Riona pov

The silence in the air during our journey flew away without a trace and the atmosphere began to start bustling as we had finally reached our destination. 

“My dear fiance, shall we head to the banquet?” he extended his hands for mine as the doors opened. 

It was finally time to make a proper appearance as his fiancee. Just saying it was one thing but to actually fulfil the role was another. It was like being curious about something so you go research it and see it for yourself. However, in my case, I was entering and witnessing a society of devils that called themselves humans. Nevertheless, I had one task to complete today and just one task.

Like always and for tonight I just needed to wear a mask and hope it doesn’t fall off nor crack. It was as simple as that.

A smile. That was it. Just smile.

It was good I wasn’t wearing gloves, he already played that role perfectly fine as his fingers laced mine. His hands were bigger and they kept mine warm as if they were warding off all the coldness at that moment. 

A hall of stars. Perhaps that is how I would describe the banquet. As we stepped out of the carriage, despite the obvious night sky which was so far above us, right in front of me stood a hall of stars. Humans always had a way of making things look perfect even when inside it was far from perfect. 

The entrance was grand and dressed with diamonds, for a moment you would think you were at the gates of heaven itself. 

As it opened they announced “His grace, the Northern duke, Adonis v Astor accompanied by her ladyship, his fiancee Riona Wright!” it echoed through the hall.

Riona Wright…

That was the person I was now. I was no longer Riona Eleni Gia the Princess of elves but I was now going to be known as Riona the fiancee of Adonis v Astor. 

All the ongoing conversations paused while I made my way down the stairs, hand in hand with Adonis. 

I had everyone's attention with each and every step I took as my heels clacked against the marble floor again and again.

A small boy even skinnier than me approached us as his eyes trembled sending waves throughout his body. His head was down trying to avoid even the slightest eye contact.

“Your grace, please let me escort you to your seat,” the boy spoke and with that, we followed as if he was a dog guiding us as if we had a leash in our hands. Not any old leash but his life. I was like him and still am.

The table was long and seemed like it could stretch along several towns probably even further. The red cloth carefully covered the table as eventually, nobles started to flock one by one each taking a seat and waiting for the banquet to finally start.

“So Adonis, when exactly does this banquet start?” I asked, tapping my finger on the table lightly yet was gifted, with no response from him.

I traced his eyes full of disgust back to the noblemen that stuck out among those who sat near the far right middle of the table laughing loudly blocking the sound of anything else.

His hair carefully gelled back while his slightly wrinkled suit tightened around his body highlighting his large muscular structure. 

“Who exactly is that guy?” I asked

“Just an annoying fool, nothing much to be interested in,” he said as he collected his attention away from them. 

“I wasn’t interested, you were staring at him for quite a while.” I replied to his nonsense. It wasn't that hard to see why he was single. 

“Is my dear fiance not jealous of me looking at not only other women but also other men?” he questioned as he pulled his face closer to mine. On instinct, I jerked back before the distance between us decreased as I cleared my throat in annoyance. What a rather strange man I had for a fiance. Even my old pet monkey, helix, sounded more human than what he was saying right now.   

“The banquet is divided into 3 parts which are-,”

“Yes, I’m aware. The opening speech: when the host grants a speech marking the start of the banquet. The starters: when the wines are served and guests are allowed to mingle and dance. After all of these it ends with the grand feast,” I recited Madam Noelle's words, cutting him off by heart. It was hard to forget when she was constantly telling me over and over again so I didn’t need to hear it from him again.

He chuckled a bit amused, taking a sip of wine before returning his focus to me “Very good,” he said without adding anything more to it.

Suddenly, the music came to an end. The only thing to be heard were footsteps, heavy footsteps. There was a rostrum balcony very grand which the curtain slowly revealed as the footsteps came to an end. There now stood a man, Sir Leone Dimitri. An important figure for what’s to lie ahead, or at least that's what Adonis said.

He cleared his voice briefly as he then stood straight and still somewhat like a statue or rather like the knight he is. 

“I welcome you all. I am a servant of the great emperor Vincent Alexandra Achilles and a knight in service for the kingdom. As I look around the room, delight fills me to know you have gathered here at my request as I was honoured in hosting the welcoming for the representative of the Elysium kingdom,” he spoke humbly with a smile that reached across his face from one ear to the other.

 Lifting a glass of wine in the air displaying his hands embraced with scars.

“We are the kingdom where the sun never sets. All hail the good emperor Vincent!” He yells as his voice echoed followed by the reply of ‘All hail the good emperor Vincent’.

And with that, the banquet has begun…