Rya, Quinus, and their group finally arrive at the bustling dining hall. The Baron, Hajdah, and a swarm of diligent servants are bustling around, ensuring everything is perfect. In addition to that, several other distinguished dwarven nobles are also present. It's quite a sight to behold – this dining hall is one of the rare places where human customs are adopted, featuring tables, chairs, plates, and silverware instead of the traditional dwarven methods of using the floor. Rya and her friends are escorted to their seats by one of the servants.
As the group enters the room, a servant swiftly approaches Rya, gracefully taking her cloak as she strides in with confidence.
The Baron looks up and smiles at the group. "Ah, welcome! So, this is Lady Rya, whom the Prince was speaking about? She's lovelier than I imagined." He then turns to Rya. "Pleased to meet you."
'Um?... D-Do I bow or something? I don't know noble etiquette?' Rya hesitated for a moment, then bowed her head slightly, unsure if she was doing it right.
"Oh? Ha ha ha! You don't have to bow to me, Lady Rya. We are equals here. Come! Sit down over here. We have plenty of food and wine!" Baron Zellin said with a smile.
Rya blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed by the gesture, while she overheard Quin and Dalia sharing a quiet laugh about it.
'Laugh it up, you two, because when you get to the table, I'm gonna embarrass the hell out of both of you,' the Dark Elf thought to herself.
The rest of the Minor Nobles couldn't help but notice the enigmatic Dark Elf, and their curiosity was piqued. Despite their initial reservations, they were eager to engage in conversation with the Prince, each one hoping to win the favor of the future King of Fiafyr.
Rya could hear Quin talking under his breath when he saw all the noble dwarves hovering around them. "Well, looks like tonight's going to be a long night."
"It's not easy being popular sometimes. Hey, if you like, I can play the world's smallest violin for you?" Rya whispered back to Quin, causing him to shake his head and smirk.
"And second thought, I think that would help a lot," the prince replied, which caused Rya to burst out laughing, much to the surprise of the dwarves around them.
Rya didn't know why that sounded so funny to her in the first place, but she couldn't stop giggling, which caused Quin to laugh along with her. She felt increasingly comfortable around Quin as time went on.
The dwarven nobles looked at the duo, wondering what could possibly be so funny. They didn't want to miss an opportunity to bond with the future king, so they began cracking jokes left and right, all of which were met with awkward silence or polite laughter from the rest of the table.
'Wow!... They aren't as afraid of me as I thought. That's good,' Rya thought happily as she sat down in her chair that was pulled out for her by Quin. She gladly accepted it as she sat at the table where all the nobles were, while Dalia, Percy, and Sir George moved towards another table that was meant for wealthy guests.
Quin, seeing that Rya was seated, took his own chair and sat down beside her. The rest of the party followed suit.
'Man... I kind of know why some women hate chivalry, but I like it! Hehe! I wonder what else I could get Quin to do?... If he knew I was a guy, though, that would be a different story... Ah, whatever! I'll enjoy it while it lasts.'
Baron Zellin took his seat, and the servants began placing the food and wine in front of the group. There were plates of roasted beef, steaming bowls of potatoes and carrots, fresh greens and fruits, warm rolls, and a variety of other dishes.
Rya glanced at Quin, who flashed her a warm smile. She couldn't help but smile back. She was eager to see what he would do next, but she didn't want to interfere with his official duties.
"So, what's your plan for the next few hours?" Rya asked Quin.
Quinus smirked before he let out a defeated sigh, "I need to entertain the local nobles, sadly... I have to do the usual boring stuff with them before we can enjoy the festival tomorrow."
"Haha. That doesn't sound so bad. How can they be any worse than a horde of goblins?" Rya replied with a smirk.
Quinus gave her a sly grin, "Goblins are easy... With them, I can cut them down... These people will give me a headache if I don't keep a calm head."
Rya could relate to dealing with annoying people from her old consulting job. She would deal with clients who tried to sabotage their projects, lied about their financial records, or even refused to follow simple instructions. This mostly happens when a company's engagement lead brings in their coworkers to give input on the company's operations, and the coworkers don't want change. It's not uncommon for people to resist change, even if it's for the better.
"Well, I feel for you, Quin... I'll keep an eye on the others while you're doing that. I'm surprised that so many nobles are here to see you. I thought we didn't want your uncle to find out we're here," Rya replied, glancing around the room.
"Yeah... Well, the important thing is that Baron Zellin sent a messenger to my parents, and now that we are in the Baron's castle, I feel a little better. If anyone attacks, then at least we won't die in his backyard, so to speak," Quin said in a hushed tone.
"So we can stay here without problems, no questions asked? That sounds amazing," Rya said, letting out a sigh of relief.
Quin smiled, "Yeah, it's nice having a place to stay, and the Baron has a sizeable garrison, so if we need any more soldiers, he can provide some support."
"Damn! Are we going to war already? I prefer not to put our lives in danger every single day... It's not a healthy lifestyle, man," Rya replied. She was worried that they'd have to face Alaric Revelia way sooner than she would have hoped, but she was in a fantasy world now, and she might have to get used to this type of life where wars break out from nowhere.
Quin chuckled and sort of nodded, "Yeah, wouldn't we all? Too bad we don't live on a planet that doesn't have magic, monsters, or other weird races, like demons and vampires... But we are stuck here on Tertius."
Quinus mentioned this while staring longingly at Rya's azure eyes as if he had found the person he had been looking for for a long time. She didn't know what he was getting at, but she had a feeling he was hinting at something, or maybe he was trying to flirt with her to mess with her. Either way, Rya shook it off as harmless, but she wasn't entirely sure how to react.
'T-That was weirdly specific... Quin's weird sometimes?' Rya thought to herself. She was about to say something, but a noble dwarf walked over and interrupted her train of thought.