feast & after-party ♔ empty my heart | i've got to make room for this feeling

[wynn]

♬ Can't Take It In - Imogen Heap

WHO || Wynn, the new Squires, any and all Knights
WHAT || Squiring Ceremony Feast & Afterparty
WHERE || Knights Headquarters, the Dining Hall & Ballroom
WHEN || February 9th, 2012, 7:00PM / 9:00 PM
HOW || Prose OR Actionspam

While every dinner served in the Knights' exceptionally large Dining Hall manages to have a sense of occasion, given the sheer quantity of food necessary to serve the hundreds who take their meals there, the 'feast' Wynn's ordered for after this squiring party outdoes the norm. It's not a problem to produce so much food at the drop of the hat when mages can magically summon up entire banquets, and so the room teems over with the smells and spices of hundreds of unique dishes. Centerpieces built with peacock feathers and sweet smelling flowers dot the table at intervals. A silver cage in the very middle of the table includes several live birds, their feet and tufts each appearing to be silver as well. A banner hangs from the top of the cage, with the Knight's symbol of a black dragon on a silver field.

The food has a distinctly medieval flair to it today, which several of the older Shadowkind Knights express their boisterous appreciation for as they dive in. The first course consists of a civet of hare, a quarter of salted stag, a stuffed chicken and a loin of veal, the latter two covered with a German sauce with gilt sugar-plums and pomegranate seeds. At each end of the table is an enormous pie, surmounted with smaller pies, which form a crown. The crust of the large ones is silvered all round and gilt at the top; each contains a whole roe-deer, a gosling, three capons, six chickens, ten pigeons, and one young rabbit. Serving as seasoning or stuffing, a minced loin of veal, two pounds of fat, and twenty-six hard-boiled eggs, covered with saffron and flavoured with cloves.

A second course follows: aroe-deer, a pig, a sturgeon cooked in parsley and vinegar, and covered with powdered ginger; a kid, two goslings, twelve chickens, as many pigeons, six young rabbits, two herons, a leveret, a fat capon stuffed, four chickens covered with yolks of eggs and sprinkled with spiced powder de Duc, and even a wild boar.

Next came wafers and stars; a jelly, part white and part blue. A fourth course of cream with Duc powder, covered with fennel seeds preserved in sugar; a white cream, cheese in slices, and strawberries; and, lastly, plums stewed in rose-water.

Besides these four courses, there's a fifth, entirely composed of wines, and of preserves, which consist of fruits and various sweet pastries in the shapes of dragons.

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Following this, assuming anyone is still capable of moving at all is the after-party: a black-tie affair in the lavish, opulent ballroom, every new Knight's chance to mingle and meet some of their new brothers in arms. Per usual, a couple hours are provided following the feast for everyone to change, do hair and makeup, and choose from the vast array of formal attire in the closets of the balcony "dressing rooms" located at the top of spiraled staircases on either side of the ballroom. A separate dressing room exists for men and women, and they include full bathrooms (with, thankfully, very modern plumbing).

The squires are usually among the last to arrive, and the ballroom is full to the brim with a fancy array of people, of all shapes, sizes and species.

Hope none of you are shy. They're all here to meet you. 

All open feast threads should be made under the FEAST heading below. Any other threads below will be for the after-party. Feel free to make your own open threads for people to come congratulate your newly pledged knight.

Comments

[king]

I had it explained to me, but even then I'm not sure I understand.

[ Parallel universes are kind of beyond him. ]

Think of it this way. Were we able to live for a millennium and a half, we would also be able to meet ourselves.

[ Which is a decidedly odd thought and he'd like to unthink it. ]

Anyway. Wynnefalshond said it was used to unite nations. So it seems your little bedtime story was nearly right.

[servant]

[A millennium and a half...]

And...how long would that be, exactly?

[But to quote Arthur, anyway.]

I told you it wasn't just a story. Does this mean you're going to listen to me from now on? Wait, let me answer that for you - no. Because you never listen to me, and then later you make an attempt at an apology and it would be easier on the both of us if you would just-

[A pause.]

Shouldn't it be in your hands to do that?

[Though Merlin supposes it is. In a way.]

[king]

[ True to form, Arthur ignores Merlin's little rant entirely. ]

Well, I've got one.

[ He'd had the same thought, actually. ]

And I've been dead for — a millennium is a thousand years, Merlin, but don't strain yourself. So I suppose I can let someone else have a go.

[ He's just generous like that. ]

[servant]

[Merlin allows himself another minute to entertain strange notions, before shaking his head free of them.]

That's awfully big of you, Sire.

[He starts to take another sip of wine before suddenly lowering the cup.]

Though I suppose I shouldn't call you that anymore. It was just a slip of the tongue, won't happen again.

[This time the goblet does reach his lips, his smile hidden behind it even though his eyes still sparkle with mischief.]

[king]

Just because I'm not the king of this sorry lot, Merlin, does not mean I'm not still yours, so watch your tongue.

[ Arthur picks raisins deftly out of the stuffing with his fork and slides them onto Merlin's plate. It's only because of the formal feel of the event that he doesn't flick them at him. Instead he just raps Merlin's knuckles. ]

And don't drink too much wine, or I'll have to carry you out in front of everyone.

[servant]

[Merlin mouths the word Ow, shoots Arthur a dirty glance before picking up the raisins with his fingers and eating them.]

I'd rather you didn't, thanks. Last time you slung me over your shoulder like a bag of turnips.

[king]

Did I?

[ Arthur suddenly looks pained. Another hole in his memory he didn't even realize was there. ]

Well, you're all skin and bone, so I don't doubt you were as uncomfortable as a bag of turnips.

[servant]

I don't think comfort was foremost on our minds at the time.

[And just for that 'skin and bones' comment, he's going to have a slice of pie.]

Of course you would forget one of the few times you actually managed to compliment me.

[king]

See, now I know you're making this up.

[ But he's paying more attention to Merlin now, wanting to know more. ]

[servant]

Look, if I were making this up I would tell you that I slung you over my shoulder.

[Merlin does his best to look insulted. But that's the same as calling him a liar and Merlin never lies. Right? Right.]

You said I was extremely brave and incredibly loyal. Makes me wonder why you didn't knight me yourself.

[king]

D'you drink poison for me again or something?

[ Because he's fairly sure those are deathbed words. ]

Well, doesn't matter, you're fine now, obviously.

[ Arthur claps him heartily on the back. ]

[servant]

[Merlin opens his mouth to speak, but the matter is dismissed, and he surges forward a little at the slap.]

Is that going to happen to me a lot, now?

[Because he's not sure his back can take it.]

[king]

Yeah, get used to it.

[ You're a knight now, Merlin, and therefore a true man, you have to live with the occasional pounding. ]