The girls leaned back in their chairs, hands on their bellies, delirious smiles on their faces. Servants began clearing away dishes as well as coming by with pitchers of water and wine for anyone who wanted more.
The King looked at his girls and laughed. "Are you all right, my angels?" he asked.
"I'm stuffed," said Blue.
"I'm over-stuffed," said Georgeanne.
Then both girls took a deep breath and let out a large sigh of contentment. The King laughed again. "But you've only had one piece of cake," he said. "Surely you have room for one more slice." The girls protested sweetly and shared a smile with their father.
Meanwhile the Queen did not seem amused at all.
"The lamb was tasty," said Blue.
"The cake was yummy," added Georgeanne.
"Then I shall pass the compliments on to the cook," he grinned. He leaned back in his own chair and brought his newly refreshed goblet of wine up to his mouth but paused when he caught sight of his queen. "My dear," he said to her, "what did you think of the meal?"
"Delicious as always," she replied, her mouth small, the corner slightly upturned in some version of a smile. The girls were too stuffed to notice though the King did. Instead of causing a scene, he raised his glass toward her with a nod, and she replied with a nod of her own. Left alone for a second, the Queen found the girls rolling a small orange back and forth across the table. The joy on their faces made her stomach ache. "Shouldn't you girls get ready for bed?"
Their heads swung in her direction, their smiles falling from their faces. Even though the question was posed to them, it was the King who answered on their behalf. "My dear," he said with a sweet smile, the girls' attention fixated on him now. "They're much to full to sleep just yet. I thought perhaps we could go for a little stroll about the grounds to walk off such a tasty and yummy dinner." That seemed to make the girls happy.
"You go on ahead, my sweet," said the Queen. "I'm feeling a little tired from the day. I think I may enjoy one more glass of wine and head to bed early tonight."
"Very well," he said. He gulped down the remnants of what was left in his goblet and stood from his chair. "Shall we?" he asked his daughters. The girls rose from the table, and with their roses in hand, headed out of the dining room with their father. The Queen watched them go. Once they were gone, she poured herself another glass of wine, and after her first sip, her eyes strayed to the rose before her. With her free hand, she picked it up and held it before her. Glaring at it, she recalled her husband's voice from before.
Aiyana.
Her eyes narrowed and the petal tips began to darken until they were black, the color spreading from petal to bulb to stem. When the flower was completely black, she squeezed it in her fist, but the rose had become nothing but dust. Her tiny smirk spread into an evil grin as she drank her wine.
The King looked at his girls and laughed. "Are you all right, my angels?" he asked.
"I'm stuffed," said Blue.
"I'm over-stuffed," said Georgeanne.
Then both girls took a deep breath and let out a large sigh of contentment. The King laughed again. "But you've only had one piece of cake," he said. "Surely you have room for one more slice." The girls protested sweetly and shared a smile with their father.
Meanwhile the Queen did not seem amused at all.
"The lamb was tasty," said Blue.
"The cake was yummy," added Georgeanne.
"Then I shall pass the compliments on to the cook," he grinned. He leaned back in his own chair and brought his newly refreshed goblet of wine up to his mouth but paused when he caught sight of his queen. "My dear," he said to her, "what did you think of the meal?"
"Delicious as always," she replied, her mouth small, the corner slightly upturned in some version of a smile. The girls were too stuffed to notice though the King did. Instead of causing a scene, he raised his glass toward her with a nod, and she replied with a nod of her own. Left alone for a second, the Queen found the girls rolling a small orange back and forth across the table. The joy on their faces made her stomach ache. "Shouldn't you girls get ready for bed?"
Their heads swung in her direction, their smiles falling from their faces. Even though the question was posed to them, it was the King who answered on their behalf. "My dear," he said with a sweet smile, the girls' attention fixated on him now. "They're much to full to sleep just yet. I thought perhaps we could go for a little stroll about the grounds to walk off such a tasty and yummy dinner." That seemed to make the girls happy.
"You go on ahead, my sweet," said the Queen. "I'm feeling a little tired from the day. I think I may enjoy one more glass of wine and head to bed early tonight."
"Very well," he said. He gulped down the remnants of what was left in his goblet and stood from his chair. "Shall we?" he asked his daughters. The girls rose from the table, and with their roses in hand, headed out of the dining room with their father. The Queen watched them go. Once they were gone, she poured herself another glass of wine, and after her first sip, her eyes strayed to the rose before her. With her free hand, she picked it up and held it before her. Glaring at it, she recalled her husband's voice from before.
Aiyana.
Her eyes narrowed and the petal tips began to darken until they were black, the color spreading from petal to bulb to stem. When the flower was completely black, she squeezed it in her fist, but the rose had become nothing but dust. Her tiny smirk spread into an evil grin as she drank her wine.
