Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li - Brian Pratt [6]
Once the clapping has subsided, he says “Now, let’s celebrate with food, drink, and entertainment.” Signaling a servant standing at the edge of the room, he says “Let the celebration, begin.”
At that, the band strikes up a merry tune and doors begin to open as servants enter bearing trays laden with food. Roast pig, chickens, a veritable cornucopia of food begins to be laid upon the tables in front of the guests. Servants with pitchers begin passing among the tables as they fill everyone’s glass.
One comes and fills James’ with a sweet, smooth wine, reminiscent of the one he’d become plastered with back when he’d first met Miko in Bearn. Memories of the hangover he’d suffered through the following day makes him take only small sips during the meal.
Miko fills his plate to overflowing, much to the amusement of Nate, as he tries to eat some of everything placed before him.
During the dinner, entertainers come and perform within the open area surrounded by the tables. Acrobats, magicians, and dancers come and go as the meal progresses.
Once most of the guests have slowed down on their consumption of the bounty, the entertainers are cleared away and people begin moving toward the center of the floor as the band strikes up a waltz like tune and everyone begins to dance.
The dance is similar in nature to those James had seen in old movies of England, all structured and choreographed. All the dancers move in a pattern, weaving and bobbing in time to the music.
When the first dance had ended and the musicians were preparing to begin the next set, Miriam comes over to James and says, “Why don’t you ask Meliana to dance?”
He glances over to her and sees her looking eagerly over to him. He turns back to Miriam and says, “But I don’t know any of these dances.”
“Don’t be silly,” she tells him. “They’re not hard.”
He feels a nudge in the ribs and hears Jiron says, “Let’s go!” He grabs James arm as he propels him to the dance floor. Meliana sees him leaving his table and when she gets a nod from Miriam, says something to her father before getting up from the table. She makes her way toward him through the crowded dance floor.
When she reaches his side and gets into position to dance with him, he tells her, “I can’t dance!”
“Relax and just follow me,” she says to him. “It’s easy, I’ll show you what to do.”
He stands there nervous with Meliana standing in line across from him and Jiron in position to his right. When the music starts, he tries to follow Meliana’s lead and feels like he’s making a big spectacle of himself out in front of everyone.
But as he begins to learn the steps and the pattern of the dance, he’s able to relax and starts to enjoy himself. By the time the dance is over, he has the pattern figured out and found that he actually likes dancing. Of course, the fact he was dancing with as beautiful a girl as Meliana helped some too.
Once the dance is over, Meliana takes him over to her table where she sits with her family. “Momma,” she says to the woman sitting next to her father, “this is James.”
She gives him the critical once over all mothers give those their daughter’s have an interest in. Then she gives him a warm smile as she says, “Nice to meet you James.”
“You too ma’am,” he replies, blushing slightly under her stare.
“You dance well,” she tells him. “I just wish I could get my husband out there.”
Turning to her, her husband says, “You know I hurt my leg this morning!”
Nodding, she says, “Yes, dear.” She gives James a knowing look and continues, “He’ll do anything to get out of dancing.”
Meliana’s father just gives her an annoyed look and doesn’t take the bait.
The band is in the middle of another dance number and when they finish, Meliana takes James’ arm. With a quick farewell to her parents, she drags him back to the dance floor before the band has a chance