Once all the gifts had been given, the King rose from his seat and raised his cup high.
"Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful gifts!"
Though the King's voice was not loud, it carried effortlessly across the entire ballroom, silencing idle chatter.
"Now, please enjoy the party at your leisure."
A round of polite applause followed. The music swelled, more vibrant than before. As the King leaned down to speak with his youngest son, the rest of the court returned to motion. Nobles began forming circles, laughter and hushed whispers filling the hall as politics resumed behind wine and smiles.
"Hey, Lucen, do you think you can make another one of those boards made from the dragon's scales, with your signature on it?"
"Sorry, Robert, but if I did that, then the value of the gift I gave would diminish. Why are you asking for something like that? I thought you said before that the board is just a tool to play the game, it doesn't matter what it's made of."
