“Way ahead of you, Envy,” Gavin said, grinning, and maybe salivating a little, as he looked at the food served at the long tables in the Great Hall. Different kinds of roasted beef, pork, and fowl, delicacies brought in from different parts of Amria. Not even in Cordon had Gavin seen a feast this lavish. 
Narda guided Envy, describing everything to him, and now telling him about the food laid out for the guests. “We made it through without anyone starting trouble, if that’s what you had been afraid of,” the giantess said, patting Envy’s arm with a grin. 
“Mmhmm. Time to eat. And yes, I’ll be joining later. Empress’s orders, after all,” he said, chuckling. “[i]As for what I’ve been up to these past few days, I can assure you, it wasn’t as interesting as my time with you,[/i]” he added with a cheeky grin. The thought of the execution day, however, put a shadow over his thoughts of the past week. He set that aside, putting on a smile for Ysaryn as he stepped forward to fetch a cup of wine for the both of them.

Kire was dying to go around and catch up with people, but for now she had to stay at the high table. Already she was looking forward to the gathering at Úvano, where she could be much less formal.  “Now, where’s my wine?” she quipped, making those standing nearby chuckle. Attendants went around pouring wine for those who had not fetched some for themselves, and Kire raised it in a toast to start off the feast. She paused, having a prepared salutation to start with, but instead just said, “Go stuff yourselves,” prompting laughter among the crowd. 
Elva, too, laughed softly at that “That’s more like Regular Kire than Empress Kire. There was a time she wouldn’t so much as let a hair fall out of place when she started taking her Empress duties seriously.” She turned to Zeke. “Now, what are these good things they’ve told you about? And don’t worry, I do like to be flattered,” she added with a wink. 
Etta and Precy giggled at their older cousin, before Etta gasped, tugging at Pres. “Who is that, beside Miss Narda? Is he an elf too, like Miss Ysaryn?” 
“Huh. Not used to seeing Narda being escorted by someone who could match her height,” Elva said, grinning. “Come on, I think Her Majesty is calling us to the high table.” 

The high table was large enough to fit the Empress’s family along with her designated guests and friends. Jan had Ulrich to Kire’s left, while to her right Ed led Ysaryn to sit beside him. Further down the table after some lords and ladies, Envy had Narda and Daryll on either side, the latter looking like he would burst with all the questions he wanted to ask Envy. Elva had the two girls between herself and Myka, followed by Ruli, Zeke, and Gavin. “I’m glad you all could make it,” Kire said, grinning down the table. She had been somber ever since the execution, and this was the first time she had smiled in earnest since that day. 

“Well, can’t say no to Her Grace, you know,” Elva replied, grinning back as she raised her goblet to Kire. She looked drunk already with the blush on her face, though that had more to do with her being unused to the temperature down at the Capital, especially while wearing more formal attire.
“Gods, sometimes it’s still a bit of a shock seeing Kay all done up like that, as if this isn’t the same woman who would drink with a ship full of pirates and curse just as badly,” Myka said to the off-worlders beside her. “If these other nobles had any idea the kinds of shenanigans she’d get up to, they’d all be blushing.”