The guards at the huge, open doors bowed low at Lucia’s approach, and the herald just inside cried her arrival. A hush swept over the room, hung there a moment, and then was brushed away by the scrape of chairs and the swish of fabric as everyone rose to bow to the Crown Princess.
As Lucia passed by them, applause and cheers and congratulations rose up, nearly loud enough to bring down the colorfully painted ceiling high above.
Lucia took her seat at the high table, motioning for everyone else in the room to resume their places.
They sat scattered across various large, round tables, and though all guests could sit wherever they liked, many tables were informally reserved for certain parties, often broken up by region lords and their family. Other tables were much more a mix. Not a bit
