Callum was standing at full attention, his shoulders back and his eyes gazing at a spot on the thrones past the King and Queen so as not to meet their stare out of respect. He only stiffened slightly when the King began to make his way towards he and his siblings. They had grown up being tossed into the air by this man, but the older Callum got, the more professional he acted when they were around each other. King Rowan stopped in front of him, and only then did Cal allow himself to look his King in the eyes.
They gripped hands and the King said, ”Such a fine grown man you’ve become. Your father has told me great things about you.” Only the small smile tugging the corners of Cal's lips upwards gave away his delight at the kind words. He gave a respectful nod back before releasing Rowan's hand and allowing him to move on to his sisters.
Ramsey greeted Adelina, Brynlee, and Charlotte with bows and kisses before turning to Ramsey and embracing him warmly, "Welcome my friend, our home is your home."
As the King moved on to greet the next family who had followed suit to introduce themselves immediately after the Mercier's, the three children took respectful steps backwards to allow the new family to be centered in the throne room. Addy elbowed Cal as they all came to a hault and rolled her eyes, "Lighten up, Cally. You act as he's not practically your second father."
Callum ran a hand down the front of his uniform in an effort to straighten it out where it had shifted. "Maybe you, baby sister, should learn when the time to be serious is, and when is the time for childish antics." He raised an eyebrow in her direction before clasping his hands behind his back and returning his attention back to the other families who had started filing in.
Adelina scoffed, shaking her head slightly before catching her father's eye. He didn't look angry, just concerned. She supposed they were both right. The idiots. In her peripheral, she noticed Brynlee slowly raising her book and flipping it open to the last page she'd been on. "You'd better be careful." She crooned to her sister, eyes darting to where their mother stood transfixed on all of the welcomes and introductions.
Brynlee just kept reading, muttering "Mind your own business."
It wasn't until the Chambers family was being addressed that Brynlee and Adelina really turned their attention to what was going on in the throne room. As the King moved to greet the final Chambers child, Emery, it seemed as though everyone else in the room stilled. When he embraced her as he had every other royal child and said, "You, my dear, are most welcome. You shall be respected as any Lord and Lady should be. And if anyone says differently, you may come to me directly.” Brynlee let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Bookmarking her page, she hugged the book to her chest as a small smile danced across her lips. The girl looked so relieved and it made Bryn's heart so happy. So happy that she didn't notice her mother edging closer to her.
"The book, my dear." Charlotte held her hand out but offered a loving smile to her daughter, "You can have it when you're back in your chambers after all the festivities of the night."
A swell of panic threatened to make Brynlee explode as her eyes danced between her book and her mother's open hand. It was her safety blanket. Where she went when she felt small or out of place. A comfort. And here in this room with so many royals - so much, competition...
Callum's hand was on her back in a touch that said, I'm here. It's okay. When she looked to her brother, his eyes were still on the other families and for that she was grateful. She was too proud to let them know she felt as though she needed her book with her to keep her sanity. They had never been as close as he and Addy were, but he was still her eldest brother and protector.
Turning her eyes back to her mother, she slowly placed the book in her hand and straightened her posture, turning back to the introductions. Charlotte pressed a swift kiss to her eldest daughter's temple before turning and handing the book to the nearest servant. "Please leave this in Lady Brynlee's chambers by her bed. Thank you." The servant rushed out of the room as quietly as she could, as to not draw attention to herself while the King was speaking.
The King had just finished acknowledging the Daverny House, at whom Cal had cringed when they had spoke to his King, when Lord Ramsey was suddenly standing right behind his three children and whispering in a voice just loud enough for them to hear, "Remember what your mother and I have taught you and make us proud, but guard your hearts. Not everyone is hear for the best reasons." He then placed a hand on Adelina's shoulder, "And my dear, please respect yourself."
Addy whipped around and stared at her father, astonished and also amused by the small smile playing on his mouth while Brynlee, and even Callum, tried to keep their cackling silent.
”My Lords, my Ladies. The King and I are thankful for the journey you all took to come stay with us for this fine season. Without further adieu, I present my son, Prince Declan, heir to the throne.”
The queen's voice brought the family back to the present and all of their eyes lifted to the top of the staircase. As he made his way down the staircase, he looked poised and confident to most, Brynlee was sure. She could tell that he was trembling, though. Interesting for the heir to the throne to be so nervouse about meeting maybe twenty people. Most of whom he'd met before. She always remembered him being a little more on the quiet side as they were growing up. Especially in comparison to his brother, Desmond. He sure had grown up well...
"Well if he isn't the definition of tall, dark, and handsome..." Adelina taunted her elder sister softly, wagging her eyebrows. Brynlee had always had a bit of a quiet crush on him, ever since they were close when they were children, but she'd always been content to crush from afar and be his friend up close. Giving her sister a smack on the arm over Cal, she kept her eyes focused on the Prince as he spoke, hoping to catch his eye. It had been a while since they'd seen each other.
Declan gave his greeting with a small sweeping glance over all the families and stood by his mother and father while his brother descended the staircase. He was the definition of arrogance, and Addy could have sworn she even saw stone faced Callum roll his eyes a bit at the swagger of the other Prince. She didn't mind through, he was gorgeous for sure. "Don't mind if I do.." She murmered, not minding that no one in her family was paying attention to her unnecesary, under-her-breath comments.
When Westerly descended the staircase, almost tripping, Callum's clasped hands gripped a little tighter but he showed nothing in his face. Were he braver and maybe someone else all together, he woud have thought about running forward to make sure she didn't fall, regardless of the fact that her brother was there to catch her. After she had smoother herself over and joined the rest of her family, the King stepped forward to speak once more.
”Once again, I want to thank each and everyone of you for giving us the pleasure to host you for the season. Our servants are currently taking all of your belongings to your rooms, showing your guards and servants to their quarters and taking your horse to their stables. In celebration of this wonderful season we are hosting a feast in your honor.” The King smiled, and motioned toward the large sets of French doors to his left. ”What other way than to better acquaint ourselves over a wonderful meal.”
Addy was leaning over to Callum to tell him to go and ask to escort Westerly to the dining hall, knowing that he may feel more comfortable with someone he already knows, when Col Cavalier stepped up to the Princess. Giving her brother an apologetic smile, she flitted her eyes around the crowd to see who the Princes would ask and was most disappointed to see they'd each asked someone who was not her. She thought about turning to Brynlee and teasing her that Declan hadn't asked her, but when she looked at her sister, she saw that Lord Alec Thorne was already there.
Brynlee had been doing the same as Adelina, watching the men ask the different ladies to escort them to the table and praying that someone would ask her so she didn't have to walk into the hall alone, when a handsome man walked up to her. He was young and dressed in all black and she was fairly certain they'd met before. She rememebered his name to be Alec. As he bowed and asked to accompany her to dinner, she let a small smile turn one corner of her mouth upwards as she knelt into a small curtsey and tipped her head down. "I'd be delighted, Lord Alec." Brynlee took his arm, and as they walked off, she gave her brother and sister a small glance over her shoulder hoping they would join her soon.
"Alright big brother, who are you going to escort to dinner?" Addy asked, trying to make mental bets on who the lucky girl would be.
Cal's frame stayed straight, but he was wringing his fingers behind his back in attempt to get rid of all the nervous energy. "Can I not just escort you?" He asked, trying to play off his discomfort. "If I don't, you may end up walking in alone." He accepted the blow she paid to his shoulder without flinching.
"Now, Cally, we all know that's not going to happen. Even if it did, I'd much rather walk in alone than on my own brother's arm! I think you should ask Adriana. She's pretty and you may look tough to everyone else, but I know you're probably intimidated a bit by the other ladies." The young Lady teased, but placed a reassuring hand over her brother's clenched fists in an effort to calm his anxious tick. "Go." She said more reassuringly.
Clearing his throat and forcing him to take one step after the other, he walked up to Lady Adriana, who had walked in moments earlier and bowed deeply before speaking, "Lady Adriana, may I escort you to dinner?"
"Good job, my love." Charlotte whispered next to her youngest. It was quite the feat to get Callum to do anything in regards to making a show of asking a girl to go somewhere with him. Adelina was opening her mouth to reply to her mother when a young man walked up to her. He was certainly handsome and a coy smile played across her lips immediately as she dismissed the fact that he had just been smitten with Princess Westerly a few moments earlier.
"Hello Lady Adelina. Might I have the pleasure of escorting you this evening?" He bowed and rose again.
She took a moments pause to act as though she was deliberating turning him down, and then did the tiniest of curtsies and nodded, reaching to take his arm. "I'd be delighted, my lord."