Chapter Twelve
The music halted as I walked into the room, and all eyes were on me and my entourage. The odor of rich perfumes was heavy in the air, and the room was lit with a countless multitude of candles and lanterns. The space was filled with tables dressed in fancy cloths and covered in silver dishes, candles, and flowers, and seated at the tables were dozens of nobles in colorful outfits made of the finest materials I’d ever seen with my own eyes.
I prepared myself for the gauntlet of respawns it would take to get to know every single person in the room, but I had limitless opportunities to play with, and excitement bloomed in my chest.
First, though, I marched straight to the table at the front of the room directly beneath the king’s throne, and I inclined my head to King Frederick.
“Your Majesty,” I greeted with a flourish of my hands.
“Ah, Sebastian,” the king replied in a friendly tone, and he clapped his hands together. “We’ve been waiting for you. I have a table arranged for you and your people nearby.”
“Thank you.” I inclined my head again before I scanned the room and found the empty table. There were plenty of spaces for all of my companions, so I gestured for them to sit down before I turned back to the king. “By the way, I wanted to commend you on the quick repairs made in the city. It’s hard to find any signs of the dragon attack at all.”
“We couldn’t have done it without you,” King Frederick assured me with a shake of his head. “Sorreyal shall forever be in your debt for eliminating the scourge on our land, but enough talk of dragons and death for now. Please, enjoy the feast.”
“Thank you.” I moved over to take my place at the head of my table, and Elissa flashed me an excited smile.
“Everyone looks so pretty,” my wife observed as her emerald eyes scanned over the room full of nobles.
“I’ve never been to a banquet like this before,” Mahini said as she tucked a stray tendril of her obsidian locks behind her ear in a self-conscious gesture. “I’m not sure what is expected of me.”
“Just be yourself,” I instructed with a grin. “If anyone doesn’t like it, then fuck ‘em.”
“We would be wise to be more cautious in how we approach the nobility,” Eva warned. “Etiquette requires we proceed with the utmost civility.”
“I’m the God of Time.” I shrugged. “If that means I have to step on a few toes, then so be it.”
“We are fortunate to be in your presence,” Eva replied with a subtle dip of her head.
“Oh, you’re good at this,” I complimented.
“Thank you, Great One.” Eva smirked and did a little curtsy. “Would you miss me too terribly if I went to say hello to my father?”
“I haven’t seen him yet,” I said with a frown as my eyes searched the room for the Duke of Bullard. Then my gaze settled on the back of his graying brown head, and I spotted the duke’s oldest son and Evangeline’s brother, Tobias, a few seats away from his father. “Ah, there he is. I’ll go with you. It’s about time Bullard and I meet face-to-face again, anyway.”
“Lovely.” Eva smiled, and then we both pushed ourselves up from our seats. The duke’s daughter took my offered elbow, swished her skirt around her legs, and followed me toward her father.
“Bullard,” I greeted in a casual tone as we approached. “How have you been, my friend?”
“What? Who said that?” The duke jumped and swiveled to face me, but then his expression relaxed into a pleased smile. “Oh, Great One, it’s you. It’s a pleasure to see you in person again. How are you enjoying your evening so far?”
“Can’t complain.” I smirked as I flourished my hand to Eva. “Hard not to enjoy yourself when I’m in such wonderful company.”
“Oh, Evangeline, how lovely to see you,” the Duke of Bullard gushed as he rushed to his feet. He swept his daughter into a warm embrace, but it was a short hug.
“Father,” Eva greeted with a kind smile when they parted. “I have been looking forward to seeing you. We have much to discuss.”
“Do we?” Bullard’s eyebrows furrowed as he lowered his voice. “Is everything alright?”
“Aren’t you…” Eva frowned as she trailed off.
“What is it?” her father asked.
“Aren’t you upset at me for the way I left your castle?” The duke’s daughter toyed with the fabric of her skirt as she gazed down at the floor.
The Duke of Bullard sighed, but a soft smile stretched across his face. “No.”
Eva’s eyes shot to her father’s face as though she was testing the validity of his words, but then her gray eyes lit up with joy. “Oh, wonderful. I’ve been so worried.”
“Eva, I know you had to follow your heart,” the duke said in a comforting tone. “There once was a time I would have been furious if you’d run away from home to chase after a man, but in this case it was the God of Time, so who am I to reprimand you? Now, I wish only for your happiness.”
“Smart man.” I grinned. “Trust me, I keep her very happy.”
“It’s true,” Eva chuckled. “Your words bring me great relief, Father. Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome.” The Duke of Bullard inclined his head, and then his gaze lifted to my face. “Thank you, Great One, for bringing my daughter to see me.”
“Hey, she insisted,” I laughed. “I just wanted to tag along to say hi.”
“I’m glad you did.” Bullard nodded. “I hope the two of you and the rest of your companions enjoy your evening.”
“You, too, thanks.” I smiled broadly. “We’ll talk more before the night is over, I’m sure.”
We turned away from the duke, and I scanned over the room once more. It seemed like there was still some time before the meal would be served, and everyone was milling about socializing while they waited for the food. It looked like it was time to do my god thing since I needed to know who all these people were and what roles they played in the kingdom.
If there was a plot being schemed by someone in this room, I’d find out before they could make a move against the throne. Then I’d be rewarded once more, and in the process, acquire more power.
The room was set up in a bit of a labyrinth of tables, with the king at the front of the room and each of the dukes and the duchess having their own spaces. Then the various barons, earls, lords, and ladies filled the remaining chairs.
In addition to the nobles who were on my current list of suspects, there were a good thirty or so men and women present who had clout in Sorreyal, so I did my usual chime a few hundred times to learn each of their names, talk with them, and discover all their dirty little secrets like only I could.
After too many attempts to count, I realized these other, lower-tier nobles weren’t really involved in anything more insidious than trying to sleep with each other while their spouses didn’t know, and I decided to focus my efforts more on the nobles I thought were trying to overthrow the king.
Namely, the Duke of Edinburg, and the Duchess of Mistvale.
Other than myself and the Duke of Bullard, the two of them had the most power beneath the king’s rule. If anyone would benefit from a change in the rulership of the kingdom, it would be them. Plus, after the letter I’d found from Edinburg’s wizard to Racine, there was more than enough reason to suspect the duke.
I reset back to my save point again, got to enjoy my dramatic entrance for what felt like the millionth time, and then set my eyes on my next targets.
“How are you enjoying the banquet so far, Clara?” I sat down at the Duchess of Mistvale’s table and flashed the gray-haired woman a charming smile.
“Oh, Great One!” the duchess gasped, and she placed her hands over her ample bosom as a blush leapt to her already rosy cheeks. “What an honor to have you come speak with me. I’ve been working on getting up the nerve to come say hello to you, and here you are before me. My wishes have come true.”
“I’m glad I could make your wishes come true,” I laughed.
“Everything has been lovely so far,” the duchess finally answered once she’d calmed down from being startled. “How was your journey to the palace? Did you face any troubles along the way?”
Something about the way she asked had me thinking she already knew the answer to the question, so I narrowed my eyes and scrutinized her closely. At first glance, the Duchess of Mistvale seemed just like the other vain and vapid nobles who filled the room, but I was beginning to get the feeling there was more to Clara than met the eyes.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” I quipped with a grin. “How about yourself?”
“Ooh, sounds mysterious,” the duchess giggled. “I’d love to hear all about it sometime…”
“You didn’t answer my question,” I growled in an intimidating tone since I could always reset back to my save point if something went wrong. “Did you face any challenges on your journey to Vallenwood?”
I expected the duchess to jump in fright and instantly stammer out a reply, but she flashed me a sly smile instead.
“Nothing I couldn’t handle with a platoon of soldiers around me,” she answered after she held my gaze for a long quiet moment.
It seemed the soft squishy duchess wasn’t as easily intimidated as I first assumed, but I didn’t want the lasting impression of me to be of a hard-ass, so I reset back to my save point again.
Chime.
This time, I approached the Duchess of Mistvale with a flirtatious energy. With how ample and elderly she was, I was sure it had been a while since anyone had hit on her, but it was worth a shot anyway.
“Why, hello, gorgeous,” I breathed in her ear before I took the empty seat beside her. Then I scooted my chair closer to her and wiggled my eyebrows. “You look absolutely scrumptious tonight.”
“Oh, Great One,” Clara purred with a flutter of her eyelashes. “How lovely to see you again. You are looking quite dashing yourself.”
“Thanks.” I grinned. “I brought my personal seamstress with me to custom make my clothes specifically for this occasion.”
“I didn’t realize you were so fashion forward.” Her eyebrows rose in surprise.
“I had to bring my A game if I was going to impress you, right?” I chuckled. “You were wearing the most beautiful gowns when we first met, and I wanted to match your level of commitment.”
“You flatter me, Great One,” the duchess said, and she waved a dismissive hand before she dipped her head in a small but graceful bow. “It is I who should be trying to impress you, Your Grace.”
“There are definitely ways you could do just that,” I informed her in a conspiratorial tone. “If your aim is to please me, it is easily achieved.”
The Duchess of Mistvale giggled like a young girl, and color rose to her cheeks as she caught on to my subtle double meaning. She didn’t speak for several moments while she fought to regain her composure, but then she cleared her throat and met my gaze with steady eyes.
“How may I please you, O Great One?” There was a twinkle of desire in her gaze, but also plain to see curiosity.
“Tell me more about yourself,” I urged. “Your holding lies in Mistvale, but you spend most of your time in Vallenwood. What draws you to the palace of the king?”
“I have sworn to the king that I would assist him in finding a bride,” the duchess informed me in a low voice. “He is currently unwed, and though he has mistresses, not even a bastard son has been born. A king without an heir… Well, I’m sure you understand. Anywho, I am here to fix all that. I screen the potential wives from the herd of nobles throwing themselves at the king’s feet.”
“How long have you been doing this work?” I asked in a curious tone.
“Oh, for years,” the duchess bragged with a wave of her hands. “The king is rather picky, you know, and we can’t have just anyone becoming the next queen of Sorreyal, now can we?”
“I suppose not.” I frowned. “What happens if the king never has an heir?”
“Why, the throne becomes vulnerable to attack, of course.” Clara fixed me with a shrewd look. “I assumed you would already know the outcome given your level of power.”
“It’s not like you’re going to remember this anyway,” I pointed out with a shrug.
“What do you mea--” she started to say, but I reset back to my save point before the words fully left her lips.
Chime.
I respawned a few more times to talk to the Duchess of Mistvale about the different women she had lined up as potential wives, but she skirted around any mention of Arginold or the Duke of Edinburg. It seemed as though her focus laid solely on the throne and getting as close to it as she could. As the royal matchmaker, she could put her own puppet at the king’s side, and no one would be able to undo it.
The duchess didn’t seem to be in a big rush to get the king married off, though, and I wondered if she had stronger motivations to slow the process down than to perform her promised role. Being without an heir left the king vulnerable, and if he died now, the throne would be vacant.
It would be a free for all. The perfect opportunity for someone to swoop in and snatch up all the power in Sorreyal.
“There you are, husband,” Elissa said as she came up from behind me, and then the tiny goddess slid into my lap like she was a sparkly green liquid.
I’d been talking to the duchess for most of the banquet, but I’d completely ignored the food as it had been served in front of us. As I looked around to take in the feast, I spotted whole roasted pigs, several platters of duck, turkey, and entire chickens. The king had even brought some veal out among the other fancy dishes I couldn’t identify. There were fruits from kingdoms beyond Sorreyal in weird shapes, sizes, and colors, as well as sauteed vegetables.
I told myself to thoroughly enjoy the food on my final run through, but I was happy enough to have a bottomless chalice in my hand. I was careful with my alcohol since I didn’t want to be too inebriated to pick up on subtle clues, but there were a plethora of options for drinks as well.
I didn’t know whose seat I was occupying, but no one complained the entire time I was there. The duchess definitely wasn’t complaining, and she flashed me lovestruck glances every so often. The rest of the table whispered about us and the other high-ranking nobles, but they kept to themselves.
“Hello, my love,” I greeted the red-haired goddess sitting in my lap, and I grinned proudly as I returned my gaze to the duchess. “Clara, this is my wife, Elissa Addington.”
“If she is your wife, she would have your last name,” the duchess pointed out.
I wasn’t about to have me or my wife be embarrassed at the banquet, so I reset back to my save point with a wave of my will power.
Chime.
This time, when Elissa went to slide into my lap, I was expecting her, and I opened my arms at just the right time to sweep her off her feet an instant before she sat down.
“Clara of Mistvale, please meet my wife, the Archduchess Elissa Fletcher of Bastianville.” Now that was more like it. Thanks to my title, my wife had a fancy name just like all the other nobles in the room, and she could hold her head up proudly in the company of kings.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” the duchess cooed, but a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes as my focus turned to the younger, prettier woman. “Your dress is lovely. Is it also custom made?”
“Everything we’re wearing is,” Elissa confirmed with a nod. “Bellona Uriel is our seamstress. She does such amazing work, doesn’t she?”
The pride in my wife’s voice was obvious, and I was glad I wasn’t the only one who wanted to show off the awesome people in our entourage. Other nobles could spend their time separating themselves from their people if they wanted to, but I wanted to shake things up in this medieval fantasy world. I would turn the power structure on its head and make the peasants just as important as the king.
During my final run through with the Duchess of Mistvale, I left her stupefied with my knowledge of her household and about her role in Vallenwood. I even volunteered to interview some of the potential candidates to give my opinions on the future bride of the king.
Then I promised her a dance later in the evening before I departed from her table to speak to my next target, the Duke of Edinburg.
I couldn’t flirt my way into friendly territory with the impossibly old duke, but I had a feeling I would figure out how to get him to talk to me, even if it took me a thousand lifetimes.
I scanned over the densely packed table where Edinburg sat, and I began to notice the family resemblance among the occupants. They all shared the same curly mop of hair regardless of color, and the beaked nose that split the center of their faces was definitely hereditary. There had to be twenty relatives of the duke, all men, crowded in seats around their elder, so it was difficult at first to find a place to sit.
I snagged the only empty chair available, but I moved it around to the head of the table where the Duke of Edinburg picked at his food with a bored expression on his wrinkled face.
“May I?” I asked with the chair in my hand and a pointed expression on my face.
The slightly less old man sitting next to the duke shot me an insulted look before recognition dawned on his face.
“Oh, Great One, it’s you.” The gray-haired man beside the duke hastily scooted his chair over enough for me to sit next to Edinburg. “Please, join us.”
“Thanks.” I smirked.
“Your Grace, it is an honor to enjoy your company,” the Duke of Edinburg croaked out in a hoarse voice that sounded like it hadn’t been used in a decade. “Sit wherever you would like.”
It seemed being the God of Time and the Archduke came with some advantages, and I could just use my clout to maneuver my way into the right conversations.
We chatted about the weather and the food for a while as I contemplated how to segue into interrogating the duke about his involvement with Arginold and Racine. There was no easy way to ask if someone was guilty of treason, but I was determined to figure out who was behind the plot against the king.
Instead, I learned all about the other people at the table with the duke. The impossibly old bastard had been busy, and everyone seated was related to him directly. There were ten sons, three brothers, two grandsons, and even four great-grandsons who were barely old enough to hold a sword. The Duke of Edinburg was more than capable of producing an heir, but the next in line to his holdings sat to my left, the duke’s oldest son, Eurikson. He was named after his father Eurik and took after him closely.
I chimed half a dozen times while I learned everyone’s names and relationships to the duke, and then I reset for a final time to wow the entire table with my knowledge of their household.
“Eurikson, Eurik,” I greeted in a friendly tone. “Mind if I join you?”
“You know my son?” the impossibly old duke asked in a hoarse voice. “He was not in Vallenwood the last time we met.”
“While I may be the Archduke, I’m also the God of Time,” I reminded him. “I know all things.”
“Yes, Great One, forgive my ignorance.” The Duke of Edinburg bowed his head, but I thought I saw a bead of nervous sweat trail down his temple.
“Already forgiven.” I grinned. “Now, on to the matter of the attempt on my life. You wouldn’t happen to know who was responsible for that, now would you?”
I kept my voice and expression neutral while I waited for a response, but the Duke of Edinburg merely stared into his soup bowl for a long moment. Still, I waited patiently until the old man met my gaze.
“Well, no, I can’t say that I do,” Edinburg said in a thoughtful tone, but his eyes were hard when they looked into mine. He was hiding something, and I had an idea what it was.
I just needed proof.
“I hear the king’s royal wizard was recently poisoned,” I continued with a shrug. “Certainly something nefarious is going on around here.”
“Indeed.” Edinburg nodded his head solemnly. “There are nefarious deeds occurring all over Sorreyal. Our very presence is necessary because of the recent death of the Duke of Arginold, after all.”
His expression and tone belied no knowledge of my hand in the duke’s death, but there was a gleam in his eye that said he thought he had me in checkmate. I’d cracked tough nuts before, though, so I wasn’t intimidated by the impossibly old duke.
Worst case scenario, I just had to wait until he died of natural causes.
Chime.
I skipped the conversation with Edinburg and Mistvale this time, and instead I appeared lofty and unreachable from my personal table on the other side of the room from the duke and duchess. I’d learned what I could for the moment, but I needed some time to consider my next step before I pressed them for any more information.
Edinburg definitely smelled fishy, but I still had no proof to take before the king, so I’d just have to do my god thing until I got what I needed. I was sure to be rewarded after I eliminated all of the king’s personal threats, but even without the possibility of treasure or title, I was happy to drain the swamp a little.
Things were changing in Sorreyal ever since I’d been summoned to this world, and I was beginning to think it wasn’t a coincidence.
I listened to the happy banter of my entourage while I thought over all the strange things that had occurred since I’d come to the kingdom, and it was nice to know my followers were having a good time at the banquet. I planned on enjoying myself plenty of times before my final run through, so I wasn’t worried about missing out on the fun during this attempt.
I would make sure I figured out the perfect sequence of actions to accomplish all of my goals.
Just then, the music from the band sitting in the corner increased in volume and tempo, and several people got up to dance. Evangeline grabbed my hand as she shot me a questioning look, and I couldn’t help but smile into the smoky-grayness of her eyes. I found myself nodding to the silent request, and the next thing I knew, the two of us were twirling toward the dance floor.
I was a talented dancer by this point since I’d spent so many respawns dancing all over the kingdom. I’d come a long way from the man with two left feet performing the obligatory first dance with my wife, and I spun Evangeline beneath my arm like I’d done it a million lifetimes before.
Because I had.
The duke’s daughter giggled as she flashed me a toothy grin, and her cheeks were flushed an excited hue of pink that complimented her pale skin nicely. She moved with the practiced ease of a noble who’d been taught the movements by a tutor, so the two of us made quite the pair.
We attracted a lot of attention not only from the other dancers, but from the nobles who’d remained in their seats as well. I basked in the glory of the thirty odd eyes on me, and I even caught the king gazing our way with a pleased smile on his face.
“You look stunning,” I murmured during a moment where I held Eva closely against me. “Everyone is jealous of you, they would switch lives with you in an instant.”
“I don’t care about any of them,” Eva said with a mischievous twinkle in her gray eyes. “All I care about is you, pleasing you, serving you, following you.”
“Easy there,” I growled in a voice heavy with the desire that suddenly coursed through my veins. “I can’t be getting hard in the middle of a party, now can I?”
“You would only make everyone even more jealous of us,” Eva assured me with a wink.
“You like teasing me, don’t you?” I chuckled, but before she could answer, I spun her around in time to the music, and she was moving too fast to speak.
Once I’d left her completely breathless, I allowed her to return to her seat to take a break while I danced with some of the other nobles. There were several ladies, dames, and Edinburg’s wife, Emilia, also cut in for a turn. She felt like a skeleton in my arms, so I handled her with the utmost care. Surprisingly, her eyes were sweet and full of the innocence of the insanely elderly, and I wondered how involved she was in her husband’s schemes.
Most of the women talked about the various palace gossip I’d already heard a dozen times in previous run throughs, but I listened patiently while the fairer sex lamented about the king’s lack of an heir and blasted affairs. It seemed like everyone was trying to sleep with someone else, and it wasn’t often it was their own spouse. Marriage in this realm was more of an arrangement for political and prestige gains than an act of undying love, but that just made me even more grateful for the relationship I had with my own women.
After what seemed like several hours of dancing, the king’s herald stepped into the middle of the room while a trumpeter blew a fanfare. Everyone fell silent, and the band ceased its music.
“The entertainment portion of the meal is about to begin,” the herald declared in a loud tone for all to hear. “Please resume your seats as the center of the room will be occupied by the performers.”
“I wonder what kind of entertainment there’s going to be,” I mused out loud as I made my way back to my chair. Even with the countless respawns I’d already used, I hadn’t let time continue to that point yet.
“His Majesty always puts on a good show,” my current dance partner, the Lady Jaketta, said with a wry smile. “You’re in for a treat, Your Grace.”
I still wasn’t used to being called Your Grace, but it was slightly easier to bear than the ever constant Great One I had finally acclimated to.
I smiled politely at the lady on my arm, and I escorted her back to her seat before I returned to my own. Then I let out a grateful sigh when I was back in the presence of the beautiful, intelligent, wonderful women I called my own. It definitely appeared as though I’d taken the three most amazing women for myself, but what else was a god supposed to do?
“What’s coming next?” Elissa asked in an excited tone as she bounced up and down in her seat.
“Entertainment,” I answered, but I made a mental note to respawn after the performances so I could predict everything flawlessly when prompted.
“Well, I know that, silly,” my wife replied with a shake of her head. “I heard the herald the same as everyone.”
“I sense some sarcasm in Bash’s voice,” Mahini observed with a smirk.
“Perhaps,” I said in a mysterious tone.
Just then, a group of people carrying a large box between them entered the throne room, and they set their load down in the middle of the open space between the tables. The box was roughly four-feet squared, bright red, and covered in gold polka dots. It looked completely sealed, but I had a feeling there was something inside it.
A fanfare of trumpets blared in the background with slowly increasing intensity, and just when I thought the music couldn’t become more suspenseful, a figure burst from the box like one of those jack-in-the-box toys. It was a man wearing a tight gold-polka-dotted, bright red one-piece outfit, and he wore a jester’s hat upon his head complete with bells and everything.
I should have known.
I chuckled to myself as the jester tripped over the edge of the box on his way out, but he tumbled into a smooth somersault before popping to his feet before the king.
“Your Royal Majesty,” the jester greeted with a bow so low his nose literally scraped against the floor. “Any requests on this fine evening?”
“Something new and different,” the king said loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’m starting to get bored with your same old routine.”
“There is a reason I am the first of this evening’s performances,” the jester agreed with an enthusiastic nod. “If I was the grand finale, we would all go home in tears.”
A wave of chuckles swept across the room, and this seemed to perk the jester up a bit, since he turned and grinned at us all.
“Carry on,” the king instructed with a dismissive wave of his hand.
The jester bowed low once more, and then he turned and bowed to each of the tables one at a time. I inclined my head politely in response when it was my turn, but then the jester moved on.
“My name is Bartolomeus, and I am here solely to entertain you until better performers arrive.” The jester did a backflip like it was just a normal way to end a sentence, and applause echoed softly around the room. “Please, please, I only aim to please. Save your applause till the end, your tears for the middle, and your laughter for the whole show.”
I chuckled. This guy was the perfect warm-up to the night’s entertainers, and I was eager to see what he did next.
Bartolomeus proceeded to tell jokes, roast the royal servants, as well as a few of the lesser nobles, and sing songs all while standing on his head. Despite his warning, I clapped loudly several times just from the pure joy his performance made me feel. He was a good soul, and I wiped merry tears from the corners of my eyes as I laughed at his antics.
“Oh, yay!” Elissa cheered as she clapped her hands excitedly. Her emerald eyes were locked on the jester, and they were lit up with joy. My wife seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself, and she was beautiful doing it.
Eva seemed slightly bored, and Mahini looked neutral, but I had a feeling they would be interested in some of the other entertainment. If Bartolomeus was just the warm-up, then whatever was coming next had to be even better.
The royal jester bowed to us all once more before he announced the end of his routine, and we all applauded yet again. The king merely nodded in satisfaction, and I wondered if the jester was in danger of being beheaded or something. King Frederick seemed kindly enough, but I almost wouldn’t put it past him at the same time.
Next came a group of thespians, and they wore animal costumes in the shape of an elephant, a zebra, and a panther. Through the acts of their short play, they told a story of morals and comedy that had the room filled with the sound of laughter. It reminded me a little of Aesop’s Fables.
Elissa was disinterested this time, and she occupied herself with some of the remaining pastries still strewn about the table. Mahini looked neutral again, and I wondered if anything would impress the stoic warrior woman.
Evangeline, however, was entirely moved by the experience. She laughed at every joke, wept at every death, and kept her smoky-gray eyes locked on the performers until the play was over.
I applauded louder than anyone, and Eva flashed me an adoring glance.
“Did you enjoy it as much as I did?” she asked with a flutter of her moistened eyelashes.
“I enjoyed you enjoying it even more,” I informed her with a wink. “Have you never seen a play before? I figured with your noble upbringing that you would be bored out of your mind tonight.”
“I’ve seen plays before, but they always move me.” Eva looked down at the table with a soft smile. “I’ve loved them since I was a little girl. I used to read copies of anything I could get my hands on. The tales of grand adventures contained within the pages were irresistible to me.”
“That’s how I felt about video games back in my old world,” I agreed with a nod. “I could escape my life and explore different worlds, all with the touch of a button.”
“The button unfastens the portals between worlds?” Eva tilted her head to the side as her gray eyes lit up with curiosity.
“No,” I laughed. “Well, kinda. Don’t worry about it. Just know that now I have a life I never want to escape from, and it’s partially in thanks to your presence.”
“That brings me great joy, Bash.” Eva grinned, and she opened her mouth to say something else, but we were interrupted by the blaring of the trumpets again.
In marched a troupe of very oddly dressed people. They wore what looked like strips of leather armor, but it didn’t cover or protect very much of their bodies. All the performers were covered in intricate, tribal-like tattoos, and they had darkly tanned skin. A couple of the men in the group had jagged mohawks, and the artistic ink covered every inch of exposed flesh. Every one of the performers carried what appeared to be random items in their hands, but I knew there had to be a purpose for them.
“Oh, this should be good,” I mused as I scratched my stubbly beard.
“Have you never seen the sword jugglers of the Kotar Desert?” Mahini leaned forward against the table and rested her chin in the palms of her hands. Her now interested eyes scrutinized the performers closely before her piercing blue gaze returned to my face. “It is very dangerous.”
Sounded like something I needed to learn how to do myself, if my desert goddess was actually showing signs of interest in it.
I smirked at the thought, but then I returned my attention to the sword jugglers lining up in the center of the room. The band started a lively tune, and then several things happened at once.
Multiple swords were tossed back and forth in the air by four of the jugglers while three of the performers began to form a standing human pyramid. Random items began to join the flying blades, among them a hat, a chair, and a broom. It was hard to keep my eyes on the sharp-edged weapons that could plummet into one of the jugglers at a fatal angle at any moment.
Then the person at the top of the pyramid clapped their hands, and the other performers tossed first one, then two, and finally three swords up to them. The blades danced in the air high above our heads close to the great domed ceiling of the throne room, and awed gasps erupted from the gathered nobles.
Mahini applauded enthusiastically while giving me a pointed look that said I needed to be doing the same thing, so I quickly mimicked her motions with a broad smile on my face.
“You’re adorable,” I murmured in her ear as the crowd began to calm once more.
Mahini shot me a sideways glance full of skepticism, but she didn’t argue with me.
My attention was pulled back to the jugglers when they began to exchange the swords being juggled at the top of the pyramid with the other random items, and I watched with fascination as the chair made a circle through the air.
They were truly talented, and I was glad the king had arranged for some quality entertainment for the banquet.
The jugglers finished by throwing all the swords up in the air at once, and they bowed while the blades made their descent. The weapons thudded into the floor, and all the blades sank several inches into the boards beneath their feet. The gathered nobles roared their approval, and many gave the performers a standing ovation.
I decided to join them, since the jugglers had worked hard on their performance, and they deserved all the accolades they could get.
As the performers made their departure from the throne room, the king stood from his seat and made his way into the center of the room, and the nobles quieted as all eyes fell on His Majesty.
“The next part of the banquet will have you on the edge of your seats,” the king announced in a loud voice. “As part of the interview process for choosing the next court wizard of Arginold holdings, there will be a display of magical prowess. I have sent out invitations to the four corners of the world, and many have traveled to Vallenwood for this opportunity. Prepare yourselves to witness the greatest example of magic ever seen!”
Oh, fuck, yeah.
I was about to learn a lot more about the magical side of this medieval fantasy world I’d been thrust into. The king had organized them neatly into one place and time for me, so I could efficiently spam respawns until I learned as much magic as possible. I was going to have one-hundred percent completion of this video-game like experience, and I was going to have a blast doing it.
What could be better than that?