he talked normally with the seating ruckus still going on.
"We think he might be mixed but are uncertain what. I'm nearly positive he's not pure human though," I said.
"You are right. A human doesn't have those proportions. Arm, leg, torso ratio, I mean." Alex nodded.
"Alex teaches Humanoid and Demi-Human Anthropology at Amber University," Eric added his brother's credentials for his assessment.
"Horse helped with my bags. Nice man, long hair," Maize finally stopped looking at the round tables and tried to explain herself.
"So there is a Zyanthrope employee? That's progressive right Alex?" Eric commented.
"To be honest, I don't think there are any Zyanthropes in my town. Maize?" I turned at looked at her.
"None," she said.
"The Amber kingdom isn't very welcoming to other races. It's pure prejudice." Alex gave a frustrated sigh.
"I don't see how it's prejudice if they just aren't here," I said.
"Most people don't notice it because they don't actually know any Zyanthropes to ask about their problems in the kingdom. Did you know that if you are humanoid you can't technically have legal citizenship? You are granted a deferral, but not citizenship."
"I didn't know that," I looked at Eric. Was his brother right?
"Most of the humanoids in the kingdom come in through Guild connections. Because the Guild is sort of a neutral country as an organization the kingdom thinks that the Guild should be responsible for the citizenship of foreign humanoids," Eric commented.
"Eric works at the Guild," Alex added.
"So what about humanoids born here?" I asked.
"They are considered part of their parent's nationality. Two cat Zyanthropes have a child here, the child is a citizen of Catalonia, not the Amber Kingdom." Alex shook his head.
"Are you sure? I was under the impression that anyone born in the Amber Kingdom was a citizen."
"Any human, born in the kingdom yes. When the laws were drafted they specified human citizens. The Amber kingdom is one of the oldest on the continent but was originally meant to be a safe haven for humans after the War Of The Gods. Politicians have used the wording to keep out unwanted elements for centuries. On the surface, it looks like the Amber Kingdom has progressed along with its neighbors, but in reality, it's still caught up in its human only past."
"Mixed breeds?" Maize asked looking at him with a tilted head.
"It really depends," Alex sighed again and rubbed his neck. "If the child happens to be born human then they have the citizenship of their human parent. If the child is born as another race then they take the nationality of that non-human parent."
"It's bullshit," Eric nodded. "Alex is working with a group that is trying to bring equal rights to demi-humans. He started getting really worked up when he realized that this was entirely a human only event."
"Well, if Zyanthropes, or any other race, can't be citizens then they couldn't enter the contest," I commented logically. "While I agree that this citizenship issue is asinine I also don't think it is the fault of the people running this place that there aren't any humanoids. It's the fault of the government. The lack of diversity here is a symptom, not a cause."
"You are right, I know you are right, but it still just eats away at me," Alex began to rub the tension out of his neck with more strength.
"Well, you are supposed to be relaxing. I invited you along so we could have some fun. If you really want to talk to someone about it, then fine, do it. Just don't expect them to be able to do anything about it. It's not like they can fix the system," Eric looked at his brother.
"Besides, after this trip, most people will have to pay to come here," I added. "I don't think they will turn down anyone's money, humanoid or not. It would be bad for business. They want to make this place the best vacation place on the continent, that means they will have to allow demi-humans. If you really feel strongly about it then you can address it when we do our assessment interviews."
While interesting, how did I get pulled into this debate?
"Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for his Majesty Prince Ayman Kingsman Duke of Elderbourgh and Princess Margot Kingsman," A man from the back of the room announced. He must have been using magic because his voice carried loudly over the din of people still trying to find seating.
People began to murmur amongst themselves as everyone stood to stand behind their seat.
"Oh, to imagine there'd be royalty here," Eric hissed at his brother.
"I know, technically he's second to the throne but he's so old people discount him in favor for the King's cousin," Alex whispered back.
"The old Princess' child?" Eric asked. "I thought she was out of the line, so to speak because she's a bit..."
"Yes, her. Now shhh." Alex glanced around and looked nervously to the man who had taken a spot beside him.
I didn't blame him. Everyone knew that Lady Vannilley was born later in her mother's life. The late Princess was in her mid-forties when she conceived Lady Vannilley. As a result, people blamed the late conception to Lady Vannilley's mental defect. Well, at least rumors said she had the mind of a child, but no one ever saw Lady Vannilley since she was kept locked away. For her own safety, according to her cousin the king.
Even though there were rumors, it was still extremely taboo to mention that the royal line was less than perfect. Which was why Alex was glancing around with concern. Eric had been the one to say it, but Alex had brought it up.
Alex looked at me with worry. I didn't care much so I just shrugged my shoulders. I wasn't one of those people who thought that the sun shone out of the royal behind. Everyone had flaws, even royalty. While I personally didn't want someone with a mental defect running the country I also knew that the elderly prince was bound to die before the king.
If the king didn't get one of his wives pregnant soon he'd be forced to marry another. It had been fifteen years since his first marriage and five since his last. He had six wives and none of them with child. At this point, if I was one of his wives I'd consider some extramarital affairs to get with child. It seemed sort of obvious at this point the king wasn't fertile. However, his great-aunt had issues conceiving and managed to get pregnant in her forties. There was still some hope.
Prince Ayman had an older brother and younger sister. The brother went on to become king. He had a son and lived just long enough to father a son of his own before getting himself killed jumping fences horseback riding. The current king was Prince Ayman's great-nephew.
The prince's sister was born nearly fifteen years after Ayman. So when she got pregnant in her mid-forties Ayman was already on his way to becoming an old man. Lady Vannilley was his niece and technically second-cousin to the king.
Not that the royal line mattered much. It really didn't concern me. I was a peon. I lived my life without much concern for the politics of the world. If I wasn't in too much pain and could feed both my mother and me, I was doing fine. Politics weren't for people like us. I was very pragmatic. I knew that nothing I did would change anything.
People like Alex might be able to make some minor changes. He had some influence working at Amber University. You had to have some serious credentials in order to teach there. People would listen to him just because of his job and his perceived expertise. They wouldn't listen to a lowly soap maker from the coast.
Prince Ayman and Lady Margot were finally in eyeshot and they were being escorted down the side of the room by Rience. They were obviously going to be seated at the middle table. The people standing at the middle table were all ones who were the best dressed and they carried themselves differently.
The prince and his wife certainly didn't have to sit next to the busty woman or the dandy. Thank the Gods, since that would mean sitting with my mother. No, there was something flashy about most of the people up at the round tables, but the people standing at the middle table were more elegance than flash. Individually, I'd say that they all were elegant, but as a side by side comparison, you could see the difference.
The prince stood beside his chair and waited for his wife to pull out her seat and sit. I thought the man was supposed to pull out the seat for the lady? Then I imagined a young Lady Margot coming straight from the Guild having a man pull a chair out for her. He'd probably get punched.
She sat down and he followed. He gave a head nod to the others at the table and they all began to sit. Everyone else in the room took this as the cue that they could sit. Even if you didn't know the correct protocol for royal seating if everyone else sat, so did you.
Suddenly, the room was filled with white coat waiters pushing serving trolleys up and down the aisles. The round tables were served first, but nearly simultaneously everyone else somehow had a bowl of soup magically appear before them. It was stunningly fast and efficient. I looked around and I suspected there just had to be some sort of magic involved.
Baskets of rolls were shuffled down the tables. Waiters appeared with water pitchers and filled our glasses. Even more people appeared and began to pour wine. For every six people, there was a pitcher of water and a bottle of wine. We were told that if ran out to just ask the staff.
The soup was orange. It was some sort of squash, I think, with seafood in it. It was good, very good, but there didn't seem to be enough of it. It felt like as soon as I started eating the soup it was over. I guess the waiters had it timed on how long it took a person to eat a bowl of soup since as soon I as glanced up to look around they were whisking away my bowl and serving up a plate of mixed greens.
It was salad with shrimp. The dressing was some sort of vinaigrette. Once again it was good. Alex was picking the shrimps off his plate and giving them to his brother. Not that the added protein slowed Eric down. The big guy seemed to inhale his food.
A fish dish was next, but it was a very small portion. It was served with a side of green beans. Eric was able to eat the fish in one bite, but oddly enough ate each green bean individually. I'd just taken the last bite of my fish when a waiter swept my plate from under me. I'd still had a few beans to eat.
Next was a plate with several small round roasted tomatoes and a plate full of ravioli pasta that had been filled with something then covered in white sauce. The inside of the pasta was a mystery. I honestly had no idea what the brown filling was. I thought it may have been meat and mushrooms, but I couldn't be sure.
That plate was taken away and out came the main course. Giant platters with whole Goblin Crabs on them. They had four people carrying the crab and another following behind each crab with a foldable table. They placed the table beside us and the men carrying the crab put the crab down. All along the table rows, giant crabs were being set down. Then men in tall white hats appeared.
They each had a rolled up set of knives and other tools. They began to disassemble the crabs right in front of us. Steam still came off the crab as he began to cut. Normally, all the disassembling was done before the crab was cooked. They were just too large to fit into the average person's cookpot and it was not like a normal person could eat an entire Goblin Crab.
The man started digging the meat out of the legs and claws and with help from an assistant began to serve us crab steaks. Butter appeared on the table when I wasn't looking. I cut off a slab and let it melt on top of my crab steak. I took a bite after it had melted. Simple, perfect, and wonderful.
Goblin Crabs were a nuisance to fishermen and people on the coast. They were all over the place so it was easy enough to get Goblin Crab meat on the coast. However, they went bad quickly so they had to be cooked within a day or so of killing them. They were so big it was difficult to ice them properly and if they weren't properly iced you could get sick. Thus, Goblin Crabs weren't served often outside the coast so to most people here this would be a huge treat.
People all around were eating their crab with gusto. Some of the dantiest ladies were shoving giant forkfuls covered in butter in their mouths. It was delicious, don't get me wrong, but I'd have thought people would use a little more decorum considering the setting. Then I glanced at the head table. Prince Ayman was shoveling crab down like everyone else.
Dinner finished with a giant cake with a huge sugared peacock on the top. It was beautiful but after all the butter from the crab, I wanted something lighter. Still, this was likely my only chance to experience this. I took my portion with gratitude. I think my bit of sugar was from the foot.
After dinner, we all waited until the prince was finished. For such a small man he could really eat his weight in food. Then he stood and left the room. We were dismissed back into the ballroom by tables. The round tables being first so that everyone got to see them walk down the aisle.
I could hear the music starting up in the other room. It was mellow and had a moderate pace. The harp seemed to be the main instrument leading a slew of other strings and a few woodwinds. I wondered if they would take turns in leading the music. From what I'd heard on the docks the violin could become a very lively instrument given the right performer.
Our table was dismissed last, so when Maize and I entered the ballroom there were already couples paired up and dancing. I gave the room a quick scan for my mother but since there were so many people it would be nearly impossible to find her.
What would I say to her if I did spot her? I was still a little mad at her but I was also concerned about her new friendship. Cantrel gave me an odd feeling. If I told my mother that though she'd just stick in her heels and ignore any oddities out of pure stubbornness. Hell, since he had money she would be inclined to ignore quite a bit. She'd always wanted a big house on a hill. This was her one chance.
Maize grabbed my elbow and led me to a corner with a bowl of punch. A few other single people milled around and were slowly pairing off. I wasn't interested in dancing. I never went to any of the social dances people my age went to. So I never really learned how to dance. Let alone learn how to socialize with guys in this sort of setting.
Maize poured us both a cup of punch, ignoring the one guy who tried to engage her in small talk. A group of girls came up to us in a cluster and asked us where we got our dresses. Either they didn't notice they were from the same stock as theirs or they were impressed with alterations. We dutifully told them about Sissy and her talents. We had promised after all.
We spent an hour fending of guys wanting to dance, watching other people dance, and telling interested girls about Sissy and her business. While I loved the color of my dress, most of the eligible ladies were in white. So Maize and I really stuck out against the wall of single people. On top of that, most of the wealthier people had colored dresses and didn't match everyone else. So many men assumed we were from more well off families.
After the hour was over some people began to leave. I took that as a sign to leave as well. Maize decided to stay. I think she liked watching the people. So I returned to my room music filling the hall as I left.