I stared uncomfortably at my plate. A million smells hit my head painfully. Susen’s perfume was giving me a migraine and her loud boisterous voice wasn’t helping. I folded and unfolded my hands, hoping no one would ask me any questions. My appetite had left long ago. The dress I was wearing was much too tight and breathing was impossible. Not to mention that I don’t understand the ruffles. Why would anyone want thousands of ruffles on their dress? But Delara insisted that she’d lend me her favorite dress. Such a kind sister, but I hate everything that she likes. Although it is only expected that you wear your best clothing and do your hair up nice. It would be impolite otherwise. I poked my fork around the duck. On a normal day I would have loved this. But here, at this dinner table, everyone had a problem with everyone else. There was an extreme tension between each and every person, that is except me. I only was invited because I got stuck in the middle of a situation… again. How I get myself into these things I have not a clue. Despite my fear that somehow I would get looped in to something, I dared a glance around the table. The only one who had touched their food was Susen. But it wasn’t the food that worried me, it was the drink. Susen had already had three glasses of wine and was now on her forth. She was laughing and pointing drunkenly at Maria, who was glaring at her and the slyly smiling Woman next to her. I didn’t know her name but I was sure to learn it before the night was up. “So, Sarah,” Jonathan said pausing, “what graces us with your presence on the horrid night?” His face plainly annoyed. The moment I dreaded was here. I had to guard my words and face carefully. I smiled casually, trying to look at ease and said, “Well, your lovely wife thought it would be good for me to see your house. It is a terribly beautiful place!” I said looking around as if in awe. But in fact I was not. Their house was adequate at best. It seemed the furnishing was never finished and the windows all leaked. I was used to the castle kind of life. He did not look impressed with my act as he said, “humph, sure.” Then came a glare from his clearly unhappy wife who slapped him on the arm. I could barely suppress my laugh when she spoke. “Jonathan James!” She said in a whisper shout, “do be kind to our guest she is from the castle after all!” Jonathan just shook his head. I took a long sip of my wine, hoping to hide my smile. Suddenly a shout rose up from the other end of the table. “My dearest Exavior, how do you do it? How can you be so utterly ridiculous? My good sir I just simply cannot understand!” Elariel said scowling at him. He looked bored as he responded, “its quite easy actually. And there is something I don’t understand either, that is, why you even open your mouth at all? Nothing of interest ever comes out of it.” At this point she looked ready to start fighting, but instead she aggressively pushed back her chair and stormed out of the room. Exavior watched her triumphantly. I sighed quietly. And somehow the super hearing wife heard me. “Exavior look what you’ve done, you have upset the guest!” I closed my eyes, internally rolling them. “The guest?” Jonathan asked, “don't you mean your guest? I most certainly did not invite her.” His wife’s mouth hung open with her eyebrows scrunched together in a v. Then faster than the eye could see, she grabbed him by his ear and slapped him on the head. Then without letting go shouted, “Jonathan! I have had enough! Go to your room!”

“I’m not a dog or your child,” he said through clenched teeth. Susen leaned in to my ear, still laughing and said, “this is the most fun I’ve had since the James town incident.” My eye brows shot up in surprise. “That was you?” Then my surprise turned into anger when she nodded. “My father seriously injured his ankle because of that trick! How dare you!” I pushed back my seat and looked at everyone around the table. “I was going to be polite, but I simply cannot contain myself any longer.” A dead silence stretched in the room. I looked each one in the eye. Some looked back, or in the case of Jonathan’s wife, she looked down with guilt. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves!” I exclaimed. Then in a more quite tone said, “thank you misses James,” with a curtsy and I swiftly left the room. When I stepped outside in the snow immediately I heard the sound of another shouting match. This time Elariel returned and was at the head of it. I shook my head as I climbed into the carriage,“There hopeless, absolutely hopeless.” I exclaimed and slammed the door behind me.