The dining hall should have been the crown jewel of the manor,a grand space where laughter echoed off polished silver and chandeliers sparkled like stars.
Once, it was alive with life, adorned with vibrant banners and filled with the aroma of sumptuous feasts. But those days were long gone.
Now, it stood as a mere shadow of its former glory.
Cobwebs clung to the ceiling like tattered flags of surrender.
Cracks snaked across the stone walls, whispering tales of neglect.
The air hung heavy with the musty scent of mildew and dust, while every piece of furniture seemed to groan under the weight of time.
Even the table where Lucius sat appeared to resent his presence, creaking in protest as he leaned on it.
His chair squealed at each shift, threatening to revolt beneath him.
Draped in heavy robes, Lucius looked like a man crushed by fate,his drawn face mirrored his hopelessness.
Each creak of wood beneath him felt like a reminder of his punishment.
He scanned the dilapidated hall with weary eyes, noting every flaw and indignity that surrounded him.
Yet amidst this despair, one thought persisted: escape.
At the far end of the room, Garran leaned against a cracked pillar, an amused smile dancing on his lips.
His arms crossed casually over his chest belied a flicker of pity that he didn't bother to conceal.
Lucius caught sight of him.
With deliberate slowness, he turned his head and fixed Garran with a glare sharp enough to cut glass.
"What's that look for?"
Garran tilted his head nonchalantly. "Just observing how quickly a noble can wilt,like a flower in winter."
Lucius nearly choked on his indignation; color flooded his pale cheeks as he shot upright in outrage.
"You....!"
He nearly spat blood from sheer fury, shooting Garran a look that promised retribution.
Garran merely smirked back at him. "Did I lie?"
Before Lucius could conjure an equally scathing retort, the dining hall doors creaked open slowly,a painful sound echoing through silence,and in walked Elira.
She looked far too small for the tray she carried, her apron was already stained with mysterious spots from who-knows-what kitchen disasters.
Her steps were cautious as if she feared that even the floor might conspire against her today.
And sure enough, halfway across the hall, her foot snagged on a crack in the flagstones!
She lurched forward with an alarmed squeak; miraculously,or perhaps due to sheer luck the tray didn't topple over completely but wobbled precariously instead.
"Careful!" Lucius barked out instinctively,but alas!
His warning came too late; broth splattered onto his sleeve like an unwelcome curse.
Elira froze in horror. "M-Master! I-I didn't mean..."
Lucius lifted his stained arm, staring at it as if he had suffered a mortal wound.
His eyes brimmed with unshed tears, and his lips quivered. He tilted his head back, gazing up at the cracked ceiling, and whispered one broken word.
"Why…"
It was a question meant for the heavens, not for the girl standing nearby.
A desperate plea to the gods themselves for their cruelty. Why send him here? Why this chair, this table, this wretched breakfast? Why him?
He dabbed at the corner of his eye with his sleeve, brushing away imaginary tears.
Then, with all the solemnity of a condemned man facing his fate, he turned his gaze to the food Elira had managed to set down on the creaking table.
Breakfast.
Three pieces of bread,slightly stale at the edges,a bowl of thin barley porridge with a few lonely raisins bobbing on top like shipwreck survivors, a wedge of goat cheese that was cracked and crumbly, and an offending bowl of lukewarm vegetable soup with a solitary carrot slice clinging desperately to its rim.
Lucius stared at it in silence; his expression heavy with tragedy.
Garran let out a chuckle. "Feast of kings."
Lucius ignored him. Slowly, he glanced over at Elira, who stood nervously by the table wringing her hands.
Then he turned to Garran, still leaning against his pillar with that infuriating smirk plastered across his face.
"Sit," Lucius commanded quietly but firmly.
Garran blinked in disbelief. "What?"
"I said sit. Both of you." Lucius's voice held an authority that brooked no argument. "Serve yourselves and eat with me."
Elira's eyes widened in alarm. "M-Master, I couldn't...!"
Garran shook his head dismissively and waved a hand as if brushing away her concerns.
"Servants don't sit with their masters! Even you should know that."
Lucius's fist came down hard on the table.
The wood shuddered as if about to collapse under pressure; one leg squeaked in protest while Garran raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Elira yelped and clutched her tray tightly against her chest.
Lucius glared fiercely; his eyes flashed like daggers aimed straight at their hearts.
"I said sit! Don't bring that noble nonsense into this place! Do you see a grand hall? Do you see banquets or courtiers? No! You see me, this miserable table, and bread that could double as a weapon! Sit."
His words cracked through the hall like thunder.
Elira glanced nervously at Garran; even he hesitated for once under Lucius's piercing gaze.
Finally,defeated,Garran exhaled sharply and pushed himself off the pillar.
"Fine! But don't blame me when our ancestors curse your name."
Elira shuffled closer, her uncertainty palpable but her obedience unwavering.
With trembling hands, she awkwardly picked up the bread, slicing it with a nervousness that made each cut feel like a small victory.
Garran, on the other hand, was busy pouring the soup,his movements so exaggerated that it seemed the bowl might topple at any moment.
"What an indignity," he muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes.
Then, breaking every rule of decorum, Garran and Elira plopped down across from Lucius at the rickety table.
For a heartbeat, silence enveloped them. The only sounds were the creaks of their chairs and the distant drip of water echoing through the hall,like a metronome marking time in this strange little gathering.
Finally, Garran lifted his spoon with a smirk and quipped, "Well, isn't this cozy? Like three beggars sharing scraps."
Lucius shot him a glare sharp enough to slice through steel.
Elira stifled a giggle behind her piece of bread; unfortunately for her, it slipped out despite her best efforts.
Pressing a hand against his temple in exasperation, Lucius sighed dramatically. "I am surrounded by idiots."
Yet even as he tore off a piece of bread and chewed in silence,his annoyance evident,he didn't shoo them away.
Garran slurped his soup obnoxiously on purpose while Elira nearly spilled her porridge not once but twice! Still, Lucius let it all unfold around him.
In that dilapidated dining hall adorned with cracks and cobwebs, laughter mingled with bickering,not despair but something almost joyful in its clumsiness.
For just one ridiculous moment amidst the chaos and noise, Lucius found himself forgetting his own misery.