The dinner table was set with their finest silver and crystal. Candle chandeliers stood atop a maroon tablecloth which had flowered patterns sewed at the seam in golden thread. Lily bouquets filled tall silver vases and stood by the arched windows that stretched a foot from the high ceiling all the way down to the marble floor.
Aurelie had arrived early and ran into Michael and the King who were too focused on their hushed conversation to notice her. The dinner was meant to be a private affair between the King, Prince Ja'on and her, but Michael appeared to have been added to the list.
"Evening," she said, startling the men who looked and returned her smile.
There were no servants present, but a fire had been lit in the grand, stone fireplace and their glasses were filled with wine. It seemed strange to see the King without a man by his side, doing all but breathing for him. She had gotten used to the same treatment but was still reluctant to accept the concept.
"You look dashing," the King said and stood, accompanied by Michael.
Michael walked around the table and pulled out a chair for her. She felt his eyes burn into her neck as she walked closer, and her cheeks warmed in response to the stare. When she sat, he lightly pushed it in and made his way back to the chair across from her.
"We were just talking an attack to our southern training camp," the King said.
"Casualties?" she asked.
"About the same on both sides, but the camp's been destroyed so we have to move the men to a different location," Michael replied.
Aurelie nodded. The warm light coming from the candles set shadows over his eyes and made his pupils look almost white while accentuating the sharpness of his cheekbones.
"What are you thinking? Perhaps to send the remaining men between the camps that are under construction?" she asked looking from Michael to her father.
The King smiled and folded his arms, passing a quick glance to check Michael's reaction. "Surely some of them are trained enough to participate as novice guards at the campâthey did, after all, survive the attack somehowâand even help build to get the process moving."
Michael's lips jolted down in surprise. He crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward. "That was one of the suggestions."
"And the other?" Aurelie asked, her face glowing with a smile. She tried to think of something else, thinking of the surprise her first idea had caused Michael. What else was there? Bring them to the castle and have them camp like those at Valice? As far as she knew, guards had already been called for since the attack on the town square.
"Bring them here," Michael said. "Or rebuild."
The King leaned back in his chair and brought his ankle up to rest against his knee.
"Is there anything left to rebuild?" she asked while absently curling her hair around her finger. The short hair escaped the finger, and she clasped at the air in an attempt to catch another strand.
Michael tapped his fingers on the table, and leaned his head to the right, in thought. "Yes and no. On the one hand, we cannot move trainees awayâthat will look weak. Not only that, it will open the south to invasions. On the other, with the construction of the others, it seems like the best option."
"We can't retreat," the King finally added. "That will open the south to more attacks. We can't just simply move camp once they hit us. What happens when they hit the next and the next? Will we bring them to the castle eventually?" He shook his head. "No, that's not an option. We have to make it look like we've leftâthat I can agree with."
"And that's what we talked about." Michael winked, and shuddered almost instantly as if realizing what he did right on the spot. The King noticed too but didn't say a word. Aurelie smiled.
"How would you proceed with hidingâ"
"Prince Ja'on," The King rose and gestured for him to sit beside Michael.
"Your Highness." Michael stood and bowed, waiting for the Prince to come around before he took his seat.
Ja'on stopped at his chair and nervously tapped his fingers against the backrest without pulling it out. The corner of a golden box stuck out of his pocket. He moved his hand as if to feel if it was still there, and looked down at his chair for a moment before leaving it, and walking around the table until he reached Aurelie.
She pushed her chair back and began to stand. Her knee knocked against the table on its way up. Aurelie grabbed the table and leaned against it as the pain settled in the backbone of her knee. As if upon instinct, her eyes shot up to Michael, who returned her gaze with a gentle smile on his face. When she felt the wave of Prince Ja'on stop at her side, she released the table and turned to him.
"I brough yoh a gif, mei noisha," he said, lowered onto one knee and reached for her hand.
Aurelie narrowed her eyes trying to focus on exactly what he was trying to say through his thick accent and passed him her hand. Her hand looked extra pale in his grasp, like milk and chocolateâif the chocolate had gone through a process where it was tinted a light shade of green.
"A gift?" she asked tentatively. It seemed rather rude to ask, the poor man was trying rather hard, and she did not want to misinterpret the gesture.
"Yes, a gif." He took the golden box from his pocket and placed it in the hand he had been holding.
"Thank you," she said. The paper had been painted with a golden paint. Aurelie could still see the strokes made by the painter who had left lighter lines behind, making the true color of the paper shine through. The ribbon was golden too.
"I paint," he said, his eyebrows moving up to gesture at the paper.
"It's lovely." Aurelie smiled.
"Open this," the Prince instructed.
Aurelie pulled at the ribbon and found a folded corner where she could peel the crunchy paper. She started slowly at first, and then feeling the eyes on her, attempted to fasten the process. It ripped; the sound traveled through the silent room and made her cheeks warm in response. "I'm sorry," she said looking up at the Prince.
He shrugged, and ran a half over his pitch black curls. "Is alrigh, is yust paper, yes?" His plump cheeks surprised her as he smiled. She didn't think it possible for a thin face could produce such round cheeks.
Aurelie removed all the paper and was faced with a red, white and black beaded box which had a silver clasp.
"That I di no make." He smiled shyly, and reached over the box to lift the clasp with his nail.
The inside contained what Aurelie could only describe as a frozen, little fish. Her eyes widened in surprise and then she forced them back and softened her face with a smile. The scales were grey with a soft shine to them, the white mouth open, and the eyes still attached.
"So what is it?" the King asked, sitting down. "Pass it along so that we can see."
"May I?" she asked the Prince and received a satisfied nod in return which told her that he was fond of the attention.
Prince Ja'on pulled out Aurelie's chair and waited for her to sit down. She did, and to her surprise still found him hovering behind her chair, waiting until the King laid eyes on his gift. Aurelie raised a brow in her father's direction and passed him the box.
"Ah, marvelous, Prince Ja'on." The King took the fish out by the silver ring that had been stuck into its mouth, dangling it for Michael to see. "The Prince's family comes from a long line of fishermen."
Ja'on put his hand on the back of Aurelie's chair, and gently shook it with his laughter. "Tat is too kind, Yoh Majesty. I tink I saw fader hold the stick once, and tat was for de fish...men. Is that right, the way I say?"
The King set the fish back into its box and slid it across the table, back to Aurelie. "Fishermen," he corrected.
"Ah, almost."
"Indeed."
"Will de Princess wear de fish?" he asked, leaning over her chair so his hand pressed into her shoulder.
"Yes, of course," Aurelie said. She turned to look him in the eye but stopped short when his breath brushed past her cheek. Ja'on had moved even closer.
"Come sit, Ja'on, you're making me uncomfortable," the King said lightheartedly.
Ja'on pulled out the chair closest to Aurelie and sat down. "Yoh don't mind, do yoh?"
"Not at all." Aurelie absently brushed her hair away from her cheek and turned her head away from the Prince.
Michael had his eyes lowered over his glass. The tip of his finger glinted in the candlelight, wet with dark red wine. It made a soft whistling sound as he stroked the top of his glass. His finger jumped off the glass suddenly, and Aurelie looked up from his hand, catching his eyes once more. He brought the finger up to his mouth, and let the drop fall onto his bottom lip. A slight tremble ran through Aurelie's hand. She held her eyes on him, ignoring the Prince and the King, pushing the boundaries of her emotions and trying to find where Michael fit within them.
"Mr Remo," the King called one of the guards that stood outside of the door, breaking their stare. "You can call the maids up with the food."
"How did you manage to find one so small?" She turned to Ja'on, feeling Michael's gaze burn hot into her neck. Her hand jumped up and clasped at her naked skin. She had to cover herself for Kirin's sake. This wasn't right.
"I searched de whole land for it." Ja'on smiled cheekily.
"Perhaps the Princess would like a necklace to be brought up for the amulet," Michael said, making the side of Aurelie's lip jerk. "What a better time to wear it than right now?"
"What a lovely idea." Aurelie released a puff of air with her smile. "Father, will you ask for one."
The King tapped his middle finger on the table and glanced at Aurelie and Michael with his eyes narrowed while sliding his tongue past his teeth. "Yes," he gave a long sigh, "I certainly will."
"Yes, good," Ja'on said nodding at Michael with thanks.
"Is the fish business still strong?" Michael asked.
Ja'on's answer was a long one. He talked about new trade deals that his kingdom made in detail. Mentioned that the Icelands' reached out to them for trade, but that they declined and that it had nothing to do with whether or not Aurelie would accept him as a husband. Loyalty, he explained with long clarity, was important to him and his people. He told them how to gut a fish, how to remove the scales and exactly what they use for catching itâthe nets, the different kinds of hooks and even the shipsâand even the names of the different crews and their captains. His father might not have had much interest in their business, but Ja'on knew it inside out, and by the time the food arrived, Aurelie had a new respect for the man. He would be a hands-on King, and certainly a proud one.
The steaming red lobsters that had decorated their plates, Ja'on caught in his homeland and brought with him in watered tanks. He picked up an iron scissor looking instrument and turned to Aurelie.
"Take it like dis," he said, and leaned over his chair, taking a claw and clasping it with the instrument. He took her hand and placed it on the handles that had been warmed by his hand. "Okay, I push now." He put his hands on top of hers and helped her push down.
Aurelie heard a loud crack, and a small piece of fish shot out and landed on her chest. She laughed, and removed the meat, putting it on her plate. "I think I have it now, thank you, Prince Ja'on."
"Yoh see, in my home we wear cloth here," he gestured toward her chest, "so tat de ladies not mess on de dress."
"That's alright." She smiled and placed the other claw between the flat plates of the instrument. There was plenty of meat in the piece Ja'on helped her break, but she wanted to try it for herself. It cracked, and Aurelie jumped slightly, turning her face away. The men laughed.
"I think you've certainly impressed the Princess, Prince Ja'on," the King said, looking over Aurelie's giddy expression.
"You have, indeed," Aurelie said and put a hand on Ja'on's shoulder. "I haven't had this much fun in weeks."
"We'll certainly have to change that," Michael added.
At times, she found it hard to understand him, but as the evening progressed her ear was trained to his accent. Ja'on spoke about his land while the rest of them ate. It was on the border with Highfire, in fact, they shared the ocean. Though, with everything that was going on, Highfire didn't do much fishing. Of course, there were fishermen, but nothing on the scale of what Julopi did.
A sport had been made for the water too. Now, Ja'on said that they had yet to perfect it, but for the time being, it was enjoyed widely, even though flawed. They sanded planks of wood, as long as the men that rode them, and wide enough for two feet to fit while standing spread on the board. The crown donated prizes every week to the man who could stay on his the longest. Racing was tried first, but the boards weren't quite in agreement.
At the end of the evening, the Prince bid Aurelie farewell with a quick peck on her cheek and bowed for the King.
"I'll walk with you," the King said, and stood, making Michael rise too out of respect. "We have something of a gift for you too, and your parents, of course."
Aurelie moved the shells around her plate with her fork and waited for the King and Prince to leave. Once their footsteps were muffled by the other sounds of the castle, servants came to take the plates. She had nothing else to avert her eyes to now.
"Come on, dance with me," Michael finally spoke to break the silence.
"Would that be a proper thing for a Princess to do?" she asked, looking up at him through her dark lashes.
"I do believe so." He nodded.
"Oh you do, do you?" She smiled and reached around herself to pull up the strap of her dress that had fallen down her shoulder.
Michael's eyes followed her fingers. Noticing, Aurelie's breath caught. Warning bells rang in her head.
The servants left the room, closing the door behind them. Something the King would certainly not have allowed, but he wasn't here now.
Michael stood, and she felt her pulse rise into her neck. Aurelie's hand moved to her mouth, and she bit down on her nail, watching him approach her.
Michael smiled, revealing a tiny gap between his front teeth. "Don't be nervous." His warm hand slid around her wrist and lightly pulled at it so that she would stand.
Suddenly the whole evening felt like a betrayal.
"I'm sorry," she said and pulled away. "I can't."
"I was afraid that you'd been turned by the fish." His dark bushy brows rose playfully, one higher than the other.
Aurelie laughed and lowered her eyes, feeling guiltier by the second. What in the world was she doing? "It's getting rather late, Michael. Please do excuse me."