60. Alcohol Fueled Art War
1104 Words
Thora and I sit at the head table in the ballroom. Everyone else sits at the round ones.
"I wonder who your mate is now?"
"I don't know. That's why I'm up here. Didn't know who to sit by."
Decker comes running through the main doors and up to my table. Screaming, "MY PRINCESS." The whole way.
"YOU HAVE TO WAIT." His dad chases him in.
Thora laughs. "I guess it's that one."
I smile at Decker. "Hello Prince Decker. Would you like to join us for lunch?"
He sits down beside me. "This is a good view."
Thora looks at him. "It really is."
"We should get the band to play us music. SERVANT."
A servant runs over. "Yes sir."
Deckers' dad jumps up from one of the round tables. "NO. YOU DO NOT ORDER THEIR SERVANTS AROUND."
I put my hand up. "How long would it take the band to assemble here?"
King Ronion sits back down and shakes his head.
"5 or 10 minutes."
"Go ahead and have them assemble. They can play for our lunch."
"My pleasure."
Thora nods. "This is almost like a ball anyway. Might as well."
It only takes them about 3 minutes to show up. I go over and talk to the conductor.
"What would you like to hear?"
"Something appropriate for me to dance with a child too."
"A nice formal dance would be a good one."
"Thank you."
They start to play and everyone in the ballroom stops and stares at me. They had no idea the band had assembled. I glance at Decker and put my eyebrow up.
He comes running. "Can I have a dance with you, princess?"
"I would love to dance with you."
He guides me to the dance floor and leads me through a formal dance. It's so sweet. I smile the whole time. He's so cute, and he is trying so hard.
The song ends and everyone claps. "Thank you for the lovely dance sir." I curtsy and he bows.
"Thank you princess." Then he leads me back to our seats.
The band keeps playing nice lunch music and Dipak gives the signal for the food. We eat and enjoy the ambiance. Then Ronion stands up. "COME ON BOY. TIME TO GO."
"Thank you for lunch and the wonderful dance, sir."
"Thank you my princess." He kisses my hand and goes towards the round tables. Thora and I watch him. He gets almost to them. "AND SHE IS MY PRINCESS. YOU CAN ALL GET YOUR OWN."
Everyone laughs.
"There it was."
I nod.
"BOY NOW!"
Thora signals to a servant.
"Yes ma'am."
"Can you please bring everyone a glass of wine? I think we all need it."
The servants flood in the room with wine.
Dipak stands up. "WINE FOR LUNCH?"
Thora jumps up. "WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT PAINTINGS AND PRETEND TO BE FANCY."
Dipak opens his mouth to yell and then he cracks up laughing. Then everyone else starts in. We take our wine to the paintings hallway. All 84 are down one hallway. Momma, Asa, Prinna, and Clarice are there as fast as we are. They are carrying their wine too. We start at 1 end and work our way to the other.
About halfway through, Dipak stands on a box. "THEY ARE 500G EACH. STOP ASKING IF YOU CAN BUY PAINTINGS OF YOURSELF. JUST SEAL THEM AND PAY ME. ANYTHING NOT BOUGHT WILL END UP IN THE CASTLE SOMEWHERE."
I yell at him. "I NEED SOME FOR THE FORMAL ROOM."
"WAIT AND SEE WHAT PEOPLE WANT. WE'LL HAVE MORE MADE."
"Emma is so beautiful in this. This is mine." Tye's mom seals it.
I find one of Dipak holding that other king down. He's got his sword to his throat. "This one's mine." The very next one he's throwing the king back onto his tables. "This one's mine too. Servant. Put my seal on both of these please."
"Oh my goodness. This is so adorable." My mom guides Clarice to a painting. It's one with Emma and that little boy dancing. But the painting is about her getting spun. We see her smiling face. We can see the boys hand and part of his arm, but that's it.
"MINE TOO." She sticks her seal on it.
The next one is the little boy. The Borin boys are working their way this way. They'll see it eventually.
I find a good one of Tye and his dad. Both of them smiling and standing side by side.
Momma seals a couple of her and my dad.
Then Asa seals one of her and Dracul. "The painter is excellent."
"WOMAN, WHY DID YOU SEAL THESE 2 OF ME KICKING HIS ASS?"
I yell back. "FORMAL ROOM DIPAK."
"YOU REALLY NEED TO LEARN WHAT FORMAL MEANS."
Tye yells, "WE CAN MAKE A WHOLE ROOM OF HIM KICKING KINGS ASSES. THEN, WHEN A KING COMES TO VISIT, WE PUT THEM IN THERE TO WAIT."
The whole hallway cracks up laughing.
We keep going. There are a couple good ones of Elek. I do like his eyes.
"You should put this in the formal room." Momma points at one. It's Elek leading me to the dance floor. I've got his arm. I can see his face well. I'm looking at him, and we're smiling.
"I hate the veil, momma."
"It's formal. It's going to have the veil." I seal it.
I find one of Tye walking me in. I seal that too.
Then I see one of me and Elek dancing. He's up against my back smiling at me. I've got my head turned, and I'm smiling up at him. I think it's when he was trying to figure out how to spin me like Tye did. He's holding one of my hands in front of my stomach.
"That one is perfect."
I shrug my shoulders. "I don't think it's formal. It's kind of... I don't know."
Momma seals it. "Formal room. It's too good to not put in there, and it is formal."
Then I find one like it of me and Tye. I seal it right away.
Clarice comes over. "I want this one. Can I have this one? I love it."
Momma shakes her head. "No, I need that."
I stand on a box. "DIPAK, THERE IS ABOUT TO BE AN ALCOHOL FUELED ART WAR DOWN HERE."
"WHO IS THE PAINTING OF?"
"ME AND TYE."
"WHO IS ARGUING?"
"OUR MOMS."
"NOT GETTING INTO IT."
Tye shows up laughing. He takes the painting away from them and runs. I run after him. I seen them all now anyways.
- Writer
