After taking baths, they went down for dinner. Elias positioned himself at the position of the head of the table. A position that Sienna also liked.
She was about to whisper a demand, that he move when her mother dragged her away, plopping her firmly next to him. Ali was next to her and Eli, next to Elias.
The clingy step sisters were there, as were the two grandparents she had not invited. Their presence could be attributed to her mother. Soren was sowhere at the beach, having chosen to eat with his cousins and uncles.
The table at Sienna’s houses nearly groaned under the weight of the steaming dishes. The cooks had prepared a feast. So of the dishes were Elias’s favorites, as if they had known the fox Lord would be returning.
As food was distributed, Sienna added so vegetables to Eli’s plate. The freshly scrubbed, still sulking cub, glared at the plate as though the vegetables had betrayed him. Across from him, Ali chuckled as she bit into her carrots with joy.
"I have never seen twins that are the complete opposite of each other," she murmured.
Elias leaned down and said to Sienna, "I see you are getting along splendidly with your grandparents."
Her eyes flicked to the elderly Rocland couple. Ever since their arrival, they were doing whatever they could to be involved in her life and Soren’s. Grandma Byra was practically treating her mother like her daughter-in-law! And her mother seed to have sort of accepted the role, just as she had accepted her new daughters.
The whole thing was just weird to Sienna. And yet, she was the only one that seed to think so. Everyone else was adapting to the new normal rather quickly.
"The deer is overcooked." Grandpa Corven comnted.
Grandma Byra smacked his arm. "Nonsense, it’s perfect. I followed Sienna’s recipe precisely. Don’t insult our hard work."
"I didn’t say it wasn’t tasty." The old man mumbled.
Eli piped up, "Great grandpa is right, the at is too soft. The bones are falling off."
Sienna rolled her eyes. They had very strong teeth and all she had were the normal human teeth. Her biting strength was not like theirs. Her at needed to be soft."
"Traitor." Ali said to Eli.
The table erupted in laughter.
"Great grandma, can you tell us about the ti you and your brother hunted an enemy bear beast man?" Ali asked. "Great grandpa said your leg was broken and they put it together with sticks."
The old woman nodded. She had many stories to tell, from her adventures when she was still a young beast woman. Her husband, children and other grandchildren had heard most of them before. To Sienna’s family however, they were all fresh tales. And she loved to talk about the old days, so she smiled and started the story.
The sound of chewing was overwheld by laughter, especially Ali’s giggles.
Elias ate quietly, his posture rigid. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene. He had grown up in a family where dinners were silent, formal affairs--each bite asured under the watchful eye of his mother. Talking would only be allowed if there was sothing of utmost importance. As a matter of fact, that was the way in most noble beast man hos.
This chatter, laughter and giggling was a thing he only witnessed around Sienna. It was not appropriate.
He cleared his throat. No one noticed.
He tapped his claw against the table. Still, no one noticed.
Finally, his tail sliced the air with authority. "Sorry, to cut in but if we could eat in silence, that would be nice."
The room froze for a heartbeat. Then Sienna chuckled. "Lord Fox, the rules in my house are different from the ones on your estate. Here, were don’t do silence as long as it’s just family." She smirked, sipping her soup "Welco to dinner in my world. You’ll get used to it." She would pick this any day over Lady Cadelaria’s stuffy, silent dinners.
Eli, emboldened, leaned towards his father. "Papa, it’s fun to tell stories around the table while eating. You should laugh with us."
Elias gaze snapped to the boy. "While you are talking and laughing, your food gets cold. A man does not giggle at dinner."
The boy puffed his cheeks. "Then I’ll be a boy forever!"
Everyone but Elias laughed.
"That’s the spirit." Grandma Byra clapped her hands.
" too." Ali raised her hand. "I will be a girl forever. I will be mama’s baby girl."
Sienna ruffled her daughter’s hair and kissed her on the cheek. "Even when you are ninety years old, you will still be my baby girl."
Elias’s ears twitched. He had stared down the king, commanded legions and fought wars without flinching. All those tis, he had been in command. Yet here, surrendered by noisy relatives, he seed to have no authority at all. He felt utterly outnumbered.
Sienna leaned his way and whispered, "You look like you are plotting an early exit."
"I am," he muttered.
She laughed. It wasn’t like he had been invited to dinner. He had just showed up and made himself comfortable. But, the kids were happy and everyone was laughing, so it was not a big deal. She nudged him with her elbow just as grandma Byra launched into a story on the day her brothers dared her to leap off a waterfall at the age of three. "Relax. I know you crave order, but sotis, when it cos to family, order must be set aside and happiness must be embraced. Family ans being loud, ssy, ridiculous but accepting each other anyway even when it makes no sense."
He glanced at her, his icy mask cracking just slightly. "I don’t understand how you endure so much chaos."
Sienna grinned. "Because noise like this is better than silence. Silence ans no one’s here. Noise ans we are alive."
Elias couldn’t help thinking that his mother would disagree with that opinion. He sighed. "How are you finding life with the falcon relatives?"
She twisted her lips. "They are self sufficient, as they promised. Only, Numia gives the stink eye whenever she sees . She still thinks I owe her. The other day, she ca over, entered the kitchen and helped herself to half of my honey without asking. Shalin found her sneaking it out like a thief and took it back.
She also found my mother and demanded that we arrange another engagent for her son since Paris ruined the first one. She thinks one of your cousins or soone from the royal family will do. Can you believe that?"
Elias’s eyes popped. He threw his head back and laughed louder than everyone at the table.
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