Chapter 67: Consequences
The elves attention was to their prince; she watched as they walked by and bowed their heads. But much like how Evanna does not stop and speak to anyone in her own palace, Arawn was the same. He looked ahead and paid no heed to the elves who greeted him. Yet, her own situation was different from his; the nobles despised her for being the king’s bastard, so she blanked them.
Evanna did, however, see out of the corner of her eyes the hushed whispers of she-elves and servants. Did they wonder who she was? Or suspect anything? A few giggles made her realise it wasn’t her they were looking at, but prince Arawn. She turned her head back to look at his side profile but looked away quickly when he glanced at her and smirked, which vanished promptly as they approached another room.
Evanna glanced around, her instincts kicking in to look for ways to escape. She had to remind herself that she wasn’t a princess visiting the elves; she was a thief and their prisoner. However, as she walked through the clear double doors with white leaves ingrained in the glass, Evanna found herself staring at a hall filled with elves. None of them looked at her in disdain, like the previous night when she was first captured.
She subconsciously touched her hair and realised her ears were still mostly covered. They thought she was an elf. That must be it. But what she could not understand was why she was there and in front of the king, who sat at the far end with a long wooden table before him with plates and cutlery. Evanna stopped her steps and glanced at the varying faces, all dressed in their best clothes and what appeared to be of the richest materials. A musician played their harp quietly in the corner by a grand window that arched together with beautiful designs in the wood.
Prince Arawn turned his head and raised a brow at her as if to ask, what are you doing standing there? Evanna subtly gulped, lifted her chin slightly and pulled her shoulders back. Her posture was never substandard, though. She was taught how to constantly stand, walk, and act as a princess from the age of four. Now, Evanna would use these lessons.
Stepping forward, she now stood in the middle of the hall. Servants and guards stood by the walls, and the nobles sat in their chairs at the two long tables on either side of the main table the king sat at. Evanna curtsied, keeping her head lowered, she did not know if she was meant to talk, but fortunately, Arawn came forwards and spoke in her stead.
"* My king, this is Evanna. A guest to the Flori. *"
Evanna frowned at the prince’s comment but quickly composed herself. She was not meant to know Muranthian.
"Please rise and take a seat by my side, ’guest’," The king’s voice resounded in the hall, and he put a little bit more emphasis behind the word ’guest’.