Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
26
Lily
“What is this slop?” Mordren stared at his bowl in obvious disgust. You would have thought that the Lesser Fae servant had put a plate of steaming hot dog shit down in front of him instead of perfectly good potato leak soup, which was what it was.
“This,” I said, “Is what I ordered for dinner tonight. I stopped by the kitchens during my tour of the Palace and spoke to the chef. I hope you don’t mind.”
We were sitting across from each other at the “High Table” which was raised on a kind of dais in the middle of the vast Grand Banquet Hall. Like the Throne Room, this huge space also had mirrored walls which made me think that whoever had built the Palace was either really vain, or wanted to be sure they could keep an eye on everybody all the time. Which was certainly possible, since everyone in the room was reflected over and over multiple times.
The effect was like eating dinner in a hall of mirrors at an amusement park. I didn’t much like it and would much rather have had a quiet dinner in the Cavern with my guys, but it appeared I had no say in the matter. Apparently the whole Court—or at least, all the High Fae—gathered almost every night for a grand banquet where they feasted and gossiped and congratulated each other on being the best of the best of the Dark Fae.
What it mostly reminded me of was the old Christmas parties I used to have to attend with Christopher for his firm. Everyone was all decked out and looking to one-up everyone else in the room. I had always hated those parties—I got dressed up but never felt like I fit in. It was a feeling I was experiencing times ten tonight, considering that I was literally up on a pedestal and everyone was watching me.
The company didn’t help much either. Mordren was right across from me, as I said and to his right was Lady Elgiana, looking coolly elegant in a gown of deep blue that was almost Royal Purple—the color only one with Royal blood was supposed to wear. I couldn’t tell if it was a subtle insult…or a not-so subtle one. She hadn’t said a word to me yet—she’d simply raked her sharp yellow eyes over my Royal Purple evening gown and curled her upper lip.
Krynn and Seldarin were standing behind me. Apparently though they were “officers of the Court” they weren’t allowed to sit at the High Table, due to their half-breed status. I didn’t like that at all and had wanted to protest but Krynn had murmured,
“Please my Lady, don’t make a fuss. Sel and I are used to standing in attendance during the dinner feast. We must choose our battles carefully.”
Reluctantly, I had allowed them to remain on guard behind my chair. And though I couldn’t stand the people sitting across from me, at least I had someone I liked beside me. To my right was seated Lady Nolana, the older Fae who had told me she was in the room with my mother when the old Queen gave birth to me. (Which was still a really weird thought—was I actually accepting my status as the Lost Dark Fae Princess? I wasn’t quite sure.)
Anyway, Lady Nolana and I had been having a nice conversation about the Palace grounds and how far they extended and how the Dark Fae magic kept them from being visible or accessible to humans. As we talked, the Lesser Fae servants, dressed in black and gold livery, had been bringing out course after course of delicious food.
There were exotic fairy fruits, some kind of golden-brown pâté and tiny buttery toasts to spread it on, a crisp salad of delicious wild greens dressed in a tangy vinaigrette, and an enormous fish with the head still on that had tender, flaky white flesh seasoned with lemon and herbs that practically melted in my mouth. And between all the courses there were little dishes of tart sorbet or edible flowers which melted on the tongue to “cleanse the palate.”
It was the fanciest dinner I’d ever been to, but everyone around me seemed to take it as a matter of course. There was a huge crystal chandelier which shed a warm glow over the gleaming cutlery and plates—all of which seemed to be made of solid gold. The setting was gorgeous, the food was delicious, and Lady Nolana seemed like she might be a good candidate for a true friend. I would have been enjoying myself thoroughly except for three things.
First, I didn’t like being the center of attention and I was well aware that everyone in the room was staring at me as I sat at the High Table on the raised dais. Second, Mordren and Lady Elgiana kept whispering together and looking at me and laughing rudely—making it obvious they were talking about me. I could shrug that off, but it was irritating—like being back in high school eating lunch in the school cafeteria across from the mean girls.