Chapter 374: Family Banquet
As the red sun slowly sank below the horizon, lanterns on both sides of the castle roads were lit one by one by the castle attendants.
As the night grew darker, the castle glowed brightly under the light of the lanterns, giving the castle a beautiful and majestic appearance. The ancient beauty of it all made Simon feel a bit more at peace.
After talking about some family matters with Lady Isolde in the Golden State, Carl came in to urge them to head to the Banquet Hall.
By now, all the princes, concubines, and princesses had already arrived at the Banquet Hall, and the royal banquet was about to begin.
As Lady Isolde led the way toward the Banquet Hall, the castle maids who passed by often cast flirtatious glances at Simon.
Lady Isolde smiled but said nothing. She understood castle matters well. Now that Simon was at the peak of his power, these maids hoped to catch his attention. If they did, they would have a life of comfort and security.
After all, there had been castle maids who had been favored by princes, rising from humble beginnings to become powerful figures. This showed how much Simon’s status had changed; he hadn’t received this kind of attention before.
It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the Banquet Hall, and, as Carl had said, all the royal family members were already there. Upon Simon’s arrival, some of the younger princes and princesses stood up to greet him.
Simon was no longer the same person as before. Although these princes and princesses were younger, their mothers were very clever. Before the banquet even started, they had already instructed their children on how to treat Simon.
In such a lively setting, Simon couldn’t help but feel good as he returned their greetings.
At that moment, a lively figure appeared before him, extending a delicate little hand.
"Brother, did you bring me a gift? My perfume is all used up." Princess Elowen pouted and insisted on getting a gift from Simon.
Her request was quickly followed by other young princes and princesses, all of them rushing over and eagerly extending their hands, looking at Simon with longing.
Many of the concubines couldn’t help but smile at the scene.
At that moment, Simon’s mood shifted from dark to bright. At least in the castle, some of his younger siblings had no ill intentions toward him.
Gius’s list wasn’t entirely filled with enemies. For example, Princess Elowen, whose mother had passed away when she was young, had been taken in by Lady Isolde after Simon left for Brambleford. Lady Isolde raised her as her own daughter. At that time, Princess Elowen had only been seven years old.
Now, six or seven years later, Princess Elowen had grown into a little beauty. She still regarded Simon as an older brother.
That’s why Princess Elowen was so affectionate with him.
"The gifts are all outside; don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you." Simon rolled his eyes with a smile.
"Hehe, Brother, you’re the best to me." Princess Elowen said with a smile, showing her dimples before skipping back to her seat.
For a princess without a powerful background, her situation was quite pitiful. In the castle, a lack of background meant being easily manipulated. Many princesses sent to marry the reaver tribes were in such a situation, without strong family support.
Once Princess Elowen left, a 14-year-old boy appeared next to Simon.
"Brother, can I join you in fighting the reavers?" He asked.
"You’re Wilson?" Simon studied the boy carefully and tried to recall. This seemed to be the fourteenth Prince.
"Wow, I didn’t think you’d remember me," Wilson said with a smile.
Simon smiled wryly. This boy, Wilson, wasn’t closely related to him at the moment, but soon their relationship would deepen.
That’s because Wilson would call Elin ’cousin.’ His mother was Elin’s sister, Lady Hilda.
Simon patted Wilson’s shoulder and laughed. He realized he wasn’t alone in Eldora, he had powerful connections, and now he understood Lady Isolde’s careful planning.
He said to Wilson. "Sure, as long as Father agrees, I’ll take you to see what a battlefield looks like."
Wilson excitedly turned to Alaric, who was sitting at the main seat. "Father, Brother Simon said he’ll take me to fight the reavers!"
Since Simon entered the Banquet Hall, Alaric had been watching him closely. When he saw Simon’s expression soften, he knew his approach had worked.
In the past, Simon had always seemed isolated, almost as if rejected by this large family. Now, Simon would understand that he was not just the Twelfth Prince; he was the older brother of all these princes and princesses.
He also had a responsibility to protect the royal family’s honor.
"Hahaha... Well, when you’re a bit older, I’ll let you go." Alaric laughed.
Wilson danced with joy and ran back to his seat.
After playing with some of the younger princes and princesses for a while, Simon finally found his seat.
Once everyone was seated, Alaric clapped his hands, and the family banquet officially began.
The sound of music and dancing filled the air, and the entire Banquet Hall became lively and joyful. Alaric’s mood lightened as he drank more.
Simon enjoyed the performance while observing the scene across from him. Prince Gerad and Augustus were also present.
When his eyes met Prince Gerad’s, Prince Gerad’s eyes flickered, and he immediately raised his glass, pretending to drink. Prince Augustus raised his glass and nodded in acknowledgment.
Simon smiled. This visit to Eldora was just the beginning. The real drama was still to come.
The banquet seemed to be purely social. Alaric was enjoying himself, and there was no mention of state affairs.
As other princes and concubines raised their glasses to toast Alaric, Simon did the same. An hour passed, and the banquet was nearing its end. Then, Simon suddenly remembered something and said. "Father, the New Year is in a few months. After this wedding, I will return to Brambleford and won’t be able to spend the festival with you. So, I’ve brought a small gift for you."
"Simon, you’re truly filial. Always thinking about bringing gifts for your father. What is it? Let me see." Alaric said, smiling broadly and becoming even more affectionate toward Simon.
Simon smiled. "I’ve already brought it, Father. Please follow me outside the hall. I’d like to use this item during the wedding, and I hope you’ll approve and have it delivered to the Ministry of Rites."
Alaric was even more surprised. He turned to the other princes and concubines and said. "Come, let’s go see what Simon has brought this time."
By now, the sky had turned completely dark.
As soon as Alaric finished speaking, the younger princes cheered and rushed outside. They all knew that this Simon of theirs was someone very impressive.
The Crown Prince, Second Prince, Third Prince, and Fourth Prince all showed displeasure. Whenever Simon came to Eldora, they lost their chance to shine.
Especially the Crown Prince, whose gaze turned venomous as he glared at Simon. However, he suddenly gave a strange smile, as if he had some secret plan.