BURN

dinner and gloves and ladies in waiting

Vanessa is upon Agatha the second they're at the dinner table.

"Don't say anything silly this time, dear." she says brightly as they take their seats.

"Quite sure I don't know what you mean." Says Agatha mildly, knowing exactly what she means.

"You know what you said."

"I'm not sure I do, but I'll try my very best to remember what I may have said to offend you."

Vanessa's smile is rather fixed, now. She takes a breath to say something else, but is interrupted by the advisor from earlier, as he leans over the table to speak to them.

"I hope the food will be to your liking. We've endeavoured to present the very best of this country's cuisine for you."

Agatha grins, as he can't see her face. She is not hard to please on the food front.

"I'm sure it will."

He smiles a little. He's short and stocky and has a weak jaw, but his eyes are very shrewd. He can't be much older than Tedros or Agatha, but he's probably around twenty three.

"Please let me know if you require anything at all. I am Duke Weatherford, the King's personal advisor."

Vanessa thanks him profusely, obviously. Agatha mumbles vague thanks and glances at Tedros, sat prettily and doing absolutely nothing opposite her. She wonders, again, who the real brains is behind the throne. Then, as she turns back to Weatherford, she realises he's also wearing white gloves.

In fact, looking around, it seems to Agatha that the entire Camelot court is doing so. Perhaps it's in fashion.

On her other side, she can tell that Sophie and Callis are both staring at Tedros. Sophie has been gawking since the second they walked in-- probably trying to commit every one of his perfect pores to memory-- and Tedros has been ignoring her. Agatha can't say she blames him. He's probably subject to stares all the time, and his face looks even more flawless under candlelight.

But Callis had sat back in her chair and eyed him in much the same manner as a hawk who is eyeing up a particularly stupid rabbit to kill.

"Callis." Hisses Agatha out of the corner of her mouth. "Stop it."

"I'm not doing anything."

"You look like you're trying to kill him with your mind. Regicide is not on the menu."

"Peacock is, though."

"Oh, ha, ha. Anyway, how could you possibly already know that he's a p--" Agatha catches sight of Tedros staring at himself in one of the silver plates and sighs. "Right, okay."

She leans over.

"Your highness, I don't believe I've yet introduced you to my nursemaid, Lady Netherwood?"

Tedros's eyes snap up from the plate, and he suddenly appears rather apprehensive.

"I... don't think so." He says, and forces another one of those charming, slightly insecure, smiles. Callis merely inclines her head. Tedros looks rather helpless. Agatha gets the distinct impression that he's not used to being disliked, and doesn't know what to do about it.

"You--you've worked with the princess long, ma'am?"

"Since the day she was born." Says Callis coolly. "I named her."

"Oh, you-- you did?"

Callis glances over at Vanessa, who is twittering away to Weatherford.

"Her mother was somewhat... busy."