"Actually... yes, there is something you can do for us. Tonight show us the hospitality of your people, give us food as you enjoy it, and customary entertainment. I hope that in the coming days we will learn more about eachother."
The Prince cocks his head curiously and remains silent for a few moments, "This has reason, it will be done."
You leave the audience chamber after exchanging customary goodbyes, Penrod tells your escort of pages some very specific things that you don't yet grasp, but you can tell that he is taking a personal interest in the food you will be eating and the entertainment you will be recieving.
You are all brought into a a small dining hall bathed in the soft light of candles, on one end of the room the embers of a dying fire are coaxed back to life, there are no windows in the room, so these are the only sources of light, and shadows play all around. You are seated at the wooden table in the center of the room, and a wide variety of breads and cheeses are brought in as the first course of the meal, ales and wines too are served, though the pages serving you are careful not to give any one person too much to drink.
The first entertainer is brought in, a beautiful and youthful girl bearing a stringed instrument, one of the pages runs off and returns to proudly bear a simple wooden flute, which you gather he made himself. The girl sings as they both play, and it becomes clear that the focus of the music is the words she is singing, the instruments merely helping to set tone, and perhaps occasionally to represent a character. Each of the songs begin in a lively enough way, establishing some hero or another and the merry adventures they go on, but most seem to end on a tragic note.
One song Barick seems to recognise, and mouths along with some of the words, when you press him he reveals to you it's about a childhood hero of his, this song in particular seems to only be part of a very long and sad tale.
When the meal begins in earnest a number of dishes are provided, most with meat, and there are some you don't actually know the entire contents of. It's a rather exotic affair for you, and you sample more than one dish you arn't sure wether or not you like. The music lulls and dies out for a time to let the party eat, and spirits run high. You even notice Barick joking with Sir Evanson at one point.
When the eating is mostly concluded another entertainer is brought in, and the light almost seems to dim as he enters. The man is barechested, bald and clean-shaven. Once he has everyone's attention he begins to dance, at first it seems strange as there is no music to accompany the dance, but all is made clear soon enough. The man reaches into the fire, and the flame snakes up his arm with frightening speed, drawing frightened gasps until it is clear the man is not being harmed. He continues his dance, but now with writhing flame dancing with him, sometimes mirroring his movements, and sometimes seeming to act of it's own wild volition. You arn't sure exactly how much time has passed by the time the man is finished, but he is literally dripping with sweat once he does, and bows clumsily before leaving for cooler air, legs seeming close to buckling as he wobbles out.
Your picture of the people of Adalbert has always been that they are a people primarily of warfare, and while that may be true it's been proven probable to you that there is more to them than that.
It is night by the time you are brought out of the dining hall, but you find yourself exhausted, and allow yourself to be led into a bedchamber for a night of sleep.
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Topic: Prince: A Royal Suggestion Game (Read 26034 times)