When Queen Brianna stopped at the threshold, arm linked with her son's, Kaer rushed forward to bow low to her with his left arm extended, and black leather gloved palm up. "A pleasure to see you Queen Brianna. If it pleases you, your majesty, allow me to be your escort this meal."
"Kaer of Loch Donan, I accept your offer," the queen replied, placing her small white gloved hand in his.
Cormac, having been relieved of his mother, stepped over to Alyss, who stood – sporting a deer-in-the-headlights expression on the other side of the table, to bow to her in a similar fashion.
"Princess Alyss, please allow me to be your escort during this meal."
Watching her baby sister be treated like a true princess, like their little girl dreams, had Jess chocking up just a little bit. Her Champaign red gown was something from what she'd told Jess was a night at a museum gala, that dipped low in the front as well as the back, and clung to her curves, which no doubt had Cormac drooling from the sight.
Alyss nodded, mouth opening and closing but no words came out. Finally, she shook her head a little before trying again. "Yes, thank you, Prince Cormac." Taking his hand, he straightened to tuck hers into his arm.
In a low voice, barely loud enough for Jess to overhear, he said, "Traditionally, you needn’t thank someone when they offer to escort you. It's them who should thank you for the honor." He winked at her when she blushed.
"Oh," she whispered.
Good to know, Jess thought.
Someone cleared their throat and they all looked to see Kaer signaling Fallon.
"Yes, right," Fallon said, clearing his throat and bowing himself in front of Jess, offering his gloved hand as well. "Princess Jessandra, please do me the honor of permitting me to escort you this evening?"
"Yes, of course," she replied as regally as she could manage.
Moira entered the room, followed by a handful of warriors and females carrying covered food trays and large glass pitchers of what looked like iced water and another filled with something purplish-red and sparkling.
"Supper, Mo rí" Moira announced.
"Thank you," he said before gesturing to the table. "Shall we dine?" They all nodded and the males began pulling chairs out for the females. Once they were seated, the men took their own beside them with Fallon at the head, Jess on his right, then Alyss and Cormac, Brianna to his left with Kaer.
Jess noticed that Brianna had brought with her the two guards that had held Alyss when they had gone to collect her at Brianna's home. Her sister was currently eyeing them from across the room with suspicion. It appeared that they were ignoring her though and Jess had no doubt that that irked her sister the most about their presence.
They were quiet as their plates were filled by the the servers and their goblets with the sparkling liquid. Once finished, servers having stepped back from the table, Fallon lifted his glass, everyone else did the same before he said, "To the first Thanksgiving between our two people. May it be the start of a productive and peaceful alliance."
Brianna smiled a little when she reached over to touch her glass to his. "Anotú," she said, which had everyone else clinking glasses with one another.
"Anotú?" Jess asked. She was definitely making a note to snag some lessons on the language soon.
"It means 'to agree,'" Cormac informed her.
Fallon, Kaer and Brianna nodded at his interpretation.
"Oh," Jess said, filing it away. Since Fallon and Brianna began to pick up their cutlery, she too started to cut into the small steak on her plate, taking a bite of the juicy spiced meat.
"Oh, my god, Moira. This is delicious," Alyss moaned, bringing to life just what Jess was thinking herself.
Stunned, the rest of the room grew still, watching her.
Moira, who stood against the wall, stuttered "Thank you, Princess Alyss. I will tell the cook."
Alyss didn't say anything more and just took another bite.
Jess chuckled to herself as she, too, dug in some more, reminding herself to go slow.
"Princess Jessandra, I understand that this was your idea," Brianna said, taking a dainty sip of her drink.
Jess dabbed at her mouth with her napkin before saying, "Yes, it was. I wanted to be able to speak freely."
Brianna nodded, taking a bite of the snap peas and carrots on her plate.
"What do you propose, Princess?" Cormac interjected, leaning forward to look around her sister.
Jess went to answer when Fallon touched her hand gently, silencing her.
"Understandably, you may not recall our custom of not discussing business while we dine, Prince Cormac," he said, smiling politely.
"Ah, yes," Cormac said, then looked back to Jess again, "My apologies, Princess."
She just smiled back at him, everything was new to her as well. She was grateful to have a reprieve to eat a few more bites.
"It's bad for the constitution, Cormac," Brianna informed her son. He remained silent, focusing on finishing his steak and vegetables.
"Are you all nocturnal people, Queen Brianna?" Jess asked, drawing everyone's eyes on first herself and then the queen.
"Not by nature, dear. Though the Unseelie do business and interact with many of those who are, so most of us have adapted to sleeping during the day. I still enjoy seeing a beautiful sunrise now and then," the queen replied, smiling kindly at the young woman across from her.
"Why all the leaves in your home in Connecticut?" Alyss inquired.
"The Seelie, of which we are all derived from, have a special attachment to the earth and the plants that the Goddess Danu has created and scattered upon it," Brianna said, seeming to delight in speaking about her people.
Jess thought on this as she finished her dinner and sipped her drink, which tasted like a sparkling grape juice with something else she wasn't able to name just yet.
After everyone had finished and the table was cleared, sweet scone looking cakes were set out and coffee and tea was poured into bone China cups.
Dipping a tiny spoon into the hot drink, Jess stirred the cream and sugar she'd added. Looking up and catching Fallon's attention, she shrugged and nodded in the queen's direction. He nodded back, giving her the go-ahead.