Taste of Magic: Ambassador's Voice

Alistair's nerves were a bundle of nerves from the early morning. Melina had gotten up early, so he hadn't even seen her, which only made him feel even more nervous. Was she nervous, too? She must be. After all, she had worked so hard to prepare for this.

He felt rather guilty. After all, he had been the one to propose. He wanted to bring her into the world of nobles, but in the end, he barely even helped with the engagement party preparations. Melina and his mother both had insisted that they would handle the preparations, since he was busy managing the town.

But that didn't make him feel any better about leaving all the brunt of the preparations to Melina. She had also gone above and beyond, as it always was with Melina, and prepared a completely new pastry just for this engagement party. He'd tasted the non-magical version, but apparently Melina had gotten her hands on some Monster Realm chocolate and coffee.

Preparing them had taken a long time, but apparently their flavor was beyond anything. It was just a shame that he hadn't gotten the chance to taste one since he was busy all day. Melina had left one for him in the magitech refrigerator, and he had looked at it in the morning, contemplating whether to eat it.

In the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it. It didn't feel right to eat it without Melina around to see his reaction. No, it was better that she saw him eat it for the first time at the engagement party.

Not to mention that servants were upon him the moment he woke up. Long bath, skincare routine, and putting on the suit specifically prepared to match Melina's dress. It was a black suit embellished with gold ornaments and a few blue accents, clearly meant to match Melina's eyes.

The vest he wore underneath also looked to be made out of gold thread, and his cuffs were also embroidered with gold. He had to wonder whether his mother had gone overboard. This kind of extravagant suit was fit for a king. Then again, he couldn't help but feel pleased that Melina, too, would be dressed similarly. She deserved nothing but the best.

Alistair would bring all the jewels and gold to her if Melina so demanded, although he knew full well that she didn't care for materialistic things like gold. But it didn't change the fact that he would do it.

Once he was dressed, Alistair ate a light breakfast. After that, it was time to head to the location of the party. Mother had decided to take advantage of the current trend of outdoor parties. It was thanks to the warm summer of Alemahria, as well as the recent discovery by clerics that spending time in fresh air and sun was healthy, that the practice gained popularity.

Well, it was common knowledge for a long time, but only after Duchess Feldengard hosted a grand tea party did the trend really take off as other noble ladies tried to replicate her success. Not to mention that men also much preferred outings in the pleasant outside weather rather than inside.

It allowed them to do light sparring matches or even horse races while still respectfully remaining as part of the party. All they did was utilize this outdoor trend to its maximum.

The best part was that Sunglow was not lacking in outdoor space at all. While the town itself was small and concentrated mainly on the main street, it was stretched out in a rather large area. Bakery, for example, was a rather respectable distance from the center and even further away from the port. But it wasn't even the end of the town. There was still plenty of free land beyond it.

Alistair had to thank Master Gilbert for his foresight when building the wall. It had left a lot of space for the town to grow and flourish. This helped Alistair immensely when he was planning where to build the second inn and new housing. Not only was there plenty of space for both, but he could even allow for the construction of a proper main street.

I have been so busy with my work that even during my engagement party, all I think about is work. No, enough about that.

He shook his head as he approached the location of the engagement party—the seaside park. It was a beautiful space which the locals cleaned meticulously, not just for tourists but for their own pleasure. It already had plenty of spots for families to come on picnics; all they had to do was decorate it accordingly.

Alistair couldn't help but let out an impressed whistle as he watched the many Sinclair servants bustle about the place. Round tables, each large enough to fit around 10 people, were brought to the park and set on small wooden platforms to prevent the tables and chairs from sinking into the ground.

Each table had elaborate white tablecloths with golden embroidery at the edges, and chairs were likewise covered with matching cloth on the backrest. Beautiful blue and yellow summer flowers decorated each table, and the whole territory was adorned with white and golden decorations, either in the form of cloth which in case of emergency could be pulled open from the trees to protect guests from rain.

But the skies were clear, which suggested that today would be a beautiful day. The main table meant for Melina and Alistair to sit at was by far the most elaborate of them all. The servants have gone above and beyond to make it look special. Even the chairs were decorated with gentle blue buds where Melina was supposed to sit and golden buds where Alistair was supposed to sit.

"How is everything going?" Alistair asked the head attendant, who was barking directions to the servants who were busy either polishing glasses or bringing cutlery to the tables.

"Everything is going as well as one might have hoped. Cooks have begun preparing food, although we already have the centerpiece ready," she said with a satisfied smile.

"Melina's cakes?" He asked, unable to withhold a proud smile from forming on his lips.

"Yes! They are absolutely stunning. I've never seen anything like it in my life! The best part is that we don't even have to worry about dropping them," she chuckled.

Alistair cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, I think it's best if it's left as a surprise. Your fiancée insisted on it. But you need to get ready, Young Lord. First guests will arrive soon and you'll have to greet them. Duchess Sinclair will soon come to help you, but she needs to help Miss Melina with her dress first."

Melina's dress. He so desperately wanted to see her in whatever magical dress elves had made for her. Alistair had no doubts that it was beautiful. But he also just wanted to see her. They had so little time together. In a way, he couldn't wait for this party to be over so their schedules would relax a little bit.

About an hour later, the first guests began to arrive. The Duchess had invited nobles from all over Alemahria, even the other four Dukes with their wives. Whether they would actually show up was a different question. But any nobles below that rank wouldn't miss this event.

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After all, it was his mother who sent out the invitations. They couldn't refuse it without a good reason. So Alistair had no choice but to greet Earls, Counts, Viscounts, Barons as they arrived at the party and took their respective seats.

Servants brought out appetizers while gentle music played in the background for everyone's entertainment. The atmosphere was certainly high-class, although Alistair couldn't claim it to be comfortable. Perhaps, they had gone overboard. Would Melina even like something like this? He rather doubted it…

The more noblemen he greeted, the more his mind filled with doubts. He felt like he had forced Melina into this. He worried about how uncomfortable she might feel in this setting. Even he was staring at the weight of all the eyes that gazed upon him.

Many inquired about Melina, but the Duchess, who had joined him at greeting the guests, replied evasively, saying that they would all meet her soon enough. His mother appeared as calm and graceful as always, but noticed the occasional nervous twitch of her pinky finger.

"Is everything alright, Mother?" He asked in a hushed voice in a spare moment.

"Everything is going perfectly well," she replied, and from the tone of her voice it was clear that she meant it.

"Then?" He pressed further.

The Duchess smiled at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, my dear. It's just the nervousness of an old woman. Everything seems to be going too well. In my experience, that is when something goes horribly wrong, but I do hope that it is nothing more than my overactive imagination."

"Brother, Mom!" Charlotte approached them in hurried steps. He could see that if the setting were different, Charlotte would have undoubtedly run with all her might.

Behind her came Richard, dressed in one of his finest suits and looking quite annoyed.

"Richard, fix your expression," Mother reprimanded him.

He blinked in surprise and cleared his throat. "My apologies, Mother. I still can't believe that this… is happening."

"Well, you better start believing it," the Duchess replied sternly. "Because you're representing all of House Sinclair for tonight."

"He is?" Alistair asked in shock. "What about Father?"

"He's too busy in the capital. With the whole trial going against Bishop Heiliger. Quite the mess you and your fiancée have made, little brother," Richard said.

So this was where things were going to go wrong? Richard representing House Sinclair at his and Melina's engagement party. He couldn't think of a worse scenario. Richard would surely say something to embarrass Melina for her common birth.

"If you say something bad about Melina…"

"Calm down, little brother. I haven't come here to stir drama, but rather to protect our family name. I dearly hope that your fiancée took Mother's lessons to heart."

"Melina will do just fine! I believe in her," Charlotte said with a wide smile.

"Of course, she will. I trained her after all, and that girl is one of the fastest learners I had the delight to work with. After today, some of the noble ladies here will have to question whether their own teachings were sufficient," the Duchess said proudly.

"Where is she, by the way?" Richard asked, glancing over the area. Nobles were mingling and enjoying the prepared snacks and drinks, but Melina was nowhere to be seen.

Even Alistair worried a little. Almost all of the guests had arrived but Melina was nowhere to be seen. He understood that she needed extra time to prepare, but what if… What if she didn't want to be part of all of this?

Melina had never enjoyed nobility, neither in the previous timeline, nor in this one. What if she decided that it was too much? That she would much rather spend her time hidden away somewhere as a small baker rather than deal with the attention that came with being nobility.

Alistair clenched his fists. He wouldn't even blame her for walking away. After all, she didn't want this life. Maybe he should have taken Melina and ran away from all of this.

"Are you really doubting her now, boy?" Master Gilbert said, bringing Alistair out of his thoughts.

The old man was dressed in an immaculate white and golden suit. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his hair combed back. Alistair was surprised by how stately the old man looked.

"Greetings, Duchess Sinclair, Young Lady Sinclair, and both of the Young Lords," he said and bowed politely, perfectly adhering to noble mannerisms.

"It is a pleasure to see you here, Master Gilbert," the Duchess smiled. "Richard, allow me to introduce you to Master Gilbert Backus. He is Melina's grandfather."

She said it loudly enough for the surrounding nobles to hear, and soon a small crowd of curious onlookers gathered around them. They asked about Gilbert's pedigree, to which he confidently replied that he was but a mere retired Holy Knight who was nothing more than a retired baker now.

Alistair hadn't expected Gilbert to pull that story out here. Holy Knights were the elite of the Church, their strongest and most respected warriors. In noble society, they were viewed to stand above Barons in rank because of their skill. But announcing himself as Holy Knight, Master Gilbert was strengthening Melina's position.

The old man spoke with nobles with surprising ease, avoiding overly prying questions and answering politely when it was right. Alistair also saw the look the old man gave her. He appeared slightly disappointed. As if he had read Alistair's mind and seen his doubts.

Master Gilbert is right. Melina isn't a coward; she will show up when the time is right. She always shows up.

Suddenly, a loud screech resounded in the sky. The nobles all stopped in their tracks and looked around fearfully. Alistair smiled, and he saw that his mother and Master Gilbert were also smiling. It was Sienna's familiar scream.

Another screech broke through the skies, and flames erupted from the direction of the sea. The nobles gasped, instantly turning their eyes towards the flames. He saw that they were about to go into panic as Sienna's silhouette appeared above the sea.

"Take charge of the performance, my son," his mother suddenly nudged him gently.

Alistair looked at her, confused. Then he realized exactly what she wanted him to do. She had seen her do similar tricks before, albeit on a smaller scale.

"Dear guests, allow me to introduce you all to my lovely fiancée," Alistair said, speaking loudly over the nervous mutterings of nobles.

He strode purposefully towards the stages where previously musicians were playing. Conveniently enough, they had cleared the stage right on time. As if it were all rehearsed. Which it undoubtedly was.

Sienna flew closer and closer, her mighty wings making the treetops shake from the powerful gales. Everyone looked like they were about to go into panic when snowflakes began to rain down from the wyvern, creating brilliant sparkling crystals as they met with brilliant sunlight. That was undoubtedly Mango's work.

Meanwhile, Melina sat on Sienna's back, gazing down on everyone. She was sitting on Sienna's back exactly like a noblewoman would sit on a horse, sideways with her legs firmly pressed together. But normally, noblewomen didn't ride horses fast in that position. How was Melina able to do it on a wyvern's back?

The most amazing thing, however, was the dress. The base was gold in color, but the rest of it was… magical. Quite literally. Blue magic swirling moved through the dress and danced around Melina in radiant sparkles that wove around her arms and legs. She looked so incredibly beautiful, he found himself gaping in awe.

Sienna soon landed on the stage, stirring up a small gust. Mango jumped down the wyvern, let out a loud yip, and a small flurry of gentle snowflakes enveloped the stage and rained down in brilliant light.

Alistair walked up to the wyvern and reached up to pick up Melina. She was grinning widely, obviously proud of her performance. He really couldn't believe it. She had once again managed to take his breath away with her actions.

"Do you think I impressed them?" She whispered as he gently lowered her down from the wyvern's back.

"You've knocked my breath away with your beauty," he said unabashedly and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Nobody else could even compare to you!"

Melina smiled, a gentle blush appearing on her cheeks. "Then I suppose we can get this party started!"

Alistair nodded. There was no going back now.