As the banquet had long started, the table was filled with half-eaten food and glasses with liquor. While walking, his eyes passed around his mother's side but he saw that the servant serving Queen Theodora was not the person he wanted to see. Though everyone was excited to see the Crown Prince, he was only expecting to see a certain someone who he could not take off his mind.
King Esteban lifted a glass towards his son. "You are finally here, Theron."
"Apologies for my late arrival," he told them after greeting his parents. "This unfilial son had to wrap up some urgent work matters before hurrying here."
Queen Theodora lifted a brow. "I nearly expected you to not show up."
Indeed, Prince Theron had come late. Normally, for events held in the palace, anyone who arrived later than the King and Queen were heavily criticized for their lack of manners. Most people would choose to not attend with an excuse of sudden sickness rather than become an item for gossip for arriving after royalty.
Prince Theron remained humble. "I would not dare embarrass my mother who took great efforts to throw a banquet for my stead."
The King and the Queen accepted his excuse and the Crown Prince sat in the empty chair arranged next to his father. The picture of the royal family looked complete as the King sat with his wife to his left and his son to his right.
"Any of the young ladies here caught your eyes?" King Esteban idly asked as he gestured for a servant to fill up the two glasses in front of him with wine, before pushing one of the wine glasses in front of Prince Theron. Queen Theodora also looked interested to hear her son's response.
"You seem to have drunk too much already, Father," the young man simply said, dodging the question.
Fortunately, a group of aristocrats representing the eastern territories approached, diverting the attention of the King and Queen. Along with the free-flowing food and music, batches after batches of dukes and marquises, along with their families and vassals, raised drinks in honour of the royal family.
Despite the number of people trying to start a conversation with him, Prince Theron found his mind wandering. He even found himself spotting a girl with honey blond hair among the guests near one of the balconies and wanted to slap himself for being silly. His imagination was running too wild; Esther couldn't be here since she wasn't brought in by his mother as her servant. If he were to guess, Esther was in the Queen's residence at the moment, possibly resting since the Queen was not there.
After a while, he saw King Esteban rising to his feet, causing the music to pause and the guests in the banquet hall to turn and bow in the presence of the King. Seeing him raise a hand to signal them to rise, they were all curious to hear what the King of Megaris had to speak about.
"I am grateful to all the people in attendance for coming to celebrate the Crown Prince's good health along with my family," King Esteban started with a voice filled with royal dignity. Murmurs of praise could be heard in the crowd, some saying it was their honour to be invited into the palace.
The King continued to speak, "I wish to use this joyous occasion to reward the one who had saved the life of my son. This great person, some of you must have heard, is also the saviour of my wife, the Queen of Megaris, back when she was attacked by the rebels a few months ago. For saving not only the life of the Queen but also the Crown Prince of our kingdom, the Ivanovs consider this benefactor as a dear friend of the royal family."
A dear friend of the royal family!
Coming from the mouth of the King of Megaris himself, it was an honour that could be carried for generations to come!
The crowd could not help but murmur among themselves regarding the identity of this person. Dodgy eyes could be seen looking around, trying to spot whoever it was that was acknowledged by the King. Those who had no idea about this benefactor had curious looks on their faces, while those who were aware of Esther's identity were already coming up with ways to get closer to her.
Afterwards, the crowd could be seen splitting apart to make way for someone. From somewhere in the area near the balconies, the captain of the royal knights sworn under the banner of the Crown Prince could be seen escorting a certain young lady with long honey blond hair.
Dressed in a dark green evening gown with a long trail, Esther walked gracefully towards the head of the table with Sir Galien holding her gloved hand. Her honey-blond hair was braided on one side, falling gently over her dainty shoulder and intertwined with pink and white wild lilies, causing her to look like a fae who stepped out from a magical realm.
She looked extraordinarily exquisite, and everyone could be seen gaping at her appearance that seemed to overshadow all the ladies within the banquet hall. It wasn't that Esther had the most beautiful face, nor was it that she had the most voluptuous body among all the women present, but there was something about her appearance that would make one think she had no flaw. From the way she walked to the way she held her head high, she looked more noble and elegant compared to other prestigious family daughters.
"Who is she?"
"From which family does she belong?"
"I had never seen her before in any banquet."
"Is she a hidden daughter of a noble family?"
Many people started asking questions, especially those who had never seen her before. Even those who lived in the palace and knew her as the Queen's servant could not help but doubt their eyes.