Culinary delights
The debates over trade ebb into a tense murmur, banners stirring faintly in the smoky rafters. Just as the arguments threaten to grow sharper, servants file into the hall bearing great platters—roast fish gleaming with butter, loaves of dark rye, jugs of ale. The talk softens for now as hunger takes the stage.
Nobles lean back in their chairs, soldiers loosen their belts, and the smell of herring and cloves fills the chamber. Yet beneath the clatter of trenchers, suspicion still simmers. The feast begins, but the politics have only paused their bite.