How would you look at the person seating across the table from you, one who you care so deeply about?
Would you glance shyly at them from time to time or looked at them intensely until they return the gaze?
Perhaps you would ignore them like Emperor Evan ignored his wife. In the dinning room, that has only recently been cleaned from the dust that collected over the years, since it hasn't been used in that period of time, was now hosted a first Imperial family dinner, where all four of its members were present in the same time and eating at the same time. The room wasn't large, this semi long table, was only thing that could comfortably fit, it was nothing like the gorgeous dinning room in the main palace, that could host hundreds of guests at the same time. They were eating in silence, only the noise of utensils could be heard, such a peaceful family dinner it was.
Emperor was eating and drinking like he was alone, Iyan was silently looking at his plate and eating everything served in it fast but respectful fast, to not upset his mother who he hadn't dinned with in a long time, Neftali was looking, like her brother, in her plate and played with the food in it, moving it side to side instead of actually eating. Empress was looking at Evan the whole time, not even glancing at her food. Maybe it was poisoned, the red seasoning on her potatoes could been some kind of deadly powder, glass full of grape juice could be laced with poison, possibilities were endless, and the calmness of the man in front of her only raised her suspicions. Is he calm because he is innocent, or is he calm because he knows what is about to happen and is only waiting for her to take a bite and collapse from pain of new forming bruises that have yet to fully heal.
Poison is truly the most useless thing to give her, there is no moment between the life and death that only she seas. It is only a blink, blink and then pain, most of the time she won't realise the death before feeling the pain form.
Yet, never did he try to do it one after the other. Over the years she always had a break in between deaths, a week, a month, few months, a year, few years. This was the longest one. One would think there is not so many ways to kill someone, but the ways were always similar. There were more ways of dying that those that she has. Poisoning happens a lot.
Evan took a sip of his wine and their eyes finally met. He took a large sip of red wine served in the same silver glass as hers, and spoke for the first time.
"Have we forgot to say the grace? Is that why you are not eating Your Holiness." He said mockingly, Neftali stopped playing with her food, and Iyan stopped eating. Amongst them, he is the only one that actually worried about the matter of saying grace.
"I do not say grace before eating Your Majesty." Empress answered.
"No? I thought that is what they teach at the temple."
"Not in our temple Your Majesty. In churches they do." They are different, teaching in churches and temples, but the temple of Imperial grounds, he was the most different of them all.
"Of course." Evan smiled and placed his elbows on the table. "Maybe we should do it from now on, it seams like a good thing to do before a meal. We should be thankful to eat, after all there are some who can not eat."
Neftali glanced, first at her mother, then at her brother, the two of them shared a long look that exchanged their acknowledgment of the mocking tone their father was speaking in.
"Gratefulness, is shown in many ways other then words, words can be lies, actions can not." Empress told him.
"Like eating the food provided to us." He fired back.
"That is true."
"Eat then, my wife."
Empress glanced down at the food she was currently so afraid of, she didn't have a taster, cursing someone to death in exchange for her life was pointless but also morally incorrect for her. She took a fork and a knife in her hands, her bare hands, white and soft, with long fingers of which, on one of them, shined a golden wedding band, almost trembled. The movement of cutting the food in her plate was slow, so slow it felt like forever, smallest bite was on her fork. The fork that she now needed to take to her mouth. She felt scared of it. Scared of death that might come from that small peace of food on a silver fork, like it can actually kill her, like her family, her children are about to see her die. For someone, for say, immortal, which we can't say for sure since natural death could still happen, this fear was irrational.
Empress took a bite, chewed it slow and swallowed, nothing happened. It was like a stone on her chest was gone in that moment.
Evan only raised an eyebrow on this weird sighting of his wife and continued drinking the wine form his glass. He stayed in silence for a moment, looking at the woman in front of him with unusual curiosity. To him, her face is blurry, like there is some kind of fog in hiding her face.
"Marquise Favre, has been trying to take my attention in the last few days, I heard you kicked his daughter out of the palace on the day the High court took place." He said looking at her curiously.
Before the Empress could answer, Neftali spoke. "Father." Evan's gaze quickly switched to her. "Gabriella von Favre broke the rule of Queen's palace. I was there with mother when it happened." Young princess felt the need to say that in order to protect her mother, she knew that his words were going to be harsh if she hadn't said that.
"I see. He sent me a letter this morning, begging me to let his daughter come to the palace and apologise to you in person. He also mentioned that his daughter has been sending you letter over the past few you days to which you hadn't responded."
"Mother was sick!" Neftali spoke in protest.
"Neftali." Empress looked at her with a soft smile telling her it is fine. Then she looked at her husband and spoke. "Lady Gabrielle has indeed been sending me letter over the last few days, but all my letters I received while sick in bed, are kept by Lady Maria, who upon my request, sent out a letter in my name to everyone that wrote to me that I am unwell and will be sending answers as soon as I recover. Which I will be doing starting form today."
"Still I told him that I will mention his asking to you and pursue you to accept his request. So I am telling you that she will come to this palace and you will receive her visit in the Queen's palace day before the coronation ceremony that I have invited their family to. In two weeks time, they will arrive. Just in time for the season to open. What better place for that then the Imperial palace, and what better occasion then the crowning of the Crown prince?"
They all looked at him in silence. The reason he agreed to come and have this dinner with them was now obvious. "How are the preparations coming along, I have heard nothing so far?" He added.
Iyan looked at them both, not sure if he should say anything or better not get involved in this, Neftali on the other hand looked like someone lit a flame in her eyes, ready to attack, and not only with her words.
The Emperor had just disrespected the only rule ever set by the Empress, the most important rule of them all even, the one that might as well not exist now.
One banished by her is about to return to celebrate the most important event for the Imperial family, all that by the word of the Emperor. It is not only her he disrespected with this statement, but every person in the palace who has obeyed this rule with respect, every person who is going to be working on preparing the coronation in the next two weeks, and most importantly his son. Disrespecting his mother in front of him and treating an event that is supposed to celebrate his coronation into a punishment for his mother.
Iyan never had a liking to his father, he was an Emperor to him, someone that only carried the role of father on paper and only there, not even in the formality. The two of them had no personal relationship it was strictly business, from the day he started school it was like that. When prince Iyan was a young child, he only had his mother to take care of him, father was always locked in his office, working, or away in Yalan making sure no new riots were forming. With two children and a young wife at home he had no worry of coming back or spending time with them to create a relationship, there was someone who could succeed him and that was the only important thing. Later, when Iyan started taking lessons he was also to occupied so he had no time to bother his father, and said father made sure it happened like that. Now that he is a older, and a necessity for two of them to work together, it is only business they talk about. And to see that man, disrespect a woman who did every opposite of that, is so shocking to him that only frozen he can remain. That ate him inside.
Evan's words hang in air like the chandelier above them.
"I see." Empress spoke. Something in Iyan's head came lose in that moment. He looked at his mother more shocked then before. Truth is he has never seen them talk like this in person. There were thing Neftali told him, but seeing it in person was completely different. The acceptance of this behaviour was what shocked him the most.
"I will make sure everything is ready in time for their arrival." Empress said with a small smile. "And Lady Gabrielle will be the most welcomed in the Queen's palace."
"I am glad we sorted that out." Evan said now with some excitement, like this was the finest form of entertainment for him. "I have already sorted the matter of Iyan's schooling," Evan looked at his son like a proud father. "All your mentors have agreed to come to the palace in order for your classes to continue. They are also coming in time for the celebration. Other subjects of yours will be extended, Sullivan will give you the schedule."
"I am not returning to the academy?" Iyan asked confused, looking at both his mother and father. Only that his mother looked shocked as he was.
"Why would you, you are the Crown prince now. Danger is greater, you life is more important now, who knows what could happen in that academy." The more he spoke, the more wine he drank.
The academy, Royal academy where both the children of the Imperial family went to study was a school that thought many generations of kings and princes as well as many noble family children and those of commoners who's intelligence and will for learning were unexceptional. Iyan has been going there word the last four years, only coming home for the season, like most of the children, and returning once it ended. Neftali was only a year belove him, also, like her brother, coming home only for the season.
"Has Matron of Vendrig allowed that?" Empress asked, as only sign of protest she could offer. The answer she knew already.
Matron of Vendrig, Duchess Silvia of Vendrig, was a principle of the Royal academy, her family has ran the school for generations and she is the longest living principle of all time. She is known for her strictness, not only towards her students but also parents and professors and tutors working at the academy. The Matron probably did deny his order, she might even not call it an order but a suggestion that she most certainty denied. But what could she truly do if the Emperor forbid his son from coming back to the academy, and if Iyan's mentors already agreed to come to the palace she had no way of stopping them.
Mentors in the academy were personal, only working with one student at the time, not all students had them, only those who were progressing so fast in lessons that having a mentor was the only way to keep them entertained and not let them cause trouble out of boredom. Iyan was one of those students, but some of his mentors only continued from where they left years ago when the prince started going to the academy. Returning to the palace to teach him was nothing challenging to them.
"How can she deny a Emperor's order?"
With that every word Empress said to her son to apologize for her decision felt pointless. This little decisions, that were not little at all will continue until Evan is satisfied. That might never happen.
"At least," Iyan spoke finally, he looked only at his sister and mother while saying this. "I can spend more time at home now."
One, very special, can be home again.