Chapter 281: Changes in the bride.
The grand hall of the Fulton hotel shimmered with lantern lights that were so bright, their glow reflected off the polished marble floor and jeweled collars of nobles gathered for the engagement of Gael Veythar. The air was thick with perfume, food, drink and the hum of whispered speculation. Sienna adjusted her seat at the four person lacquered table. She followed that up by adjusting her dress whose neck felt a little too stiff.
Every other second, she sent an envious gaze towards Mija, in her light pink silk dress, sitting elegantly to her left. On the right was the queen, bundled up in two furs, complaining of a chill. None the less, she was calm and regal as ever. Especially, when the cameras turned their way.
Gael’s fiance waved to them and they waved back with wide grins. Sienna had expected the white tiger female to be intimidating like Liman. Instead, against her dominant nature, she was small, delicate and almost kitten like. Her snowy fur shimmered under the ceremonial veil, her eyes wide and luminous.
Sienna sighed, sweeping away her wish to make the woman revert to her beast form so that she could cuddle with her. "She is so adorable. She looks so fragile. She is so cute and seems nothing like Elias described." She muttered.
Mija hissed angrily, "How many times will you repeat that? I am beginning to get jealous. If you ask me, she is a defect. Adult tigers should not be small."
The queen sent a warning glare at Mija. "Be respectful and don’t say that nonsense again."
Sienna’s eyes clashed with those of her mother-in-law. Lady Cadelaria was present too, though her demeanor had changed drastically since their last confrontation. Once domineering, she now trailed meekly after Lord Marius, head bowed, her voice barely audible when she greeted guests.
She hovered near the engaged couple, never straying far from her husband’s shadow, as if afraid that someone would steal him away. It was unsettling, but Sienna had little time to dwell on it, the ceremony was unfolding with pomp and spectacle and she did not want to miss a detail.
Occasions like these were always hubs for drama. Sooner or later, something was going to happen.
Nobles of different tribes filled the hall, each more flamboyant than the last. A lion beast man with a man braided in gold threads laughed boisterously, begging people to look his way without expressing it directly. A hawk beast woman dressed in a short inappropriate dress danced too vigorously, swaying her arms as if she was boneless.
A black snake beast man and phoenix beast man circled the room from opposite ends, eyes sharp, scanning each other as though they were attracted to each other, or potential love rivals.
The bear beast lord, massive and broad shouldered, devoured honey cakes with such gusto that servants had to refill his plate thrice before the speeches even began.
A drunk rabbit priestess was bleating like a sheep beast man!
In the midst of this, rumors swirled like smoke among the guests. Whispers about the son of the Lord lion losing half of his fortune gambling in sky-beast races. Another rumor that claimed the daughter of the hawk priest had eloped with a mouse beast trader.
Cyra joined the ladies at Sienna’s table. She leaned close to Mija, her voice dripping with amusement: "Did you hear? The bear lord’s cousin has been caught tumbling with a maid in the garden!! Imagine, the scandal! They could have got a room in the hotel but they chose the garden where we will be watching a fireworks show later. They were naked, on top of one of the tables! I hope I won’t have to sit at that specific table later."
Sienna smirked, though the queen hissed softly, reminding her to keep her laughter discreet. The queen was also amused and scandalized but she did not show it. Her composure remained intact. Her serene gaze fixed on Gael and his fiance who appeared pleased with how everything was proceeding.
Gael stood tall, his ears twitching nervously as he clasped the hands of his tigress. His pride was evident, though his tail betrayed his nerves, flicking back and forth. The tiger lord and his family, a cluster of white tiger nobles, sat nearby, their expressions a mix of pride and protectiveness.
"Did you know that she is not the one Gael was to be engaged to?" Cyra whispered.
Sienna lifted her head. "What?" She had not paid attention to the affairs concerning this engagement. She never even looked at the invite which was sent to her inbox. She had only learned today that the bride to be was called Vera.
Mija was just as surprised. Only the queen remained poised.
Cyra was smug, as she rushed to share her gossip. "The original fiance ran away last night. This whole time, she had pledged her love to another and never told anyone. He is human! One of the accountants for their family. Her father called my father and he summoned the elders in the night. The engagement was going to be called off but Vera suddenly stepped up and boldly told everyone that she had been in love with Gael for two years now. Apparently, my brother had had a mysterious admirer for two years that has been sending him gifts. Guess who it was?"
"Vera." All the ladies replied. The answer was self explanatory.
Cyra nodded. "Anyway, Vera flew to our house early in the morning and met with Gael. They had a private conversation for three hours. When they came out of the room, Gael was smiling and blushing like a fool, and Vera looked like a smug cat."
Sienna almost asked about the names in the engagement invitation. But as she had not seen it, she decided to take a look first. She checked the message on her phone. The invitation had not included the names of the two people to be engaged, only the noble families they came from. "I guess its a good thing then that the name of the original bride did not appear in the invite or the whispers would be loud in here."
"Oh, that’s a tradition." The queen leaned her head towards Sienna. "A safeguard in case there are changes in the identities of the parties to be engaged. Names only appear in wedding invitations."
Whispers and rumors thickened among the guests. Lady Cadelaria’s behavior was another subject of speculation.
Just as the hall settled into a quiet for the exchange of rings and engagement gifts, the doors burst open.
A herald’s voice rang out. "All rise, for her Highness Princess Lina!"
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