Dante: Keenan and Dante at Dinner

Annie was practically bubbling over as Gerard tugged and pulled at Keenan's collar. They hadn't bought a new nice outfit for him since last winter, and he'd gone through a sudden spurt.

"He might have given us some time," he said through gritted teeth.

Caine leaned against Martha's bar, already in his finest, his son suited just as well. Having a business in the home meant always having the best, at all times, growing be damned.

"It's Corwin's way," he said over a fresh glass of wine. "Last minute with everything."

"I don't have to go..." sang Annie, just loud enough for the boys to hear.

Dante, remembering his father's presence, merely raised an eyebrow to Annie in a "and aren't we all fortunate on that count" kind of way.

But he said nothing. His posture and bearing were astonishing considering his day to day demeanor. Any one seeing him without knowing him as well as those present would think him a different boy.

No.

They would think him a young man.

Keenan, on the other hand, twisted his head around to stick his tongue out at Annie, before turning back to his father. "It's not fair!" he complained. "How come she doesn't have to go?"

[OOC: Okay... time leap has done weird things to my brain. Katie, I'll catch you next time you're online so we can figure some stuff out.]

[OOC: Until I can clarify more in person, this is the latest thread of anyone's backstory. In otherwords, one of the last, sequentially]

"She's not a princess," said Gerard, finally giving up on the edging and going to work on his own. "And someone has to help Rosie man the bar while you're mother's out."

Martha looked as petulant as Keenan, but she kept her tongue in her mouth. Vinta, fresh from the powder room, gave her side a poke.

"Oh, it'll be fine. It's just family!"

Dante would be biting his tongue, were it not that Caine's presence prevented him from doing anything so unseemly.

His face remained as impassive as he could manage.

"I could stay and help Rosie too," Keenan said hopefully. He'd been glad to get a break from the castle, and the chance to see his mother and Annie for more than a few hours, and he wasn't looking forward to going back, and particularly to a formal dinner. They were boring. He would much rather sit in the main room at the inn and take his meal with the sailors and dockworkers that frequented it. They told good stories.

"Kee," Dante began, "hate to interject with a non sequitor... but did Jack's sister ever see the ship we made? Do you know?"

Keenan blinked at him in confusion, then a slow grin spread across his face. "Are you still on about her? I think you fancy her!" he giggled. "I don't know if she saw it or not. I certainly didn't show it to her, but Jack might've." He shrugged. "Maybe she'll be at the party, and you can ask her." His tone was teasing, and he ended with another giggle that made him sound either very young or rather girly.

Caine sighed. "There'll be a kids table, won't there? I don't think I can take Amberites in Spring..."

Vinta swatted his arm, then moved past him, heading to the carriage.

Dante flushed, "I've never met her." As he spoke his tone smoothed over a bit, and he added, "your just mad because you can't bring Annie."

Keenan frowned, his forehead creasing. "Well it's not fair!" he said. "She'd be a much better princess than some of the ones we've got!" He crossed his arms and looked sulky.

Gerard sighed. "Carriage. Now. Being good has nothing to do with being a Princess. Trust me."

Keenan sighed, then went over to Annie and hugged her, then kissed her cheek. "I'll see you soon," he said. "Have a good night." He smiled at her adoringly, as he always did, then headed for the carriage, clambering up, a knot of dread building in his stomach. Nothing good ever happened at family dinners. Ever.

Dante said nothing at the display, but his attitude was clear. He looked up at Caine, briefly, before adjusting his collar and preparing to go to dinner.

The ride up was crowded, but Vinta insisted that her family not go up upon horses, which is how they arrived. There was a little grumbling, but even that was too much for the over-taxed carriage.

Arriving at the castle was like being able to breath after being held under water. Gerard stepped out with a sigh, then turned to help his wife down. Caine, it took a moment for his memory to be jogged by Vinta's pointed 'Ahem.' The boys were allowed to run ahead.

Dante, not given to looking uncool, strolled in a manner that was, for a stroll, amazingly fast.

Keenan, who lived in the castle and dreaded the prospect of the family dinner, trudged along after him, not quite keeping up, but remaining a few steps behind him.

The dining area was already beginning to fill. To Keenan's relief, there was only enough settings for family. He could even hear his mother sigh in relief behind them.

The table was arranged in a U-shape, with the children sitting on the inside.

[Already present: Adults: Random, Vialle, Corwin, Bleys, Fiona Children: Alexius, Angharad, Crispin, Corisande, Lillith, Dulcifera And a big black wolf!]

Dante looks about the room, his eyes lingering on the girls before he spots the wolf. He looks sideways at Keenan and whispers, "I didn't know we could bring pets!"

Keenan eyes went wide. "Wow," he breathed. "I wonder if Jack will be here... and if he'll bring his monkey!" He looked at the children already at the table, recognizing some of them, but not others. He saw Alexius and blushed a little, remembering how he'd embarrassed his father the first time he'd seen the king's son, by blurting out, 'He's blue!' without thinking.

He shrugged and headed for the table, looking for an empty seat away from Dulcifera. He had never quite gotten over that first (and for Keenan, last) magic lesson, and the impression of Dulcifera he'd gotten there.

Dante showed no such difficulties, and was wondering where Jack might sit before determining his location. He considered asking someone, and finally decided on the most mature young lady he could locate... Lillith. Leaning toward her, "excuse me, but I was wondering if you might know whether Jack would be in attendance?"

Jack went and sat across from his parents, then craned his neck around to see the kids that he'd never met before.

[OOC: Assuming that most kids are sitting near their parents, who is near Keenan?]

Dante withdrew from Lillith, and propped up against a nearby wall.

The first one to catch his eye was a blonde girl before Corwin. Well, not the girl... but the huge grey wolf at her side, sniffing over Seramina. The wolf seemed to be the older girl's, as it woofed at her and nuzzled her side. Lillith, Keenan knew from passing descriptions, but he hadn't expected the elaborate tattoos showing on her back. They weren't like Gerard's or Caine's... They were careful, almost like art.

Gerard, now settled, nodded at the girl with the wolf. "That's Angharad, Corwin's daughter. Word is, she's going to be staying around here for a while."

Martha looked over the wolf, dubious. "I hope she's not going to start filling all the boys' heads with ideas about pets."

[Kee's in speaking distance of everyone, given that he raises his voice a bit.]

Dante decided to take a seat at the table, after glancing at Caine. He positioned himself close to Keen, "which one of these is Jack's sister?" he whispered to his friend.

[Gm glanced over -- No tag needed from me. Keenan's turn.]

Keenan looked around, then pointed to the tall, dark-haired girl who was sitting near Dulcifera and the redheaded twins. "Her, I think." He shrugged.

Dante considered his position, which was uncomfortably close to someone that might be described as a 'victim'. He hopped to a chair a little further away, glancing at Lillith furtively.

Keenan gritted his teeth to hold back the tears. He scuffed his feet along the floor and wished that dinner would be served soon, so that they could leave. He hated family dinners. Every time he went to one, something else went wrong. He scowled at his plate.

Dante, regardless of the presence of Lillith, had a pent-up look about him. It was like watching an animal taped to the wall of a cage. He looked forward to the time when the "adults" took off to leave him with his cousins.

~All the babes are together~ he thought as he scanned the room. ~It's not like she knows or anything... hey, maybe I can...~

Dante pulls himself out of his chair and saunters around the room, casually, before leaning behind Lillith and the girls.

Dulcifera skittered over in Keenan's direction and plopped herself down in the chair vacated by Dante. "Keenan," she said brightly. "I haven't seen you in so long. How are the myrrin doing?"

What do you care?, he wanted to snap, but he didn't. He just shrugged one shoulder. "Fine," he said, "I guess. They were fine, anyway. But they made such a racket, and one time they got loose and made such a mess... we had to have them sent back to Chaos." He shrugged again. "But at least there they can be free, and no one's going to pull them apart to see how they work." The normally cheerful boy wasn't smiling.

Gerard looked at Keenan... then the girl... then heard Myrrin being discussed. He stepped in.

"Dulcifera... I think Dinner's starting. You might want to find your mother again." Gerard motioned for Dante to return as well.