Chapter 15: The frozen tundra
The dining hall was as large as the Atranian palace's entire throne room. Did they have parties in here? Why was it so big? Ari couldn't even see the chairs at the other end of the long dining table from where she was seated. This room was somewhat decorated, though not nearly as colorful as any room you'd find in Atrana. The table was set beautifully with candelabras flickering every few feet or so down the deep purple and gold tablecloth. Matching curtains draped the windows and beautiful, sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The chairs were especially plush and comfortable and each was adorned with a golden sash tied into a perfect bow. Maids stood aside, waiting to carry in the meal while Vida and Ronan joined the guards at the doorway.
Ari sipped her wine awkwardly while she sat in silence between the king and Arell. Apparently King Titus had to send for the rest of the family to join them, as eating together was not a daily routine for the royal family of Otha. In fact, it was quite rare for any of them to eat together. But apparently Titus thought that this was a special enough occasion.
Finally, a woman entered that was not much younger than Ari. She had long, wavy black hair and lovely, light hazel eyes. Strangely, her skin color was very similar to Ari's: a caramel tone but very fair. Like a caramel whipped cream. Very different from the pale complexions of the city's residents. Actually, a lot of her features reminded Ari of Atranian women. Arell stood up and walked over to greet her with a warm smile and Ari followed suit.
"Oh, you stupid brother. You didn't even tell me you were leaving!" She smacked his back gently while she hugged him. As she pulled away, she glanced at Ari before giving Arell a pointed, questioning look.
Arell's smile turned sly. "Yes, it's as you think. This is Arinja."
"So that's where you went!" the woman excitedly exclaimed to Arell before she rushed over to Ari and enveloped her in a warm hug. "Welcome to Otha, Arinja! I'm Arell's younger sister, Atia."
Ari's eyebrows shot up, then furrowed and she quickly let go of Atia. "Atia is…"
"Your mother's name, yes. We named her after your mother," King Titus piped up to answer the question before Ari could form the words. He smiled gently at the girls.
"You knew my mother?" Ari asked Titus.
But before he could answer, the doors opened again and an extremely handsome man strode in. He had dark brown hair that swept over his eyes and the same light green eyes as Titus. But he lacked the coldness that the other two men in the room shared, instead appearing suave and every bit like the storybook princes that Ari read about as a child. However, his greeting consisted of pausing in the doorway, saying nothing except, "Brother," and immediately sitting at the table with a straight face.
Ari noticed the way Arell rolled his dark green eyes and clicked his tongue softly. She was beginning to suspect that he clicked his tongue when he was annoyed by something. It was a cute little quirk.
"That's Marcus," Atia whispered to Ari. "They don't get along very well." That last part Ari had already guessed herself, but having the confirmation was nice.
Moments later, a goddess entered the room. At least, she looked like one. She was petite but her hair was as long as Ari's, golden, and curled at the ends. Her face could easily compare to Athena's, which was saying something because Athena was the most beautiful woman that Ari had ever encountered. The woman's facial features were sharp and her eyes were the most incredible shade of purple. She wore a violet gown with an empire waist and a long golden cloak draped on one side. She somehow pulled the look off seamlessly despite her average height. Without a word, or even a glance in Ari's direction, the woman took her seat next to Marcus. She smiled at King Titus and bowed her head, but that was the only greeting she offered.
Atia sighed next to Ari. "And that is Tatiana. She's… complicated."
Complicated? Ari wanted to pry further but Atia moved to sit down as well, in the open chair next to Arell's.
Arell gave Ari a painful smile as he whispered, "I'm so sorry for this. Family gatherings here are nothing like yours."
Ari bit her lip nervously, then took a deep breath and smiled back at him. "It's okay. It's what I signed up for, right?"
Arell's face fell for a moment. Then, he straightened himself and led Ari back to their seats. It was amazing how quickly he could compose himself. But that was probably a necessary trait for someone of royalty in Otha. Ari wondered briefly if she had upset him with her words.
Dinner was served and while it was bland, Ari was hungry enough to ignore the lack of taste. At least there was no fish in this meal. Everyone remained silent as they ate. There wasn't even the sound of silverware clinking against the dishes. Ari had to be careful to put her table manners to good use amongst this family.
After he finished eating, Titus finally broke the silence. "Everyone, this is Arinja. She'll be staying with us from now on." Neither Marcus or Tatiana seemed to care about this announcement until King Titus added, "As Arellan's future wife."
Tatiana spit her wine out onto the beautiful tablecloth and Marcus choked on a piece of chicken at that wonderful bit of news. Atia pressed her lips together but Aria definitely heard her chuckle as Arell's eyes narrowed at the two people across the table. She could already feel his aura getting icier. She even got goosebumps.
Marcus managed to swallow his chicken properly, then stood up to point an accusing finger at Arell. He turned his reddened (yet somehow still elegant) face to Titus, his finger still aimed at his brother. "You're not thinking of letting him get married first, are you?!" His voice was really trying to be loud but he was still coughing a bit from the choking incident.
Titus only sipped his wine, the cold aura around him seeming to freeze the entire room as he looked up at Marcus with narrowed eyes. Ari could really see the resemblance between Arell and Titus at that moment. The two men were like merciless fiends. Titus set his wine glass down slowly and replied to Marcus in an indifferent tone, "I don't think it's any of your business which son of mine I let marry first."
Atia put her fork down loudly, causing everyone to look sheepishly in her direction. When she looked up from her plate to Marcus, her eyes held the same fierceness that her father's did. "You just learned that your younger brother is engaged and the first thing you think of is yourself?" Her voice held none of the warmth that it did earlier. Atia had turned into.. well, a female version of Arell. Ari was feeling pretty awkward in this frozen tundra.
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Pronunciation time!
Atia: AH-TEE-UH
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