Heir to the Empire

23. To Eat With A Lion - Loldirr

The festivities in the Lionmane keep was something unlike Loldirr had ever seen before. Men and women of nobility, all in one large room, doing what they can to eat and drink themselves to an early death.

At least that was what it felt like to her.

She watched, as various groups of nobles, sitting together in their respective houses, shouted and laughed and perform acts that simply appeared anything but noble.

Greenhaven had their festivities, that was full of dancing and laughter and fun, but Lionmane seemed so fake in comparison. Everyone appeared to want to outdo each other in how repulsive they could be, all with the plan to gain the attention and affection of the man sitting next to her.

Turning her head slightly, she gave a small respectful smile to the most powerful man in the empire, Emperor Arnaud III. She found it exceedingly hard to maintain that smile as he scoffed down a chicken leg as if he hadn't eaten in months.

Watching, disgusted, as the grease dripped from his mouth and sank into his bushy, tangled beard, as he made noises that would put a pig to shame, she found it hard not to scrunch up her nose as he threw the leftover bones into a bowl in front of him.

Despite everything in her screaming to rebuke the repulsive man, she reminded herself that she was on a mission of diplomacy and after their first encounter with this Emperor, it was obvious that she would need to be careful how she presented herself in front of him.

She quickly glanced to her right as Erdudvyl sat next to her, clearly not enjoying the festivities either. Erdudvyl's only saving grace was that the Emperor had ordered Loldirr to be placed next to him instead of her, despite being the guest of honour.

Taking a chicken leg herself, Loldirr ate it with far more delicacy than the Emperor, doing all she could to avoid grease to slip down her fingers. The smell of the various spices used to enhance the chicken were like nothing she had ever smelt before. She may not have liked the festival, but the food was beyond delicious.

"It's nice food, isn't it?" a voice to the side of the Emperor asked as if reading her mind.

Glancing up, Loldirr was greeted with the smile, and frown, of the blue-haired woman Nimue. Loldirr couldn't quite work out how she was able to smile and frown simultaneously, but there was a considerable animosity towards Loldirr that was reinforced the moment she sat next to the Emperor.

Loldirr was also grateful that Nimue was unable to read her mind.

"It certainly has a welcome taste." Loldirr replied attempting to maintain the peace between them.

"Best not eat too much, you may fill out that lovely dress of yours." Nimue commented with a toxic bitterness as she had barely touched her food.

Before she had finished the chicken, the next dish was already being placed on the table in front of her.

As she looked at the dark red meat, she stopped eating and felt a small tear form in her eye.

Venison.

Memories of her short, stumpy, simple friend, Willis Billingslea, came flooding back. The moments he cluelessly scared off scores of deer's on their hunting trips, his nauseating look as Mr Butcher placed the first incisions into the kills she had hunted, the moment his head was flung at her before being swept away in the current by the Shadow.

"Are you ok?" Erdudvyl asked, noticing that Loldirr had frozen at the sight of the venison.

Loldirr quickly nodded and smiled, forcing back any tear that was trying to escape her eyes.

"It's venison, from deer's in my forests." the Emperor boomed out as he glanced over at Loldirr.

"Sorry, your majesty, I had not expected food of this calibre." Loldirr responded, smiling to hide the real pain she was feeling.