The sun never sets rose

On Christmas Eve, the palace ushered in a grand dinner.

The banquet was held in the Whitehall. This hall with an area of ​​more than 600 square meters was decorated magnificently. The exquisite oak embossed ceiling dome was painted with exquisite religious paintings, and countless tree-like chandeliers and candlesticks were decorated with thousands of candles. , burning with the light of a golden flame, in addition to that, there are wall lamps on the wall, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.

The huge and luxurious fireplaces on both sides radiate warmth and heat, which isolates the cold air in winter nights outside and also acts as a part of the light source. There are exquisite murals and tapestries above it, and a multi-legged candlestick on each of the side stone pillars. It is decorated with roses and lions, two patterns representing the royal family.

A band composed of dozens of court musicians sat in a corner of the hall, playing background music one after another with lutes, harps, flutes and violins in their arms. Added a warm and high-pitched cheerful atmosphere.

The guests who came to the banquet included English aristocrats and foreign envoys. Some attended alone, and some accompanied their female companions. Holding the list and cane, while checking their identities, they arranged seats for each guest according to their rank.

The long dining table was covered with a full set of gold and silver tableware, and the flower arrangements were decorated with porcelain vases from the East. The pair of crystal-clear glass goblets on the glass reflect the light of the candlelight, and every detail is perfect.

Jiang Xinyan had never seen such a big scene.

She held Jane's hand nervously, looked at everything around her curiously and restrainedly, and tried her best not to look like "Grandma Liu entered the Grand View Garden", but she still couldn't help her eyes shine.

"There are so many people, they knew I would not come..."

Sighing sadly, he was led to a seat and sat down. He glanced timidly at the bustling hall. Among the nobles who smiled and hugged and greeted, none of them knew each other, not even the annoying Princess Catherine.

The guests around were seated one after another, and the servants came in through the side door of the hall carrying basins and towels. Behind each seat stood their own servants, and there were two servants holding candles for lighting.

Jane couldn't sit with her, and she became more anxious in the unfamiliar and noisy environment without people. The guests sitting near her all cast inquiring eyes, and she could only lower her head and try to avoid it.

Before it even started, she wanted to end it quickly...

There was a dull sound of the cane hitting the ground at the door, and with the chanting of the ceremony officer, the melodious music in the hall stopped abruptly, replaced by the majestic and majestic sound of the trumpet.

——Her Majesty, the Queen!

The entire hall fell silent, and everyone stood up in unison, bowing towards the door and saluting.

Dressed up Elizabeth stepped into the hall, wearing a luxurious and bright gemstone gold crown on her long hair, wearing a red dress that was as hot as fire, embellished with a dazzling array of gorgeous pearls and emeralds, exuding a dazzling light, she The gait is steady, the head is slightly raised, the cold gray-blue eyes are looking straight ahead, and the hem of the skirt gently brushes the ground with the steps, walking towards the main seat amidst the high-pitched and solemn trumpet music.

On both sides of her, Princess Catherine and Leticia followed, followed by Mrs. Ashley and Mrs. Norris, as well as other maids.

After the Queen takes her seat, the dinner party officially begins.

The head chef divided all kinds of meals into teams, and each leader led the team to serve the food and wine in an orderly manner. The maid standing behind Elizabeth filled her with the best wine, and then stepped aside.

Scanning the hall, with a slight smile, he raised his glass: "Happy New Year, my lords, may God bless me England!"

"Happy New Year, Your Majesty!" Everyone raised their glasses in return.

Drama performances and song and dance programs were presented in turn. The orchestra played soothing and smooth repertoires, and the hall returned to a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

Only Jiang Xinyan sat alone like a stranger.

The mellow wine slid down her throat, and the cold liquid made her goosebumps and trembled. She always felt that someone was looking at her, so she reluctantly raised her eyes, glanced around quickly, and accidentally bumped into Elizabeth who gave her a half-smile glance. , stunned.

There were seven or eight people between them, neither close nor far away, and that narrow and provocative gaze overcame obstacles and landed directly on her.

Jiang Xinyan blushed in disappointment...

Then I saw Elizabeth turn her head and ordered something in a low voice to the attendant. The young man bowed his head and walked away for a while. When he came back, he was holding a silver jug ​​in his hand. He walked up to Jiang Xinyan and whispered: "Miss, His Majesty said that you can't drink alcohol, and gave you juice instead."

After speaking, he took away the glass full of wine and replaced it with a new one, then poured the juice from the silver jug, handed the jug to Jane who was standing behind, and stepped back respectfully.

"..."

Looking at Elizabeth with a blushing face, the woman was drinking a sip of fine wine in a very elegant manner, with the tip of her tongue brushing the rim of the glass inadvertently, evoking a charming smile, and winking at her.

This is bare|naked|naked... molesting.

His throat moved slightly, and his mouth was a little dry. Jiang Xinyan grabbed the juice and took a big sip, exhaled, and avoided the ambiguous gaze by eating.

After a while, I couldn't help but sneak a glance.

Now, I saw Robert feeding Elizabeth. He was sitting on the right side of the queen. You can see that when he fed the food to the queen, and the latter generously accepted it and smiled back with a doting smile, the guests sitting nearby were in unanimous agreement. Look away.

Is this woman... poisonous?

Her heart seemed to be pulled by a force, dragging down abruptly, so heavy that she couldn't breathe, she felt that maybe the corset was too tight today, and she panicked.

The slightly restrained woman sitting next to Robert's face changed suddenly, but she quickly regained her normal state. Princess Catherine, who also changed her face, was sitting on the left of the queen.

"Miss, that lady is the Lord's wife." The caring Jane lowered her head and whispered softly, popularizing science for her.

wife?Amy?

Surprised, he frowned, and slowly swallowed what was in his mouth. All Jiang Xinyan's movements seemed to be slowed down.

Flirting openly with someone else's husband in front of the original wife, she really didn't want Elizabeth to do this kind of thing, but she did it, and she really saw it with her own eyes.

Suddenly, it felt like something collapsed in my heart...

The food in her mouth suddenly lost its taste, and the noisy environment around her made her feel flustered and anxious, and she really wanted to escape.

After the dinner, there was a dance party. The guests went back to their arranged residences in the palace to change their clothes. The attendants cleaned up the long table in an orderly manner, and replaced them with various desserts, wine, and fruits. Empty the center of the hall.

The dance party is much more free than the dinner party. Guests can walk and talk freely in the hall. Men can invite women to dance, and those who don’t want to dance can sit at the long tables on both sides and taste fine wine and snacks.

And some guests who were not invited to the dinner but were able to attend the dance will meet at this time.

The extremely proud woman on the throne, holding a golden cup, leaning on the cushion, with a lazy expression, scanning the crowd with shrewd and strange gray-blue eyes calmly, the jewel-encrusted crown on her head The golden crown reflects the golden light against the candlelight, which makes people dare not look directly at it.

Like a lion waiting for an opportunity to bite its prey.

"Miss, do you want to go back and change?"

Leaning against the long table, Jane stayed with her all the time, trying to ease her tension while teaching her about who was who.

Jiang Xinyan smiled gratefully at her and shook his head: "No, it's fine like this."

It was rare for her to put much effort into dressing up today, and she agreed under Jane's hard work. She chose a beige skirt with a trendy style and complicated patterns, and matched it with a set of earrings, necklaces, rings and other jewelry, which was already very flamboyant.

But compared with other ladies with heavy makeup, she is nothing short of a big deal.

"Oh, miss, are you really not going to dance?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he looked indifferent, "Anyway, I just learned it temporarily. There are so many people, so don't dance. It's not good to make a fool of yourself."

"Then why don't you sit here all night?"

"Eat and drink, sitting is not bad." He picked a grape and ate it, glanced at the woman on the throne who was joking with the princess, ignored the slight discomfort in his heart, and looked at the crowd.

In fact, it is nothing more than self-deception.

After sitting for a while, an attendant walked up to Jiang Xinyan and bowed slightly: "Miss, Your Majesty invites you to go over."

"???"

Subconsciously looking over, Elizabeth was lazily leaning on the throne, and cast a playful look with a faint smile, and those blue eyes that could fascinate her were silently ordering her.

"..."

With drooping eyes, he sighed dejectedly and walked over obediently.

"His Majesty."

"Come and sit." He beckoned, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

The attendant moved a chair for her and placed it beside the throne, only a hand's reach away from Elizabeth, closer than Princess Catherine.

For a moment, all the eyes from all directions were fixed on Jiang Xinyan, and her whole head was burning red, as if she was about to bleed.

After a moment of hesitation, he sat down.

Jiang Xinyan barely dared to raise her head until the noise of the hall was submerged in the brisk music. This position was too eye-catching, she could see everything in the hall, and was always receiving sight from every corner. She was so flustered that she didn't know where to put her hands .

"Will you dance with me later?" Leaning slightly, he leaned closer, feeling the girl's overly nervous emotions, and gently held her hand, his eyes were so gentle that water could be wrung out.

"I……"

The muffled sound of the cane hitting the ground at the door interrupted Jiang Xinyan's answer.

"Duke Huttings is here!"

Following the ceremonial officer's loud shout, the music stopped, and the audience fell silent. A tall and burly middle-aged man stepped into the hall, dressed in black clothes with gold threads, with a cold aura and burning eyes, walking at a leisurely pace. come over.

"His Majesty."

The man stopped in front of the throne, took off his hat, and gave the highest salute.

Letting go of the hand she was holding, Elizabeth narrowed her eyes slightly, her eyes swept over the man's slightly fierce face, a coldness flashed in her eyes, and then she raised a warm smile, stood up, and passed her hand over: "Your Excellency, Welcome back to the court."

"Thank you Your Majesty for your unwavering grace. You are so generous and merciful. May God bless my king." He leaned over, kissed his fingertips, then stood up and nodded, introducing the family members beside him:

"This is Mrs. Yagetta, and this is little Olo."

Across his tall body, a middle-aged beautiful woman and a blond girl stepped forward to salute. The former seemed not to speak English very well, and he did not look like an English lady, while the latter...

Seeing the girl's face clearly, Jiang Xinyan was stunned.