Adio
As was polite, Adio inclined his head in greeting to ever person who entered the room. First, his younger brother, closest to him in age, entered and they both acknowledged the presence of the other. Jin wasn’t always the easiest to read, though easier to read than Sora, that was sure. Adio could see something was bothering him. If it was anything like what the Heir was thinking, he had reason to feel odd. The High Priest was practically glaring over the table, eyes like a buzzard staring at dead carcasses. Adio made a point to not look at him again unless he absolutely had to. His father’s face was darkened by something Adio wasn’t used to seeing. But upon looking at him as well, the prince felt a very familiar fire rise up inside him. Flashes of the spar between he and Lenore resurfaced. She was lost and the King gave no mind to it. What kind of a king was that?
As if his thoughts had summoned her into the room, Lenore entered the room, draped in black and her hair pulled up to fame her face with its fiery pink hue. Adio swallowed whatever bubbling emotion had suddenly filled him up upon setting eyes on her, just to keep his composure. She was instructed to sit beside him as was appropriate, seeing that she was his guardian. He took notice of her weapon and almost laughed aloud. Not at her, but more at his father. The irony Adio saw in the gesture, especially after the conversation today, was priceless. This is what happens if you anger a powerful woman with a sword. He wanted so badly to say something to her. Speaking was out of the question. Trying to improvise, he used his eyes to convey how absolutely beautiful he found her and how much he enjoyed her daring. Determined fire looked back at him as she stood, waiting to sit down.
After she had entered, the others followed suit. Sora walked in with the young blue-haired woman at his side, though not escorting her the way a prince should. Adio frowned to himself a bit. Surely he had taught them well enough that if you are planning to escort the lady, you would at least offer an elbow. He would speak to him about it later. Though he would most likely sound like a broken record. Sora was a very independent soul and Adio could really only admire it. The girl that had entered with him, Jin’s guardian, stood timidly at the chair beside him. She was nothing like the other two girls. Quiet, subdued, much Sora counterpart. When he nodded to her, gleaming eyes and soft smile, she blushed and looked down at the floor. He wondered how she faired in a fight?
Finally, the yellow haired one, he could remember her name, Shizuo, entered and stood closer to Sora. Adio was curious why no one else was entering, but he was sure there was a reason and they would be told. Until then, all questions were left unasked.
The King sat without warning and the chairs were all pulled out by servants all dressed immaculately and similarly. Adio waited for the ladies to sit, as was polite, then finally treated himself to the cushioned bottom of the luxury dining chair. Drinks and the first appetizer was served and everyone ate in silence. Adio went about his business as usual. No one spoke before the first course. And no one spoke until the king did.
“Shizuo Yukira,” the High Priest suddenly said aloud. Adio’s head jerked up and he looked at the end of the table where the High Priest sat on the right side of His Majesty. “You’re newest assignment is the Prince Sora. There will be no questions. What is done will be done, by His Majesty’s orders.” When had the King ever used someone else to speak for him? If anyone knew he could speak for himself, it was Adio. The King never used a messenger when he could do it himself. Something was very wrong. And what’s more, why was Shizuo suddenly, not hours after they had been assigned pairs, being switched to Sora’s guardian?
“Your Holiness,” Adio started.
“No questions, Your Highness. None whatsoever.” The High Priest continued eating, sipping at his wine. Adio’s fists squeezed in his lap, feeling the cold silver against his skin. His face, however, remained perfectly calm, perhaps too calm.
Zahra
There was an obvious tension hovering around Sora when she opened the door at his knock. His compliment was well taken, but it didn’t help how self-conscious she was feeling about it. There was no way for her to move in it. All she could get away with was walking. Running was out of the question, let alone defending herself or her Prince. A thought struck her and she suddenly realized that she would be meeting him at this dinner. He was obviously the most educated of the three, not that any of them were unintelligent. That was far from the truth. All three men seemed very, very smart and she was intimidated by them all. But Prince Jin (she remembered his name quite easily) seemed to be the one who took reading and learning like more than just a hobby, but a calling. Would he look down on her? Zahra could barely write anything, let alone read a book. She was educated in people and fighting and killing. Not in books and history or the arts. What would he think of her if he was to learn all this?
All these ideas were tossed out the window when Zahra felt all the breath leave her body upon entering the dining room. What had she been thrust into? All the elegance and nicety of it all gave her a great fear like she would break something if touched. Zahra did not really know her own strength around delicate things because she’d never had them at her disposal before. Already she’d broken some porcelain statue in her room. It had been well hidden in the farthest reaches of a drawer. She decided to never look there again.
Just as she thought, Zahra was sat beside the blonde prince. Her breathing was slow, paced out. She was counting in her head, trying not to appear completely flustered by all the luxuries. Prince Adio, the eldest, looked to her and smiled. What she saw behind his eyes caused her to shiver and she looked away. Her amber eyes glanced over at the young man with glasses. He was quiet, like Sora, but the air around him was less calming. Zahra didn’t want him to be a bully, but she was very frightened that he was going to tease her. Perhaps it was her self esteem, which was very low when it had to do with schooling, but she instantly felt defensive around him.
When everyone began sitting, she plopped down in the chair and hesitated before eating. She didn’t have much etiquette, but she certainly tried to be proper. Before Zahra could really think about it, her eyes were looking down the table at Sora. He was quiet, calm, just getting through the night. He was used to this kind of atmosphere. She would have to learn from him what to do.
When the man seated beside the king spoke, there was a wave of tension through the air that was practically suffocating. Her amber eyes scanned everyone carefully, trying to decipher exactly what was happening, but she had no knowledge of how royals worked. She couldn’t tell at all why the air became stale and thick. Zahra decided remaining quiet was the best option. No questions were to be asked about the sudden change in pairing. Would Shizuo care? What about Sora? Why must the lives of everyone be altered so?