Claimed By The Tyrant King
Chapter 214: A Joyous Celebration
Although Rosalind had sent letters to her parents and dear friends announcing the pregnancy, they had chosen to keep the celebration a modest affair within the palace.
The palace servants moved happily about as they carried out their duties, knowing there would be an abundance of food and drink left over for everyone after the celebration.
Nobles had been invited, as well as the members of the council, although it wasn’t merely for the sake of celebration but for another reason that only the king himself knew.
The banquet table stretched from one end of the grand hall to the other, already filled with distinguished guests as servants moved gracefully between them, laying out platters of every delicacy imaginable.
Roasted chicken seasoned with fragrant herbs and vegetables, tender roasted lamb, sweet-smelling broth, freshly baked bread, rice, and countless other dishes prepared by the royal cooks filled the hall with mouthwatering aromas that stirred everyone’s appetite.
Soon afterwards, servants followed with pitchers of wine, carefully filling every goblet until none remained empty.
Since they didn’t want Julian spending every waking moment worrying about his mother, he had also been invited to the banquet and was dressed neatly for the occasion so he could enjoy the meal with everyone else.
Rosalind leaned over to help him spread the white napkin across his lap before gently smoothing it out, and the little boy looked up at her with a smile.
"Thank you," he said sweetly.
"You’re welcome, sweetheart," Rosalind replied with a smile as she affectionately brushed a hand through his hair.
The boy truly was gentle and well-mannered, and it was difficult not to grow fond of him.
From beside the king, Cedric lowered his voice. "Minister Warren and Minister Griswold aren’t here," he informed calmly.
"That’s surprising," Rowan murmured under his breath, his brows drawing together slightly. " Did they give any reason for their absence?"
Cedric shook his head.
Rowan nodded thoughtfully, making a mental note of it. Griswold had always struck him as a calculating man, but Warren’s absence alongside him made the situation even more suspicious.
Even so, he wasn’t about to let it interrupt the evening. "The banquet will proceed regardless," Rowan stated calmly.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Cedric answered at once.
After a moment, Rowan cleared his throat, drawing the attention of those who had been quietly conversing amongst themselves.
The hall gradually fell silent as every gaze turned towards him, and he rose gracefully with a wine goblet in his hand.
"Today," he began, lifting the glass slightly, "we gather to celebrate joyful news, and I hope this blessing brings everyone closer together while prosperity continues to shine upon Eryndor. Therefore, let us raise a toast to Eryndor’s newest heir."
"To Eryndor’s heir!" everyone echoed in unison before raising their own goblets, and after Rowan took the first sip of wine, the rest followed.
"Please help yourselves to everything before you," Rowan continued. "Eat well and enjoy yourselves because today is a day worthy of celebration."
The guests responded cheerfully before conversation resumed around the hall, and soon everyone began helping themselves to the feast laid before them.
"Are you comfortable?" Rowan asked quietly as he turned towards Rosalind.
She almost rolled her eyes at him. "Can you stop worrying every minute? I’m perfectly fine," she whispered back.
Lately, he had become almost obsessed with checking on her, constantly asking if she needed to sit, rest, or eat something, and although she knew it came from a place of genuine concern, she couldn’t help feeling that he was treating her as though she might break at any moment.
"Would you like it if you were pregnant and I suddenly worried about you every moment?" she suddenly asked him.
Rowan was left speechless.
The piece of food he had been about to bite into remained suspended in the air as he looked at her, before his gaze instinctively swept around the table to make sure no one had been paying attention to their conversation.
Rosalind’s lips curled ever so slightly when she realized she had managed to catch him off-guard.
Rowan quietly cleared his throat before finally answering, "Of course I’d like it."
"Hmm" Rosalind mumbled beneath her breath.
"You can’t blame me, Rosalind. This is the first time my wife is carrying our baby, so of course I’m going to worry," he replied calmly.
Rosalind let out a long sigh, only for Rowan to casually place more vegetables onto her plate. "Eat plenty of vegetables," he reminded her.
A few of the older nobles around the table had stopped eating altogether, their attention briefly drawn to the sight of their king naturally serving food onto his wife’s plate without a second thought.
"They’re good for both you and the baby," Rowan added.
"I feel like I’m about to be overpampered again," Rosalind muttered under her breath. Although she found it rather sweet, she had a feeling Rowan intended to smother her with care until she could hardly breathe.
He smiled faintly. "This is only the beginning."
Rosalind could only shake her head in quiet defeat before her gaze drifted toward Julian, who seemed to be struggling with the knife and fork.
He was only managing to cut tiny pieces of meat before bringing them to his mouth, so she leaned forward with a gentle voice. "Let me help you with that."
Julian nodded immediately, and Rosalind carefully began cutting the meat into smaller pieces for him.
"You do it so well," the boy commented, watching her with admiration.
Rosalind’s cheeks warmed slightly. "If you’d like, I can teach you."
"I’d be happy to learn," Julian replied, and her smile widened.
Rowan, who had been quietly watching them, could see how close they were becoming.
At least Julian was beginning to settle into this place, even if it was only little by little, and it was all thanks to Rosalind, who had taken it upon herself to look after him. He didn’t know what he would have done without her, he thought as his gaze lingered on the gentle smile resting on her beautiful face.