Chapter7
Ember
Somehow, I have to get through dinner without losing my mind. Obsessing over how much danger I might be in won’t help with that, so instead, I try to focus on my surroundings. At least, then I might learn enough to figure out what to do next.
A feat much easier said than done.
Since I’m not much of a chef—being able to make a mean box of Mac-N-Cheese doesn’t count—I don’t know exactly how long it typically takes to prepare a feast. But seeing the spread covering the twelve-seater table before me, I can imagine his employees have been working the majority of the day. Golden flatware flanks a pristine white porcelain plate with a cloth napkin of the same color folded on top of it.
Unfortunately, none of this tells me how to get out of here, though. Or if what’s outside these walls is more dangerous than being trapped within...
The moment we approach the table, the king stands. His blond hair has been tied back at the nape of his neck, and his golden eyes practically light up when he sees me. “My dear, you look lovely.”
“Thank you. I heard I should have worn white, though.” I glance back at Lloren, whose tight smile makes me want to shrink away.
“One night is no trouble,” he explains with a brief glance at his advisor. “Come, sit.” He gestures to the chair to the right of his seat at the head of the table. After a man wearing a white shirt and matching pants pulls it out, I slide onto the wooden seat.
Manners I only have thanks to old movies remind me that I need to put my napkin into my lap. So I do that then stare down at the two different forks, trying desperately to remember which one I need for salad and which is for the main course.
“Did you have a nice rest?” he asks, pulling my attention from the fork debacle.
“I did, thank you. Flora is very kind.”
His brows draw together. “Flora?”
“Her handmaiden,” Lloren interjects.
“She’s a sweet woman,” I tell them.
“Ahh, yes. I have known her for quite some time.” After glancing over my head, he nods, and a man appears with water for my glass. “Please, fill your plate, Ember. Enjoy your meal.”
“I—” I stare out at the food, prepared to explain that I can only handle a few small bites, when my stomach growls loudly. My cheeks flush in embarrassment, but Taranus only looks pleased by my obvious appreciation for the food in front of us.
“Eat, my dear. Enjoy yourself. I assure you, there is plenty.”
Not needing to be told a third time, I lift my plate and start piling food onto the top of the porcelain. Meat, cheese, bread, broccoli, and some carrots round out the largest meal I have ever eaten.
As soon as I set my plate down in front of me, the king and Lloren fill their own plates, though, admittedly, they take much less than I did.
Enamored by the idea that I may not have an adverse reaction to the food, I cautiously take my first bite. The flavor of the meat permeates my mouth, the garlicky taste one of the most amazing things I’ve ever tasted.
I follow it up with carrots, my favorite vegetable, then move to the bread. No matter how much I eat, how full I feel, my stomach does not cramp. My body does not heat, and the lack of symptoms for my disease leads me to believe that perhaps this really is a dream.
That, or I’m already dead.
The door bursts open, and Conary stalks in, his boots hitting the ground with heavy thuds.
“What is the meaning of this interruption?” Lloren gasps as she jumps to her feet. The king stays silent, and his eyes harden when he sees the man Conary is dragging in beside him. A bloodied face is barely recognizable, but the green leathers are identical to those of the men from the clearing this morning.
The same color as my dress.
“We found this one lurking near the queen’s chambers,” Conary growls as he tosses him to the ground.
The man hits the marble with a thud, and he looks up at me. The moment my gaze locks with his golden one, his eyes widen. “Can it be?” he whispers. “You are her.”
Before I can ask what he means, Conary kicks him in the back, and he falls forward with a whimper, smearing his blood over the white marble floor.
“Hey!” I yell as I jump to my feet and rush toward him. I fall to my knees beside the man. No one makes a move to stop me as I try to pull him up.