Chapter 17

“Are you ready?”, Mother asked me.

I stifled a sigh. I didn’t want to attend the feast. It used to be the best time of the year when the trader’s came, and I could hear the gossip from the world outside. But ever since Father and my brother died, Mother had ordered me to take the role of the host. I knew it would be a long evening with nothing else than formal discussions.

“Yes, Mother”, I replied.

She frowned at me.

“You remember what Martha has told you?”

“Yes, Mother”

She nodded and didn’t ask specifically what Martha had told me, so I got away easy this time.

“Then come”

She left the room, and I followed her out and down the stairs. The whole fortress would attend, and I knew there would be singing and sharing tales. I could already hear the music as we descended and came out into the hallway. Mother turned to me.

“You know how to greet your guests?”

“Yes, Mother”

She frowned, and for a moment I thought she had found something to remark on, but she turned and continued down the hallway. The dining hall was already crowded as we stepped inside, and I made my way to the honorary table to the cheers of the people. If only I could be with them, sitting among the guests as I used to, but I knew that time had passed.

Mother took her place by my side as I halted by my seat. She lifted a glass into the air, and the room fell silent.

“Today, we will celebrate a friendship that has lasted many generations, and will last many more”

The people cheered, and I forced myself to smile. I knew that if Mother noticed that I didn’t, she would comment on it later. After that, all the events blended together. The servants came with trays of food, and my dining companion leaned over to chat, but I barely remembered what we spoke about. I glanced at our new guests who had arrived earlier. Mother had told me their names. Aislin, Sami and Eru. I knew they would never have been allowed to come if it had been a dinner, but the feast was, by tradition, open to everyone, and Mother couldn’t forgo the custom.

They sat huddled together, but I could see that both Sami and Aislin knew how to behave. They must have been at these kinds of events before. It wasn’t surprising, seeing how Sami seemed to have been a royal guard. Maybe Aislin had been the daughter of her nation’s ruler, and that’s how she knew about it. At least I was happy that they’d managed to stay together, and even if kitchen duty would be much below what they were used to, at least they were safe.

The evening went on and on, and when Mother finally gestured for me that we were allowed to leave, I stood up and walked back as calmly as I could. It was only as I came back to my room, alone, that I slumped down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.