Ten - Formal Dinner

I walk into the banquet room with Faulk holding my arm, as I lean into him taking in all the people around the huge table in the middle of the room. Long curtains hang everywhere from the high ceilings. Deep purples with gold and teal. It’s absolutely amazing, it almost looks as if the ceiling was sparkling like the stars in the sky past all the rich drapery. The table elaborately set, looking at the cutlery and plate stacks I nearly fell over. I vaguely remember reading an article in an old magazine, saying in a dinner party you always use the utensils from the outside in….or was it from the inside out….I sigh! This is not gonna go well, I fidget. 

“Just relax Aurora, everything will be fine! Smile you need to do that more” Faulk says patting my arm as we get to our places beside each other at the table. 

Standing in front of our seat at the table, he whispers to me, 

“We can’t sit until the king and queen do” 

And I realize at his words, they were not yet in the hall. 

In as much time as it took me to blink they appeared from behind the gigantic curtains at the head of the table behind clearly what were the Kings and Queens chairs. 

They both walked in relaxed it seemed and happy.

“Welcome, my closest friends or my family I should say! It has been some time since I have seen a lot of you, and I am more then pleased you all have answered my request at such short notice” the King Starts.

“Everyone please be seated as I explain why we have gathered. First and foremost to ease everyone’s mind everything is fine. There is no fight or war to be had. This is a very personal matter to me!” He says with a clear wink my way! Which makes me feel uneasy, but safe at the same time. 

I take a quick scan around the room and can hardly see who everyone is. If they are creature, mythic or witches or what. My head hurts! Everyone is very well put together. Beautiful gowns and full suits, the whole bit. 

I bite my lip curiously as I eye everyone quickly. I see out of the corner of my eye a man at the very end of the table. Dressed all in black. He makes instant eye contact with me, his eyes almost red they are so dark orange!? 

I want to look away but feel myself being pulled into his eyes. Dark like fresh syrup straight from the tree. I shake my head and bring my attention back to Leonids. 

“Aurora please stand” the King says in a gentle voice

I slowly get up from my chair knowing full well I have every eye on me. The whole room there eyes boring into me like sharp knives. I sheepishly smile and wave quickly to everyone when the King gets everyone’s attention from me. 

 "This is our dear Aurora, the one who will keep the secret!” 

The king says his eyes wide with excitement. 

Everyone gasps at his words, I fail to see what the big deal is?

He continues.

“She would like to know what speices you are. Also what you may like or dislike about your own kind."  He says grinning at himself as he sits and nods at the first couple to his right. 

Lindy sighs and shakes her head. Clearly I have missed something. 

The man of the couple rises and bows ever so slightly to the king continuing it onto me, which make my mouth gape open. 

“I am a warlock and my mate is a witch.  Both our species I would not suggest as we are used against everyone for our magic. So all of us hide out of sight and will stay that way until the need rises for us to come back out once more” he states all this matter of factly as his mate looks up to me and smiles and nods. He then sits and nods as well. While the people at the table start muddering amongst themselves, that being a witch or fairy sucks and nope would want that darden. 

The next one to stand I know already, sweet innocent Lily.

"I am a fairy and one of the last of my kind. Although we are a dying spieces I like he stated before me wouldn’t suggest this race as well. We are used for our powers against our will. Every spieces has tried at one time or another to capture us for their own misdoings. Holding us hostage until they eat what they are looking for, very few of us making it out of anything alive. That is untill the King and Queen have brought peace to us all!  Even now because of fear we hide. Living our lives away from prying eyes. Trying our hardest to stay solitary so as to not have too many of us in one area keeping all as safe as possible. It’s very sad and lonely”

She tries to make eye contact with me but I can see in her eyes she has spoken only the truth. Most of her own truth to me. She is sad and lonely. Tired of hiding, tired or running. Poor thing. I just wanted to hug her so badly…..What is wrong with me I hate direct contact with anything. Always attribute it to pain, thanks to Brian the fucking sick bastard that he is. 

Next up were the angels and demons which both said they wouldn’t be themselves attributed mostly because they were constantly fighting with each other. That one being the only one to me that made sense at all. In any folk lore it is always the same. Angels and Demons always hated one and other. I learned during this introduction from Faulk whispering in my ear that all the creature for the most part had peace, because the King and Queen had made it so. But they were always little spats here and there, mostly of course from the angels and demons. 

Next a small women in a dress that looked almost as if it was made of scales stands. Showing off the scales on her gown rainbows fly all around the room in prisms as the scales catch the light. As she stands I get a proper look at her. Not even noticing her before she is so tiny. I definitely should have her rainbow coloured hair past her ass, curling in ways I never knew hair could. Her eyes matching that of her hair.  I gasp slightly at the sight never seeing eye as memorizing as hers, a literal rainbow of sparkling colours swirling around, She speaks so quietly everyone lean an ear towards her to hear. 

“I am a mermaid and although swimming freely in the oceans is an amazing sight to behold, humans as well as dragons alike are always looking for us. Humans as they think we exist and they wanna prove it and the dragons to get our scales for their barbaric rituals” she sighs heavily, glancing side ways at a huge man that hasn’t spoken yet. 

I look down to Faulk, hoping to quickly get his attention, 

“How come I don’t see anyone in their form?” I ask now realizing that everyone sitting at this table looks aside from their eyes mostly, human. 

“You know Aurora how I can turn from myself into my wolf, it is the same thing. Every creature no matter the type in our world can shift between human looking form, and their creatures form.  It was made that way so we can live among you in peace thousands of years ago. It’s the reason none of your kind have ever known of our existence or caught true photos of us or anything like that! Think low profile!” He tells me quickly and quietly as he sips his drink. 

Last to stand is a man, huge in stature and when I say huge I mean huge, the biggest man I have ever seen! 

He stares and grins at me, easily double my size. 

“I am a dragon" he booms his voice thick and deep, to deep he sounds evil!  "I love being a dragon but alas like my counterparts before me, it is a lonely life. They’re are not many female's left sadly due to all the past wars and fights. Making our lives empty with not very many mates and even less children. Alas looking at me you know I would defenitly be good in bed I mean, look at me” he says strongly wiggling his eyebrows in my direction and smiling, 

The king clears his throat loudly getting everyones attention in one sound effect. Very impressive I think. 

“Thank you, Drago” the King rolls his eyes not even trying to conceal what he was doing! Which makes me smile.

“Now is that everyone, I feel like we have missed someone” he glances around the table and no one else moves or stands up. 

Mumbling to himself, 

“I thought I seen him…..” 

“Anyways now that that is over with I thank you everyone for that honest opinion of yourselves. It in the very least it gives Aurora a little of what to expect if your species is what she decides.  She will make her decision by morning and the changing ceremony will then be planned for Nov 20th, the day of her birth and her 19th Year! 

More mumbles to each other in the crowd…

“Why is my birthday so special what are they all mumbling” I get out quickly to Faulk. 

“I’m not sure” is his only response and I feel like I’m not being told everything I should be. But with the fuzzy drinks I have been drinking I let it roll off my shoulders…for another day I think. 

Everyone had an awesome time at the dinner party myself included. We ate and drank and I chatted a good chunk of the night away learning as much as I could about all the different species in front of me. It must have been the fuzzy drinks, cause before I knew it we all were outside watching Draco shift into his gigantic grey dragon. The sounds his body making made me almost throw up. Happening so quickly i nearly fell backwards and would not have ever believed it unless I had seen it with my own eye! Amazing he was! But way way to cocky for me and he scared me a-lot just like Brian, I shutter at the thought of his name. 

Draco shifted back getting back into his attire behind a tree and as I turn, I seen a massive bird take off from the garden side of the castle. My mouth drops open I quickly look around to everyone, was I the only one who seen that…..seriously? 

Shaking it off must be the fuzzy drinks, I have met all of the mythical creature they’re were. Maybe it was just another dragon, Dracgo's security maybe? Not that he needs it. 

We all head inside to see that it is well into the next morning. The King makes small talk of other small matters between the species and states that he will allow me until lunch tomorrow to make my decision, instead of announcing it tonight. I know in this dry moment, it was Lindy’s doing. She was giving me some time! Everyone says their good byes seeming so please to have met me. I thanked everyone for their help elated to have met so many incredible species each truly remarkable and different. Each and every one. 

I make sure before I go to turn in that I thanked the King and Queen. I mean Leonids and Lindy as I have to call them I am told. 

I make my way up my corridor to my room and step inside my room through the big burly guards outside my door. I close my doors quietly whispering good night to the guards as I smile. I lay on my gigantic bed, thinking about all the great conversations I had tonight with so many new faces, some of which I’d like to forget! 

I was going to take off this beautiful dress, then decided I want to live in it forever as I lay smiling to myself, about how happy I feel in this very moment and terrified, I must make a choice! Sleep tugging me in, as I succumb to the happy butterflies in my stomach and the fuzzy drinks.