Chapter 7 - AUGUSTUS O'DELL
In the heart of the port town of Vincardine situated the grand statue of the prominent originator, George O'Dell Sr. The lanterns were lit that illuminated the piece of art, enhancing its beauty. The sun had settled down behind the large mountains a long time ago, leaving the stage of the limitless sky for the moon to perform its spectacle along with innumerable stars.
The western side of the town witnessed the comparatively sparse amount of people roaming on the roads. But the roads were busy with the different sizes of chariots marching in the direction of the O'Dell manor. People called it 'the great manor', as it was larger than all the manors, that were in the neighbouring region of the town.
The chariots came from all over the regions and belonged to the nobles. The size and designs signified the status and wealthiness of the owner. A flock of servants was ready to do its duty. The way from the main square of the town, where the statue was, to the front gate of the manor was lit with designer lanterns to illuminate the path in the darkness.
Guards were stationed at a particular distance throughout the way. As the chariots entered through the huge front gate of the manor they stopped on the spacious space. The guards were appointed to show the chariots their place to be stationed. The whole manor along with its surroundings was decorated splendidly.
As soon as one passed through the gate, the grand manor captured the spectator's attention. The crowd that consisted of lords, knights, nobles, politicians and other respectable people of the upper class, was having a great time in the main hall of the manor. The hall was so large that it could accommodate hundreds of people at one time.
People were speechless to see how beautiful the decoration was. The main attraction was the massive chandelier that hung in the centre of the roof. The large windows were adorned with colourful curtains and various flowers. The large roof of the hall was anchored on the massive pillars that were carved on the top, and bottom with a mastery. The floor was designed with coloured tiles in the shape of a large flower.
Servants were obeying the orders given to them by their lords, attending to the needs of the guests. The whole place was alive with the sound of chattering of the guests. An orchestra was playing a beautiful melody at one side of the hall to entertain the guest. The night was in a colourful mood, and everyone present was having the best time of their lives.
In this crowd, there was a group of men conversing at the front of the hall. By the visible grace and mannerisms, one could tell that those were important nobles. Amongst them was a tall man with a potbelly. His body clad in the expensive clothes, and he completed his look with a golden pocket watch that hung on the left side of his chest. The lid of the pocket watch had a symbol of a roaring lion. One couldn't help but take a second look at it.
His salt and paper hairs were tied behind his head like other nobles. His elongated face with prominent brow bridge and angular cheekbones made him look sharp and younger than his age though his skin was slightly wrinkled. He had a crooked nose with an angle at the tip of it. A dimple formed on his cheeks whenever he smiled or laughed while entertaining his guests. His facial hairs were styled in a mutton-chopped style suiting his status.
His sharp eyes of silver grey colour roamed all over the place, and his chest puffed a little by watching everything going smoothly as per his planning.
"Milord! People wait for the celebrations hosted by O'Dell family, and you never let them down!" A man amongst the group praised the man, who was the host of this celebration.
Augustus O'Dell was the undeclared ruler of his land. He was nothing less than a king for the people. He was an arrogant person, who held great pride in the legacy of his family name.
He smiled proudly and said while raising a glass that contained an imported wine of exotic quality. "We are O'Dell. Everything we do is an example to follow by others."
The listeners nodded their heads though not every one of them was fond of O'Dell. People felt jealous as even after decades, there was not an ounce of loss in the status and power of the O'Dell family. People still held them high for making justice in the disputes and for solving their problems. While some thought that the descendants of this family were not worthy of the power that they got in heritage by their brave ancestors.
But they knew better than saying out loud. The O'Dells were not someone to mess with as they had a close acquaintance with the royal family. Not even the wind dares to flow against them.
"But you haven't mentioned the reason of this celebration." Another man pointed out.
The host of the party huffed. "People like us don't need the reasons to celebrate. We create ways to spend the money because we can afford unlike others."
The man's face became bitter after hearing this. He knew very well what the host wanted to imply. The man who asked about the reason for the celebration was a local lord. But recently he had taken a hefty amount as a loan from Augustus O'Dell to pay for his expenses. The O'Dell just wanted to humiliate him.. The man felt embarrassed when others laughed at him.