Drake knew very little about formal dinners. He’d meant to learn and even practice this manor lord stuff on his six day journey to Korhaurbauten, but that had all gone out the window when he had to spend two-thirds of it traveling to Fort Graystone. So for tonight, the best he could do is watch Lydia and Samuel for cues and try not to spill soup on himself.
Lydia entered not long after Tamara left, then motioned to the seat at one of the two short ends of the table. “You will be sitting there, lord. Once we are assembled and you are ready to receive your guests, you need simply call ‘Send them in’ to those outside.”
Drake appreciated her explanation of the seating chart. He walked over to his high-backed chair and ran his hands over it. The wood was dark, but not as dark-colored as his wagon. This wasn’t silverwood. Given how expensive it was, it likely wasn’t used for chairs.
Lydia walked over to join him at the table. “As steward, I will sit at your right hand, while Samuel will sit at your left.”
Drake grinned at her. “Because you are my right hand?”
“I am not certain, lord. That is simply how it is done.”
“And Lord Skybreak sits at the other head of the table?”
“Correct. As her acting steward, Head Ranger Cask will sit beside Samuel, while Lady Skybreak will sit beside me.”
“So either Sky doesn’t have a spymaster, or he’s not joining us for dinner.”
“Or it could be that Lady Skybreak requested to take the place of whomever Lord Skybreak intended to invite. While this supper was thrown together quickly, given the circumstances, arranging formal suppers between lords is often a convoluted affair.”
Drake nodded and sat down in his chair. It wasn’t as soft as the chairs back in the manor, but at least his butt wouldn’t be sore immediately. He’d remember not to slouch.
Lydia continued her explanation of manor lord suppers. “Multiple factors must be agreed to by both lords in advance, including the number of thralls who will attend, who will sit at the table and where, the number of courses, and whether alcohol will be served.”
“So it’s not great when a manor lord gets drunk off his ass and starts ranting about how the noble court is all lizardmen?”
Lydia frowned. “You mean zarovians?”
He was going to have to learn how to make cracks that involved this world’s conspiracy theories instead of Earth’s. “Never mind. I’m attempting to be funny and failing at it.”
“Perhaps a more measured approach would be best for supper?”
Drake chuckled. “We’ll see what happens.” He was relieved to see only a single fork and spoon, rather than an assortment. “How about eating? And do I start seated or standing?”
He doubted Sky expected her to pull a chair out for her. This was a formal dinner between manor lords, not a fancy date. Plus, Sky’s mother would be chaperoning.
“You will be seated before your guests arrive, with Samuel at your side,” Lydia said. “I will rise when your guests enter and invite them to join us, then seat myself once all of your guests are seated. That will be Tamara’s cue to deliver the first course, which tonight will be small slices of fresh bread and slathered meat cubes.”
Drake’s mouth watered at the mention of Meryl’s delicious meat. “Got it.”
“Keep conversation limited to surface pleasantries to start. Your guests may consider it rude if you move to matters of politics or warfare before the first course is consumed.”
Drake nodded to show he understood.
“Since you are inexperienced in formal dining, for the first part of the supper, I would suggest you simply let Lord Skybreak suggest topics and offer the same type of conversation she does. She wishes this supper to go smoothly, so you can trust her to guide its direction.”
“As opposed to having dinner with Lord Proudglade, where he’d be trying to trip me up on every point.” This was also a practice session for Korhaurbauten politics with a friendly audience, which was a good idea. “Makes sense.”
“When speaking to us during supper, refer to me as ‘steward’ rather than Lydia, and refer to Samuel by name. Lord Skybreak must always be addressed by her full title or, as the night wears on, simply ‘lord’. And you should address Cask as ‘Head Ranger’.”
So no “Clint” or “Sky” at supper. Given the preference of most manor lords to not give their names unless forced, that custom made sense.
“With Lady Skybreak, you should always address her using her full title unless she invites you to speak informally, in which case it is permissible to use the name she offers. That is up to your discretion, but I would recommend you use her name if she gives it. Offering her name to one who does not know it is a gesture of respect and trust. Moreover, even should she ask you to speak informally, she will still refer to you as Lord Gloomwood. This is normal.”
This was a lot to remember, but at least Drake didn’t have to figure out when and how to use three different spoons. So far, he felt confident he would nail all of this, and again, he had a friendly audience who would want him to succeed.
Now to focus on what he’d actually be doing at this dinner. “So other than small talk, what should I expect to discuss tonight? And when should we start discussing it?”
“Once the second course is on the table, which will be tonight’s main course, it is permissible to begin delving into manor politics and any matters related to your plans for tomorrow’s cabal or the specifics of your new alliance. I do not know what Lord Skybreak and Lady Skybreak will wish to discuss, but I would assume it will be planning for tomorrow’s cabal.”
Drake nodded.
“The second course is where the meat of such discussions resides. You should expect to speak with them both until all your business is concluded, even if you finish your meal. Only once you and Lord Skybreak agree all business is concluded will dessert be served.”
Drake wondered what dessert would be. He just knew it would be delicious.
“During and after dessert, small talk is again acceptable, and it is considered rude to return to matters of politics or alliances with such business concluded. At some point either your guests will excuse themselves, or you may do so. Stand when the other lord leaves.”
Meals really were a lot more formal between manor lords. Still, at least there was a clear order to how these things flowed. He could covertly take notes ahead of time.
“There is one last matter. Once the official supper is ended by one manor lord excusing themselves, the hosting lord may offer to walk the visiting lord out, or the visiting lord may request a word with the host. Either can refuse with no offense given, but if they agree, this last meeting will take place between the lords and no others. It should be kept brief.”
“And that’s when the real secret deals are made,” Drake said. “Stuff that the manor lords may not even want their stewards to know about.”
Lydia nodded. “Once again, whether you ask for a private conversation or are asked for one, either party is within their rights to politely decline. In some cases it may be in your interest to decline, especially if you feel the manor lord will ask for an accommodation you do not wish to give them. To refuse, simply apologize and suggest speaking at the next supper.”
Drake felt like he had all that. “One more question.”
“What’s that, lord?”
“If I’m about to say something dumb or move onto a topic I should ignore, can you like... bump my knee under the table? Or maybe clear your throat?”
Lydia smiled. “The former may be more subtle, lord. You can trust me to advise you.”
Not long after Lydia finished his briefing, Samuel entered the tent. He sat in the chair to Drake’s left side, then glanced at Lydia. “Our guests have arrived. All is prepared?”
She nodded. Samuel might as well have asked “Is he prepared?” but had decided to be subtle about it. Drake was more amused than annoyed.
He glanced at Samuel. “How many of the dinners have you done in your time?”
“A good number.”
“Anything I should know about before we begin? Spy stuff?”
Samuel offered him a calm glance. “Nothing comes to mind.”
“Guess we’re good to go.” Drake looked to the tent flaps. “Send them in!”
Head Ranger Cask lifted the flap to admit Sky, who was dressed in ornate silverweave similar to Drake’s. Hers was blue. After she entered, Lady Skybreak entered as well, wearing another fancy tunic, silky-looking pants, and tall boots. She didn’t carry her sword.
Fortunately, his first formal supper as a manor lord went as smoothly as he could have hoped. Lady Skybreak barely said a word and let Sky do the talking, and she led the way through a number of pleasant and innocuous conversational topics like she’d been practicing formal dinners all her life. Which, given it was Sky, she had.
The second course arrived soon enough, and then matters turned more political. This was the point where Lady Skybreak began to speak more often, but only to answer direct questions from her daughter about what she’d learned about other manors or her thoughts on recent events. It was obvious to Drake that her relationship with Sky remained strained.
He was truly curious about all that, but decided not to ask, even in private. If Sky wanted to talk about what was going on with her mother, she’d tell him, otherwise, he was going to leave well enough alone. He trusted Sky not to let whatever personal issues she had with her mother currently interfere with tomorrow, and would trust Lady Skybreak the same way.
Drake had halfway hoped that Sky’s spies would be more informed than his own, but apparently, she had left her manor in a rush as well. There was no doubt in Drake’s mind that someone had conspired to ensure they both received late notice of the cabal, but he couldn’t prove it. So neither of them had any idea what the cabal was about.
Sooner than Drake expected, the main course was concluded, as well as all the political talk. Dessert arrived—sweetened orange fruit slices that were both juicy and delicious—and not long after, Sky excused herself to do one more last check on her soldiers.
Drake stood. “Then I’ll bid you good night, Lord Skybreak.”
“My lord.” Lady Skybreak spoke up the moment Sky began to rise from her seat. “Before you retire, might I speak to you about another matter?”
Drake mentally froze. Everything Lydia had told him had prepared him for a private chat with Sky, which would be fine—he felt comfortable with Sky—but she hadn’t told him Sky’s mother could ask to speak with him in private. Which she apparently could.
He barely resisted the urge to glance at Lydia, but she couldn’t bump his knee while he was standing. He wanted badly to glance at Samuel, but he suspected that would give away he had no idea what he was doing. From Sky herself, he detected nothing but passive disinterest.
Time to make the call. “Of course, Lady Skybreak.” He hoped he hadn’t screwed up.
Sky rose for real this time and offered Drake a curt nod. “Thank you again for hosting us tonight, Lord Gloomwood. The supper was delicious. Head Ranger, with me.”
As Cask rose, looking as visibly uncomfortable as Drake was trying not to look, Sky turned and walked for the exit to the tent. She did not glance at her mother. Cask did, received a kind smile for his trouble, and followed after his manor lord.
Had he pissed Sky off by agreeing to chat with her mother alone? Too late now.
Lydia rose as well. “I should make one last check on the security arrangements for tonight. Samuel, would you accompany me?”
Samuel rose as well. “Of course. Lord Gloomwood, we leave you to your guest.”
Neither glanced back as they left the tent, so Drake still had no idea if he should have refused Lady Skybreak’s request. As for Lady Skybreak herself, she was looking increasingly amused, which suggested his discomfort was showing. What now?
At least he hadn’t spilled soup on himself.
Drake knew very little about formal dinners. He’d meant to learn and even practice this manor lord stuff on his six day journey to Korhaurbauten, but that had all gone out the window when he had to spend two-thirds of it traveling to Fort Graystone. So for tonight, the best he could do is watch Lydia and Samuel for cues and try not to spill soup on himself.
Lydia entered not long after Tamara left, then motioned to the seat at one of the two short ends of the table. “You will be sitting there, lord. Once we are assembled and you are ready to receive your guests, you need simply call ‘Send them in’ to those outside.”
Drake appreciated her explanation of the seating chart. He walked over to his high-backed chair and ran his hands over it. The wood was dark, but not as dark-colored as his wagon. This wasn’t silverwood. Given how expensive it was, it likely wasn’t used for chairs.
Lydia walked over to join him at the table. “As steward, I will sit at your right hand, while Samuel will sit at your left.”
Drake grinned at her. “Because you are my right hand?”
“I am not certain, lord. That is simply how it is done.”
“And Lord Skybreak sits at the other head of the table?”
“Correct. As her acting steward, Head Ranger Cask will sit beside Samuel, while Lady Skybreak will sit beside me.”
“So either Sky doesn’t have a spymaster, or he’s not joining us for dinner.”
“Or it could be that Lady Skybreak requested to take the place of whomever Lord Skybreak intended to invite. While this supper was thrown together quickly, given the circumstances, arranging formal suppers between lords is often a convoluted affair.”
Drake nodded and sat down in his chair. It wasn’t as soft as the chairs back in the manor, but at least his butt wouldn’t be sore immediately. He’d remember not to slouch.
Lydia continued her explanation of manor lord suppers. “Multiple factors must be agreed to by both lords in advance, including the number of thralls who will attend, who will sit at the table and where, the number of courses, and whether alcohol will be served.”
“So it’s not great when a manor lord gets drunk off his ass and starts ranting about how the noble court is all lizardmen?”
Lydia frowned. “You mean zarovians?”
He was going to have to learn how to make cracks that involved this world’s conspiracy theories instead of Earth’s. “Never mind. I’m attempting to be funny and failing at it.”
“Perhaps a more measured approach would be best for supper?”
Drake chuckled. “We’ll see what happens.” He was relieved to see only a single fork and spoon, rather than an assortment. “How about eating? And do I start seated or standing?”
He doubted Sky expected her to pull a chair out for her. This was a formal dinner between manor lords, not a fancy date. Plus, Sky’s mother would be chaperoning.
“You will be seated before your guests arrive, with Samuel at your side,” Lydia said. “I will rise when your guests enter and invite them to join us, then seat myself once all of your guests are seated. That will be Tamara’s cue to deliver the first course, which tonight will be small slices of fresh bread and slathered meat cubes.”
Drake’s mouth watered at the mention of Meryl’s delicious meat. “Got it.”
“Keep conversation limited to surface pleasantries to start. Your guests may consider it rude if you move to matters of politics or warfare before the first course is consumed.”
Drake nodded to show he understood.
“Since you are inexperienced in formal dining, for the first part of the supper, I would suggest you simply let Lord Skybreak suggest topics and offer the same type of conversation she does. She wishes this supper to go smoothly, so you can trust her to guide its direction.”
“As opposed to having dinner with Lord Proudglade, where he’d be trying to trip me up on every point.” This was also a practice session for Korhaurbauten politics with a friendly audience, which was a good idea. “Makes sense.”
“When speaking to us during supper, refer to me as ‘steward’ rather than Lydia, and refer to Samuel by name. Lord Skybreak must always be addressed by her full title or, as the night wears on, simply ‘lord’. And you should address Cask as ‘Head Ranger’.”
So no “Clint” or “Sky” at supper. Given the preference of most manor lords to not give their names unless forced, that custom made sense.
“With Lady Skybreak, you should always address her using her full title unless she invites you to speak informally, in which case it is permissible to use the name she offers. That is up to your discretion, but I would recommend you use her name if she gives it. Offering her name to one who does not know it is a gesture of respect and trust. Moreover, even should she ask you to speak informally, she will still refer to you as Lord Gloomwood. This is normal.”
This was a lot to remember, but at least Drake didn’t have to figure out when and how to use three different spoons. So far, he felt confident he would nail all of this, and again, he had a friendly audience who would want him to succeed.
Now to focus on what he’d actually be doing at this dinner. “So other than small talk, what should I expect to discuss tonight? And when should we start discussing it?”
“Once the second course is on the table, which will be tonight’s main course, it is permissible to begin delving into manor politics and any matters related to your plans for tomorrow’s cabal or the specifics of your new alliance. I do not know what Lord Skybreak and Lady Skybreak will wish to discuss, but I would assume it will be planning for tomorrow’s cabal.”
Drake nodded.
“The second course is where the meat of such discussions resides. You should expect to speak with them both until all your business is concluded, even if you finish your meal. Only once you and Lord Skybreak agree all business is concluded will dessert be served.”
Drake wondered what dessert would be. He just knew it would be delicious.
“During and after dessert, small talk is again acceptable, and it is considered rude to return to matters of politics or alliances with such business concluded. At some point either your guests will excuse themselves, or you may do so. Stand when the other lord leaves.”
Meals really were a lot more formal between manor lords. Still, at least there was a clear order to how these things flowed. He could covertly take notes ahead of time.
“There is one last matter. Once the official supper is ended by one manor lord excusing themselves, the hosting lord may offer to walk the visiting lord out, or the visiting lord may request a word with the host. Either can refuse with no offense given, but if they agree, this last meeting will take place between the lords and no others. It should be kept brief.”
“And that’s when the real secret deals are made,” Drake said. “Stuff that the manor lords may not even want their stewards to know about.”
Lydia nodded. “Once again, whether you ask for a private conversation or are asked for one, either party is within their rights to politely decline. In some cases it may be in your interest to decline, especially if you feel the manor lord will ask for an accommodation you do not wish to give them. To refuse, simply apologize and suggest speaking at the next supper.”
Drake felt like he had all that. “One more question.”
“What’s that, lord?”
“If I’m about to say something dumb or move onto a topic I should ignore, can you like... bump my knee under the table? Or maybe clear your throat?”
Lydia smiled. “The former may be more subtle, lord. You can trust me to advise you.”
Not long after Lydia finished his briefing, Samuel entered the tent. He sat in the chair to Drake’s left side, then glanced at Lydia. “Our guests have arrived. All is prepared?”
She nodded. Samuel might as well have asked “Is he prepared?” but had decided to be subtle about it. Drake was more amused than annoyed.
He glanced at Samuel. “How many of the dinners have you done in your time?”
“A good number.”
“Anything I should know about before we begin? Spy stuff?”
Samuel offered him a calm glance. “Nothing comes to mind.”
“Guess we’re good to go.” Drake looked to the tent flaps. “Send them in!”
Head Ranger Cask lifted the flap to admit Sky, who was dressed in ornate silverweave similar to Drake’s. Hers was blue. After she entered, Lady Skybreak entered as well, wearing another fancy tunic, silky-looking pants, and tall boots. She didn’t carry her sword.
Fortunately, his first formal supper as a manor lord went as smoothly as he could have hoped. Lady Skybreak barely said a word and let Sky do the talking, and she led the way through a number of pleasant and innocuous conversational topics like she’d been practicing formal dinners all her life. Which, given it was Sky, she had.
The second course arrived soon enough, and then matters turned more political. This was the point where Lady Skybreak began to speak more often, but only to answer direct questions from her daughter about what she’d learned about other manors or her thoughts on recent events. It was obvious to Drake that her relationship with Sky remained strained.
He was truly curious about all that, but decided not to ask, even in private. If Sky wanted to talk about what was going on with her mother, she’d tell him, otherwise, he was going to leave well enough alone. He trusted Sky not to let whatever personal issues she had with her mother currently interfere with tomorrow, and would trust Lady Skybreak the same way.
Drake had halfway hoped that Sky’s spies would be more informed than his own, but apparently, she had left her manor in a rush as well. There was no doubt in Drake’s mind that someone had conspired to ensure they both received late notice of the cabal, but he couldn’t prove it. So neither of them had any idea what the cabal was about.
Sooner than Drake expected, the main course was concluded, as well as all the political talk. Dessert arrived—sweetened orange fruit slices that were both juicy and delicious—and not long after, Sky excused herself to do one more last check on her soldiers.
Drake stood. “Then I’ll bid you good night, Lord Skybreak.”
“My lord.” Lady Skybreak spoke up the moment Sky began to rise from her seat. “Before you retire, might I speak to you about another matter?”
Drake mentally froze. Everything Lydia had told him had prepared him for a private chat with Sky, which would be fine—he felt comfortable with Sky—but she hadn’t told him Sky’s mother could ask to speak with him in private. Which she apparently could.
He barely resisted the urge to glance at Lydia, but she couldn’t bump his knee while he was standing. He wanted badly to glance at Samuel, but he suspected that would give away he had no idea what he was doing. From Sky herself, he detected nothing but passive disinterest.
Time to make the call. “Of course, Lady Skybreak.” He hoped he hadn’t screwed up.
Sky rose for real this time and offered Drake a curt nod. “Thank you again for hosting us tonight, Lord Gloomwood. The supper was delicious. Head Ranger, with me.”
As Cask rose, looking as visibly uncomfortable as Drake was trying not to look, Sky turned and walked for the exit to the tent. She did not glance at her mother. Cask did, received a kind smile for his trouble, and followed after his manor lord.
Had he pissed Sky off by agreeing to chat with her mother alone? Too late now.
Lydia rose as well. “I should make one last check on the security arrangements for tonight. Samuel, would you accompany me?”
Samuel rose as well. “Of course. Lord Gloomwood, we leave you to your guest.”
Neither glanced back as they left the tent, so Drake still had no idea if he should have refused Lady Skybreak’s request. As for Lady Skybreak herself, she was looking increasingly amused, which suggested his discomfort was showing. What now?
At least he hadn’t spilled soup on himself.
