Chapter 348: Those kind of parents.
Sienna was unwilling, but she had no choice but to join grandma Jess and grandma Byra in greeting the guests. Jess was all dressed up for company, regal in her red silk dress and fur, her tail flicking like a conductor’s baton. Byra was simpler, in her yellow dress and thick coat, ensuring that every guest had something to eat or drink every second of their time there.
Sienna followed Jess, her smile carefully painted on, her eyes betraying nothing. Each noble, each merchant, each aide received promises of invitations to Elias’s birthday. They even registered their names in a book to ensure that they were not forgotten. Sienna’s lips curved politely, her voice soft, her demeanor composed.
She pretended not to know the cause of Lord Fenton’s death, though whispers already circulated like wildfire. She feigned shock, even trauma, at the mention of his collapse in her office. That news had traveled faster than Elias’s birthday party.
The guests nodded, satisfied with her performance. They wanted access, not truth. They wanted to be near influence, power--things all hidden beneath the polite mask of social calls.
"Will the Fenton’s be coming for the party?" Lady Debony, pulled her aside with a question that made many stretched their ears.
Sienna blinked. "Well, I don’t think now is the time for them to be partying." She replied.
Lady Debony, whose bright hair could compete against a peacock’s hair touched her chest, right over her heart. "Because one of them murdered Lord Fenton, got it."
Gasps swept through the living room.
Sienna quickly and loudly denied the assumption. "That’s not what I said. What I mean is that they will be grieving."
"The loss of their fortune to a gold-tail, got it." Lady Debony concluded.
Sienna looked at Jess, her eyes asking for help because no matter what she said, Lady Debony was going to twist her words. Jess saved her, but Lady Debony continued to whisper her assumptions around. She was among the guests that lingered for dinner. The long table glittered with silverware, steaming dishes and the hum of false laughter. Sienna endured it all, learning to be like Jess; to weave promises and platitudes like a true matriarch.
The nobles spoke of trade, or alliances, of gifts they might bring to impress the fox lord.
Mija kept watch, her tail coiled. She knew, as Sienna did, that this dinner was not about food--it was about positioning.
Conveniently, Elias returned home just as the last guest was shown out. He entered the house with his usual cold elegance, his presence commanding the room. The servants bowed, the young falcon cousins scattered, the grandparents took the children to bed.
"Nice timing," Sienna said sarcastically.
He put an arm around her shoulder, leading her upstairs. "I don’t do tea and gossip."
She snorted in response. An hour later, when they lay in bed, he turned to her, his voice low but edged with irritation.
"Why was I the last person to find out about this party we are throwing?" he asked. "I found out about it from the underwear group chat."
Sienna blinked. "The underwear chat group! You beast lords gossip worse than women."
He groaned, covering his face with his hand. "The king is so excited because I have never thrown a personal party before. He is so excited that he has decided to dictate the dress code for all the beast lords. He’s sending everyone matching underwear. He says it will symbolize unity."
Sienna bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing.
"Oh, it gets worse. Mine is supposed to be extra special because I am the birthday boy! Now, I am getting heart palpitations just thinking about what that lunatic is planning." He groaned again.
Sienna asked a question that had crossed her mind many times before, whenever he complained about the chat group. "Why don’t you just leave the group if it bothers you so much? Every day you bitch about it and never do anything to change the situation."
Elias’s eyes flashed with exasperation. "Because it’s the king’s chat group. He discusses serious topics in there. Those laws you are trying to pass, some of them are being discussed over there already. Besides, my relationship with the king is for better or worse. It’s like a marriage--only far more annoying and humiliating at times."
Sienna chuckled, shaking her head. "So you’re stuck with matching underwear for the king’s grand vision of unity?"
He sighed, horrified. "Yes. And now, apparently, a birthday party I wasn’t even told about until the king’s ridiculous group chat announced it. I don’t like parties Sienna."
She touched his arm. "You are the patriarch of the fox tribe, throwing parties every once in a while is expected of you. I want celebrations for all my birthdays Elias, and all other special days. Big or small celebrations, it doesn’t matter, as long we celebrate. Life is too short not to do so."
He sighed, horrified. "We are going to be one of those couples that throws parties just to acknowledge the change of a season, aren’t we?"
She nodded. "Keep in mind that you have a daughter. We have to throw sleep overs, princess themed birthday parties, fairy-tale themed garden parties. Ice rink parties for her and her friends when she learns to skate. Spa parties, fashion parties, pool parties, sweet sixteen and sweet eighteen extravaganzas. Masquerade balls, debutante style galas, destination parties, graduation parties."
"That is a lot of parties!" He exclaimed. "My Ali is not that kind of little girl. All she cares about is food."
Sienna sighed. "Ooh, I wish I was as confident as you. She spent the greatest part of this night with her ’aunt princess’ Lina, choosing four dresses that she planned to wear on your birthday. The first dress is for when guests arrive, the second dress is for cake cutting and the third is for dinner and the fourth is for dancing. Ali’s eyes gleamed with joy when they were planning. Trust me Elias, we are going to be those parents that throw such parties."
He grimaced. "The king is going to be visiting us a lot then because he sure likes parties. And that is why I have never thrown one." Suddenly, he sat up, staring down at her with wide eyes. "Sienna, what exactly do you have planned for this party? The king asked me why you invited the Queen mother. Forgiveness is not exactly in your nature."
Sienna’s smile was slow, enigmatic. "Why does everyone think that I am plotting evil? A leopard can change its spots sometimes."
Elias watched her lips and shook his head. "Not my leopard." He muttered.