Most of the speech had been just so many words to Aisha.  As a royal harem girl she had been spared being pressed into serving food as most of the castle slaves and servants had been.  Instead she had spent the dinner strolling the middle table, keeping minor nobles plyed with drink and letting them have the token ego boost that came with slyly groping one of the royal harem.<br/><br/>The highpoint had been the execution of Sir Gregal.  Universally loathed by most of the castle slaves and servants the man had been a petty minded sadist, forever aware of his tenuous hold on power and forever taking it out on the staff.  Aisha wasn't my nature vengeful but she had cheered louder than most when he hit the floor.<br/><br/>Even though the Empress-in-waiting (<em>Empress</em>she corrected herself, wouldn't do to get that wrong) had left, her night was far from over.  With the high dignitaries gone, the minor nobility were under no pressure and the wine started to flow freer.  Her ass was going to be red raw by the end of the night.  Hoping for an escape she glanced over to Vykos, the fussy little eunuch who oversaw the harem, hoping that she was needed elsewhere.