Finally the time for dinner had arrived and Jan couldn't be happier. The young Prince always loved when his father was preoccupied at dinner with guests. He had known for several weeks that his father intended to send him to Galorien; rumors spread that the Emperor wanted to be rid of his magically inclined son and Galorien was far enough away but still under his control so Jan wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. Of course those were only speculations on why Jan Leon was being sent away but the youngest Prince couldn't help but wonder if they were true.

The large dining hall was buzzing with activity as the servants seated the guests, including the Duke and his family, a few other noblemen and women as well as the Emperor and his family. The table was piled high with food and drink, all served on silver platters with raised designs set in gold. The room itself was beautiful and it was one of the smaller dining areas within the home of the royal family. 

The walls were painted a soft blue. Along the edges of the walls the trim was painted a deeper shade of blue with gold designs throughout. Along the western wall were three large windows that were partially hidden behind thick curtains that matched the colors of the room. Within the center of the room sat a long but narrow table with plush, richly decorated chairs. The Emperor sat naturally at the head of the table with the visiting Duke sitting across from him. To his right was the reserved seat of his eldest son and to his right was his wife. The Empress was helped into her seat by Risey. The Empress wore a fine dress of pale peach material overlaid with delicate white lace and small pearls, the dress ended in a small train that was edged by slightly larger pearls. Jan always marveled at how beautiful his mother was in her fine dresses. The Empress had her dark hair styled on the top of her head in a braided bun held in place by several pearl studded clips that were attached to one another by thin ropes of pearls. 

Jan smiled softly as he noticed the necklace his mother had chosen to wear. It was one of the first that her son had crafted without the aid of a master. The chain was a bit crooked and the small pearl that dangled from the chain was surrounded by a slightly uneven gold hoop. It brought him great pride that his mother chose to wear it. 

His eyes skimmed over those that were being seated at the long table and he hoped to find the Galorien woman. He had been impressed by her beautiful singing and he wanted to thank her for showing her talent, he was going to tell her earlier but Risey had grown rather impatient and she had pushed him to his mother. Dawn, as the Galorien woman was called, had been invited to dine with them. 

Jan noticed from the corner of his eye that his mother excused Risey from the room entirely. Surely it could have been because of earlier, when he had learned that his father had grown angry at the presence of the servant woman. He watched the raven haired woman walk with her head bowed before she disappeared into one of the doorways that led down into the kitchen. 

"Mother," Jan called, "You look beautiful tonight. Thank you for wearing that necklace."

The Empress smiled at her son before turning to talk to one of the noblewomen that had approached her. Soon dinner was well underway by the time that Jan spotted Risey standing patiently along one of the back walls. She stood with a practiced pose, keeping her cool despite the fragrant food that sat on the long table - roasted duck stuffed with wild rice and onions, pumpkin soup with fresh bread, and even puddings crafted like silk. Jan was sure there was a thin line of saliva running down his chin just from the smells, how a servant could stand quietly without showing signs of hunger was beyond him. The prince knew that the servants ate quite well in comparison to what many others ate; of course they weren't given the fine food if the royal family but they were given enough to keep them fed and healthy. 

His eyes flicked to the woman, Dawn. He wondered if she was going to sing for them; earlier he had enjoyed her singing and hoped to hear more of it.