Tea With A Queen

JP with Lorem, Redsword, Lasersexpanther, Jaxx and Cindy

Friday, June 14, 1889
The Royal Palace, Oslo, Norway
4:15 PM

Askel, the head butler for the guest house, arrived and asked. "Lady Elizabeth, is your team ready?"

Then added. "Yes, Askel, I believe we are ready." Now, if everyone is ready let us head to the hall.”

It only took a few minutes before they arrived at some larger wooden and iron ornate doors. Orc guards stood on either side of the doors, they nodded in recognition of the guests but gave a friendly Orc greeting of a grunt to Cronk as he passed by them.

Though the doors, it became clear this was a dining room. It had a large hand carved wooden and iron table and iron chandlers. Stained glass windows of flowers brought on a brilliant display of color and light. It was beautiful and looked very Norwegian.

The seat at the head of the table was reserved for the Queen. The table was oval with wooden carved seats upholstered with soft cushiony fabrics in a floral print on either side.

The seat closest to the Queen on the right was reserved for Elizabeth, the one across the table was for Mr. Sung. And the rest, as the place cards read. Next to Elizabeth was a special chair for Lorem. It was her size but raised with attached steps so a gnome could sit there and still see the table and converse with people. Next to Lorem was Lily and next to Lily, Sasha. On the other side of the table, after Sung, there was Captain Masao, Dr. Jackal, Vor and then in a chair designed for an Orc was Cronk.

The seating of men on one side, women on the other was quite common and expected being none of the team was married.

Elizabeth stood by her seat and waited for the others to get settled and the Queen to arrive.

Sung gracefully moved to where he would sit. He stood and faced the door that the Queen would enter. He looked at the others to make sure they were facing that door as well. He looked almost military in his poster. It was somewhat rigged, his hand at his side. He put a polite smile on his face, one that looked like he had rehearsed it a thousand times.

Dr. Jackal, Vor and Cronk followed Mr. Sung and followed his movements.. So if Mr. Sung walked somewhere they followed him and if he stopped for anything, they paused as well. They found it best to let Mr. Sung set the example to follow to avoid any mishaps since it was their first time before the queen. On the other hand Lily followed the same example set by Lady Elizabeth. It helped that she had been to court many times before in the past and she was taught proper etiquette.

As the group passed the towering orc guards at the heavy wooden doors, Lorem instinctively shifted closer to her teammates, her small frame practically disappearing beside them. The guards’ deep, gruff greetings to Cronk made her glance up nervously, but her gaze quickly fell back on Lady Elizabeth, whose every move she studied with intense focus. The soft swish of her dress accompanied her steps, the delicate fabric flowing far more gracefully than the sturdy, functional attire she usually wore. Each step made the hem flutter lightly, the movement almost whimsical against her petite frame.

Once they entered the grand dining room, Lorem’s wide, curious eyes darted around, trying to take in as much as possible. The room was stunning—stained-glass windows bathed the space in soft, colorful light, and the iron chandeliers above gave off a warm, regal glow. The hand-carved wooden table stretched far, and though its craftsmanship was impeccable, it also loomed high above her. Standing behind her specially made seat, she noticed how the tall backs of the surrounding chairs and the edge of the table blocked much of her view, making her feel even smaller in the already grand room. She stood on her toes briefly, trying to glimpse more of the elegant details, but quickly settled back down, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

Her dress shifted softly as she adjusted her posture, the rich blue fabric catching the light with each movement. The puffed sleeves and delicate lace trim made her look particularly dainty, a stark contrast to her usual oil-smudged work attire. Though her hands fidgeted slightly at her sides, she clasped them together to steady herself, a faint blush rising to her cheeks as she realized how much effort had gone into preparing her for this moment.

Lorem mirrored Elizabeth as best she could, smoothing her dress nervously and standing a little straighter. She's so graceful and elegant, Lorem thought to herself. Her heart raced as she tried to balance between curiosity about the grand surroundings and a growing self-consciousness about being so out of place.

Her blue eyes darted between Elizabeth, the rest of the team and the ornate doors ahead, her mind racing as she waited for the Queen’s entrance, the gentle rustle of her dress the only sound she dared to make.

It wasn't long before the doors opened again, a man dressed in formal attire walked in, cleared his throat and announced. "Ladies and Gentlemen, her Highness, Queen Maud."

An elegant female Eldren gracefully made her way into the room. She was probably around the age of Elizabeth's parents but it was difficult to tell with Eldren. Elizabeth curtsied, and stayed that way until Maud passed by.

When Maud arrived at her seat, she sat down and then declared, "Please, everyone sit. Welcome to my home and to Norway." Her voice was pleasant and her accent British though a slight amount of a Norwegian accent had slipped in, probably from living here for years.

Elizabeth took her seat and waited for the others to do the same.

Queen Maud:

Queen Maud's Outfit: