Chapter 73: Chapter 68 – Al-Shan Imperial Banquet

"One cannot think well, sleep well, love well, fight well, if one had not dined well." - Al-Shan Saying

 

"You're WHO!?" Asked Willa in total incredulity. The therian woman had nearly dropped her cup in surprise, while next to her Ognar choked on his appetizer as he swallowed it by accident in surprise. Giselle gulped nervously, while Vark's family eyed Xain with surprised eyes. Aideen, Cal, and Layla laughed their asses off when they saw the group's faces though, which drew some irritated stares from the youngsters.

 

"As he said." Layla managed once she caught her breath. The young girl wiped her tears as she smirked at the fellow youngsters who had gotten chummy with Xain over the evening, something she was happy about. Xain had too few such opportunities, others simply intimidated by his position as emperor, so she hoped these kids won't be too intimidated by it. Doesn't stop her from finding amusement in their surprises, though. "Formally, you dine today with His Imperial Majesty Xain Haroone, first of his name, Emperor of the Al-Shan Empire, and Protector of the Al-Shan people."

 

"Do call me Xain like before when there's no fussy old farts around though." Xain added, to which Cal chuckled some more, as she knew who exactly the young emperor referred to. He then continued with a mischievous wink. "It is a rare occasion that I get to meet people my age who treated me as a person, and not an emperor. I would like to beseech you to please carry on that way."

 

"W- won't that get us executed or something?" Ognar asked nervously as he finally swallowed down the food that choked him just now.

 

"Ehh. Just pretend to be polite or stay quiet when there's some old farts around and it'll be fine." Said the Emperor with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Present company excluded of course, I would never insult such pretty young ladies with that term."

 

"I see your boy grew a bit of a backbone. I like." Aideen whispered to both Cal and Layla with a conspiratorial gaze on her sight. Laula started to blush shyly on that comment, which Aideen latched on to instantly much like a lamprey that had found its prey. "Oh. Ooooooooh. Has your relationship advanced a few steps since last spring? That kid better not forget all I taught him back then~" She asked teasingly in a low voice.

 

"I- I have been meaning to thank you for that myself." Layla stammered nervously with a deeper blush. Fortunately at that point Xain was engaged in a conversation with the students as they nibbled on sliced fresh shellfish served with a tangy sauce, and thus had not noticed. "I was wondering if I could ask you for some advice on that matter actually… You might have taught him a little too well."

 

"Why, how could I refuse such a polite invitation? How about tonight we…"

 

By that point Cal tuned out of the bedroom talks between the dirty old pervert - Aideen would have taken no offense at the label, and would have owned up to it gleefully instead - and the young girl Cal suspects just invited the wolf into the henhouse.

 

But then again, that's their lesson to learn, and not like she's qualified to give advice on bedroom matters anyway. She focused on the food as the next course was brought before them instead. Ling Qi, the royal chef, had been an old friend of Samira's from their civil war days, and another old face Cal trusted with her life.

 

She gave a toast to the middle-aged woman as she passed by, to which the old chef nodded and smiled beatifically. The next course to be served were cuts of meat and fish, as well as some shellfish, all of which swam in a sweet-savory yellow sauce. The whole ensemble were set atop a large leaf, which itself was arranged on top of a lit coal brazier, the heat of which caused the sauce to simmer and cook the meats within.

 

A large bowl of pearly white rice was served with the course, along with a platter of sliced pickled cucumber, radish, and onions on the side. Cal loved the way the dish opted for simplicity, and focused on how the aroma of the leaf along with the sauce made from fermented beans complimented the choice cuts of meat. The rice served to balance out the meat with its intrinsic sweetness, while the pickled vegetables provided a tart counterpoint.

 

Everyone in the dining chamber had seconds, which brought a genuine motherly smile to the old chef's face.

 

The course that followed afterward brought cubes of fatty fish meat, lightly seasoned and seared on hit stones. A cooking method which left the outside well cooked, while the inside of the cubes remained raw. The contrast of temperature and textures played a large part in how the simple dish tasted so good, and even Vark and Giselle - who were somewhat apprehensive at the idea of eating raw fish - were converted into fans after their first mouthful.

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Soup was served next, a hearty broth made with dried fish and fermented bean seasoning. Slivers of seaweed, chunks of bean curd, as well as slices of mushrooms and shellfish floated in the murky soup. Along with the soup, a rolled omelette was served, a tightly packed one where the eggs were basically rolled into a solid mass, flavored with fish and seaweed broth.

 

Xain had made small talk with the students all dinner long, and Cal smiled as the kid that used to latch onto her seemed to have finally found some he could call friends without his station weighing on them. For dessert, Ling Qi had brought out a frozen confection made with the help of an ice mage in her kitchen staff. The milky confection was so solid that the old woman had to hack at it with a cleaver before she served each diner a portion.

 

One bite into the confection had wowed most of the mainlanders - other than Aideen - who had a nostalgic look on her face as she ate. The frozen confection was cold and chewy, with a milky, nutty flavor that were sweetened by a syrup made from flower petals poured on it.

 

By now Cal noticed that most of the youngsters - other than Willa - had already veered close to drunkenness. The rice wine that had been served with the meal had been a floral, fruity one. Easy to drink plenty of without realizing just how strong the liquor actually was, something the mainland students are utterly unaccustomed to. Even Vark and Krystal looked a bit woozy already.

 

Cal attributed Willa's alcohol resistance to her strong therian heritage, as large bodied therians like her were usually quite good at holding their drink.

 

As they chatted and the evening turned to night, Vark and Krystal brought Ilena and Leila with them as they retired for the night. Xain had to order some servants to lead the dead drunk Ognar and Giselle to their rooms as they were in no shape to do so themselves. That had not stopped the boy as he joined Willa in laughter while they watched how Ognar swayed drunkenly as he was half-carried out of the dining hall.

 

Willa retired for the night soon after as she yawned loudly, her mouth wide open and her multitude of sharp teeth on proud display - including the two larger than usual fangs on her lower jaw that hinted at some orcish ancestry -, and she bid them farewell as she too went to sleep. Unlike her compatriots she was sober enough to walk on her own, so the servant was only there to guide her to her room.

 

Cal watched with a smirk on her face as Aideen and Layla half-dragged Xain away between them afterwards. The boy had a look that was half scandalized - yet at the same time, eager, - on his face, so Cal just playfully waved him off as Layla and Aideen took him to the royal bedchamber.

 

She herself retired for the night into a room reserved for her. For once, sleeping in the royal palace had not brought her memories she wished she could forget - yet at the same time wished to never forget -, and she slept peacefully through the night until rays of sunlight woke her up the next morning.

 

When she went towards the dining hall for breakfast she ran into Xain, Layla, and Aideen on their way there as well. Xain and Layla looked tired and in need of sleep, and they blushed deeply when they noticed Cal, whereas Aideen just gave a knowing smirk her way.

 

For her part, Cal just laughed out loud as she slapped Aideen's back when she passed her, which deepened the other two's blush.

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