Chapter 39
The problem was no one had told Rebecca that soldiers would be coming. And with over a hundred of them arriving, they took up many seats, leaving several other guests without a place to sit.
These guests were prominent civil and military officials, esteemed figures in court whose goodwill could greatly benefit Barrett's career. But now, how were they to be accommodated? They were left standing in the cold, shivering and resentful,
Rebecca urgently turned to Amelia, demanding she find a solution. Amelia was equally stunned and at a loss, as she had arranged the seating based on the official guest list and no one had informed her about the additional guests.
The invited guests were equally shocked when they saw over a hundred unruly soldiers immediately sit down and start eating and drinking, laughing and joking loudly with the bride.
The scene looked bizarre and out of place. Many of the wedding guests were from prestigious families and had attended out of respect for the king. They had never encountered such a spectacle. While the Warren family were not nobles, they had a long-standing heritage. How could a wedding decreed by the king turn
into such a chaotic event?
Some guests waited, hoping the host would make the necessary arrangements. But as time passed and no additional seats were set up, they realized what had happened.
No one openly complained, but they politely took their leave, citing having to deal with important matters at home as their reason for heading off. Many claimed they had simply come to pass on their congratulations and well wishes, so it didn't matter if they missed the party.
Barrett was utterly bewildered, as he had no idea the soldiers would be attending. Watching the guests leave with their families, he felt as if he was being slapped repeatedly. His face burned with a mix of shame and anger.
Ignoring the guests still seated, he stormed over to Aurora and pulled her up. "Come with me. I need to speak with you."
Aurora stood up and smiled at the soldiers. "You all keep drinking. I'll be back soon."
One soldier teased, "General Warren, are you in a hurry to get cozy with your bride? Hahaha!"
"Take it easy, General Warren. You'll need to drink with us later."
"Hahaha, exactly! This isn't like at the army barracks!"
The seated guests became visibly uncomfortable at such crude remarks. Almost simultaneously, they stood up and left with their families without even saying goodbye. Barrett was fuming.
Such talk might be fine in the barracks, but the guests in attendance today were high-ranking officials and nobility. Even one of the royal princes, Jerome, and his wife had come with their children. Now, they had also left their seats, leaving behind a meaningless remark before departing.
Hearing this, Barrett felt his face turn red. As he dragged Aurora to the back courtyard, he tried to tamp down his emotions that were alternating between anger and embarrassment.
After pacing back and forth for a bit, he spoke in an obviously annoyed tone, "Why did you invite them? And why didn't you tell us beforehand? Now, all the guests have left!"
Aurora had been drinking with her comrades and hadn't noticed the guests leaving. She was different from the typical ladies of wealthy families.
As a general, what was wrong with being boisterous and celebrating with her fellow soldiers? She believed that showing camaraderie with the soldiers would earn admiration from the guests and demonstrate her unique qualities.
Shocked to hear that the guests had left, she glanced around and saw that only soldiers remained.
"Why did they leave?"
"There weren't enough seats!" Barrett couldn't help but get angry at Aurora's ignorance of the situation. So, I'm asking why you invited the soldiers without telling us? They shouldn't have been mixed with these guests."Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Aurora's femper flared when she heard his words, retorting, "Are they looking down on the soldiers? What right do they have? These soldiers fought bloody battles to protect these people's comfortable lives! Why shouldn't the soldiers deserve to share in the celebration?"
Looking at his wife's indignant face, Barrett couldn't help but raise his voice as well, "It's not about whether they deserve to or not. It's just that we shouldn't have invited soldiers to this event!
"They should be at their posts! You summoned over a hundred soldiers here just because you wanted to? you get permission from their commander? If not, they could face punishment for abandoning their posts!
"Even if General Lane approved it, you should have informed us. We could have set up more tables and kept them separate from the other guests. We could have prevented this mess of over a hundred guests having no seats!"
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