(The Grand Dining Hall)
"Psst,"
Iyan turned around, trying to figure out where the noise came from.
"Pssssst,"
This time louder, but he was still alone in the hallway,
"Neftali," he yelled as quietly as he could.
"Over here!" Neftali poked out her head from the red curtain covering the wall.
Iyan looked on both ends of the hallway, checking if anybody was there. Then he quickly slipped behind the curtain, went through a door and came right out to the Great Dining Hall.
Well not exactly in the hall, but rather above it.
"Close the door, and lower your head!" Neftali ordered while sitting on the floor.
"What if it locks?"
"I have a key." She showed him a bundle of keys, probably from every single door on this floor.
Iyan closed the door quietly and came down to all fours, crawling to his sister who had her back turned towards the balcony fence.
This mysterious place of their meeting was a balcony that looked out to the Grand Dining Hall. Before this place was renamed and turned into a Dining Hall it served as a Main Ballroom of the palace, and because nobles back then loved to host exotic performances and theatre shows, the balconies served as special watching lounges, like in the opera houses.
Since the Dining Hall is not one of used rooms anymore as its purposes were moved into the Main Ballroom, not many know about these balconies. They have no purpose in modern day.
Neftali uses them quite often as a hideout, she stole the keys a long time ago, the bundle she showed her brother was her collection, those were keys to all the doors she had access to. Most of them she obtained while she was a child, it is very easy to convince the palace staff to give you stuff when you are a child, especially a child of an imperial family. In reality Neftali just needed to ask for a key to any room in the palace and she will probably get it even now.
"What do you want this time?" Iyan asked, not very sure how to behave in such a place without wondering if people could see them from down there.
"You said you wanted to talk to me."
He did send out a note asking her for an update on the whole shenanigan she caused at the library earlier today.
"Well it didn't have to be so secretive."
"It is better to be sure no one can hear you than to wonder."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Of course, this was made so no one could hear you. Gossip, brother, these places are made for gossip."
Iyan frowned at her, "I wanted to ask you what was that whole thing about, is mother not coming tonight? You managed to convince her to go regardless, right?"
"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you, didn't I? She was invited, I kind of made a scene out of nothing." Neftali moved away from him slightly.
Iyan stared at her, "Do you know how confused I was the entire day because of you?"
"I am sorry! A lot of things happened today. It was a weird day and then I was almost late to the banquet, I am even missing a stocking." She showed him her feat, the green shoes were matched with only one green stocking, her other foot was bare in the shoe. Iyan had to cover his mouth in order not to laugh, Neftali quickly tucked her feet back under her dress, clearly embarrassed.
Iyan cleared his throat, "So mother is coming?"
"Yes."
"Where is she then?"
The banquet started almost a half hour ago, even father arrived on time, but the Empress was nowhere to be seen, and she is known for always being on time. If she is not there at the start of the event, then she is not attending. Neftali was too worried that she would be the one who comes late, so she didn't have the time to check with mother, like she intended to. All the commotion she made in the palace was truly pointless. And she got a lot of people involved too.
"I don't know."
"Were you not with her?"
"No. I was late. Do you really think mother would let me come here without a stocking?"
Iyan had to think for a moment. "I guess not."
Now Neftali was annoyed that he laughed at her, so she changed the subject, "Well I may have been wrong about what is going on, but there is definitely something going on."
"Those things do not involve mother?"
"No, I don't think so."
"What have you found?"
"Nothing useful. After I left the library I tried to talk to father. But Sullivan wouldn't let me in his office. Apparently, father had guests."
"Guests? Has anybody arrived at the palace? Anybody new?"
"Not that I know off. Diana was also there, the two of them were arguing."
"Sullivan and Diana?"
"Yes."
"I didn't know that those two knew each other."
"Me neither, but they were arguing about who ever was with father in that office."
Iyan got up and peaked over the balcony fence, as much as he could to avoid being seen, since he was supposed to be down there, sitting next to his father. Ever since this morning Iyan had a strong wish to avoid him, there was something about his behaviour that just didn't seem normal. Now it looks like he is back into his usual self, sitting on the throne looking displeased. That is his natural habitat.
"Be careful!" Neftali yelled at him.
"Be quiet!" He yelled back.
It was still quite early, so not all the guests had arrived. The hall is still filling up with people. Iyan saw the guest list today, the arrangement of seating and all of those who were priorities. Names of the most powerful families in the empire, very important government officials, in short terms, everyone who supported the emperor. Iyan saw almost all of these faces in the temple during the coronation. He understood the reason for them attending, but he did not understand the father's reasoning for this event, or rather a need for it. It is ridiculous for an imperial family to host a farewell banquet for all the guests that came to the coronation yesterday. They already showed them their hospitality by accommodating their stay and providing them with everything they wished for.
Outsiders in the palace cause messes, being invited here makes them feel important, but in reality they are no different then very maids and butlers they disrespect. While looking at them, father's words came across his mind: The root is always deeper than it looks.
Iyan sat back down. "There should be no new guests in the palace."
"I figured as much, but can you really know?"
They looked at each other. Iyan shook his head. For some reason he chose to recall Sullivan's words from that morning, "He would never bring them here."
Neftali almost laughed at how ridiculous that sounded. "Are we talking about the same man? Sullivan and Diana were arguing about a person, the most trusted advisor of the emperor and the most trusted friend of the empress, Diana didn't even want to address them as human, she said it. Tell me that doesn't sound like a mistress."
"It does. But why would he have a meeting with a mistress in the middle of the day?"
"I do not want to think about it."
"Could it be that Gabrielle woman you were stalking?"
"Stalking? I was not stalking her."
"You were sitting on my balcony with binoculars looking for her."
Neftali almost stuttered, she was stunned that he remembered that. "I thought you were too busy singing to remember that."
"What does my singing have to do with this?"
"Well if you helped me instead of going to singing lessons, perhaps we would not be here wondering who is having exclusive meetings with our father while mother is getting sick every two days."
"First of all, they were choir practices that mother ordered me to do. Second, mother is not sick, we established that today."
Neftali just ignored what he said. "Well you know it could be that woman, she is mingling and I don't like that."
"What does she even want, better question what can she get?"
"Well brother, she is trying to become a mistress. Do you see how we are circling?"
"So you think she was in the office?"
"I don't know Iyan! They wouldn't let me in!"
"I don't know Neftali, I don't know. I just," Iyan scratched his head. "What is even happening?"
"There is something for sure, and they are good at hiding it, I told you that already."
Iyan stayed quiet for some time, it is not that he wanted to avoid the topic but rather that he was too scared to talk about it.
The music from the hall stopped playing, the murmur was so loud it could be heard all the way to the balcony. Siblings got up and peaked over the edge, trying to understand what was going on. Then they saw her, at the entrance, standing with her hands resting on the skirt of her dress, taking up the whole doorway. Their mother.