They're announced as "Duke Alaric Barrowmere and Duchess Lenore Barrowmere" when the towering double doors open to let them into the grand banquet hall. Lenore's parents and siblings follow them into the banquet hall, with the man at the doors announcing them in a similar way.
Lenore isn't sure what she expected the banquet to look like. Maybe like a scene from the fairy tales she read quietly in the corners of her uncle's estate, the moment where the princess is noticed and her life changes because she fell in love. Because she was able to attract the attention of the right person.
The actual event doesn't have that feeling. Instead of the air being filled with music and magic, it's full of fake laughter, insincere words, and the tension of trying to appease the emperor with better gifts and compliments, even if the same people who are celebrating him here wouldn't hesitate to stab him in the back for the sake of power.
At the front of the room, a long table is on a dais with the emperor, empress, crown prince, and the rest of the imperial family all sitting on the same side, looking out at the room and its attendees. Then, there are long tables set around the edges of the hall with chairs only on the outside, preventing attendees from having their backs towards each other or towards the imperial family. Lenore notices that it also works as a way to make the servants' jobs easier, since they can move freely in the center of the room and distribute food and drink without reaching over nobles who could potentially be rude at the slightest mistake.
Alaric leads Lenore to the first seats at the closest table on the emperor's right side. He pulls her chair out and lets her sit on the end, making himself into a physical barrier between her and the rest of the nobles.
"As we have the highest rank after the imperial family and I've been their closest political ally for generations, we're expected to sit here," Alaric says.
There are no place cards on the table, but the nobles move to seats without hesitation, like they understand the expectations naturally.
"What if somebody sits in the wrong place?" Lenore asks.
"That's expected." Alaric gestures to the tables that are placed the farthest away from the dais. "You'll see your family sitting there because your father is a viscount. Vella could sit at a closer table with other mages, which is a category that's unique in the hierarchy. However, she chose to sit with your parents and brother. Meanwhile, other lesser nobles will purposely sit closer to the dais than they should."
"But why would they?"
Alaric shrugs. "I would guess that it's because they're hoping to strike deals with higher-ranking nobles for the sake of strengthening their house and profiting. Some of them may simply want to appear like they have more power than they actually do."
The idea itself makes sense, but that doesn't mean Lenore really understands it. She would find it disrespectful for nobles to play these power games in front of her if she were the emperor. Yet he doesn't look fazed by these situations at all. Even adding a place card for every noble would be enough to get them to their designated seats without issue. "Why not put names on every seat to avoid it?"
"Remember when I told you that this event is a test in many ways?"
Lenore nods.
"Seating decisions are part of that test. The emperor might not look like it, but he's watching the way the nobles arrange themselves. It's a way to spot the formation of possible alliances and see which families see themselves as being above their title.'
Lenore sighs. She's glad that she doesn't have to understand these political tactics. It seems so pointless to her. If they can be with their families and provide a decent life for them, why does having more money and power matter?
Thinking about it makes her head hurt, so she watches the table seats fill up instead. She doesn't recognize anyone at first, but the announcement for her uncle's entrance has her turn rigid in her chair. As Claude and Alina take their seats, Lenore understands why Alaric put her at the end of the table.
On the other side of him sits Claude, Alina taking her place next to her father. The distance between them feels too close, but Lenore can't imagine having to figure out what to do if she were sitting in Alaric's position.
Instead, she does her best to ignore both Claude and Alina, focusing on the array of dishes served to each table. Lenore isn't a stress eater, but she can't deny that the food helps take the edge off of the anxiety she's been feeling.
Champagne is the default drink served alongside water, but Lenore doesn't like the taste of it that much. So, when a servant comes around and asks if she wants something else to drink, she requests a cup of wine. She's grown used to having wine at meals since she started living in Barrowmere, so it's become a comforting drink now that she's in the capital.
A glass of red wine is placed beside her plate, and she glances around to find that she's not the only person who requested a new drink, although some requests were for the sake of more drinks rather than replacing one.
It takes time to serve so many dishes to a room filled with attendees, but that gives Lenore time to try the dishes as they're brought out, tasting just a single bite of each one so she knows which dishes she likes.
After the majority of the dishes are served, the empress gives a toast. Lenore takes a drink of her wine for it, noting that the blend doesn't taste like anything she's had before, instead having a metallic hint to it.
She covers her mouth with a cloth napkin as she feels the urge to cough. Perhaps it's just a wine that has a stronger burn from alcohol that she's not used to.
But when she pulls the napkin from her mouth, it's splotched with blood.