Special Guest

Chapter 1/6

"Is this really the right place?" Mug looked down at the invitation to confirm that he had arrived at the correct address. The red and white sergal stood in his best suit in the driveway of a large and lavish mansion. He had been sent the invite through the mail, and hadn't recognized the address given. In reality, the mansion wasn't more than a half hour's drive from his place.

Upon double checking the address written on a large mailbox, Mug discovered the surname printed on the side. 'Enfield?! This is where the royal family lives! The address is correct...'

As further confirmation, he noticed that guests in fancy dress were arriving by car, by taxi, and even by limo. This had to be the location of the gala he had been invited to.

Mug walked up to the front steps of the mansion and followed the guests streaming into the foyer. A large ornate chandelier hung high above the crowd; its light glinting off the decorations on the wall as well as patches of marble floor visible between the many bodies.

He had arrived just in time to see the royal family descend the staircase to his left. A family of unicorns decked in glimmering jewelry and fancy dress flowed downstairs to much clapping and noise.

At the back of the parade, coming up behind a few young foals trotting to keep up, were two unicorns who looked to be a few years older than Mug himself. One of them - a blue unicorn in a dress that was far loser than the rest of her family's tight outfits - addressed the crowd gathered in the foyer.

'That must be Princess Azule!' Mug thought.

"Thank you for coming to our summer gala! My cousin Viridian and I - " Princess Azule touched the arm of the sand brown and mint-color maned unicorn next to her. " - Will be around to greet you all, but for now, let us feast!"

With that, the large doors at the other end of the foyer were opened, and everyone made their way into the dining hall beyond. The large banquet hall was filled with delicious scents wafting from the far corner of the room where the kitchen must have been located. No doubt the gala would offer rich and filling delicacies!

The guests were finding their assigned seats, each marked with their names written on little cards with silvery ink.

Mug checked the guest list posted to the wall outside the room, scanning the names listed under each table number, Table 1, 2, 3, 4...he read all the way down to the last table, number 40. He read through it again, but his name wasn't written anywhere!
His heart began to pound. Had he been sent an invitation by mistake?

"Excuse me, sir, may I help you?"

Mug looked up at the mint-furred canine butler that had come to his aid. "Yes, I can't seem to find my name on the guest list." He held up the invitation for the butler to see.

The butler took a closer look, running his paw pad over the raised image of a fork crossed over a knife printed in gold ink. Mug hadn't paid much attention to the symbol, figuring it was just a decoration, part of the design of the invite. But the butler seemed to think otherwise.

"Ahh, I see you have been chosen to sit at Table Alpha," The butler gave him a smile. "Please, sir, follow me."

'What could that mean? Sounds special...' Mug followed the butler across the banquet hall and through a pair of French doors near the kitchens.