Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Alisdair sat at the head of it all with food that was only for him—easily seen from the fact that no one else dared look at his chicken, turkey, slab of beef, tray of bread rolls, four mugs of ale, and the fruits and vegetables from my tributes.
No. No one else dared lay a finger on his food... because they’d lose a finger bringing it that close to his mouth.
Alisdair was more the beast than the man. Long claws shredded the chicken and shoveled its tender meat into his mouth. He snatched up a mug and drained it, spilling ale all down the sides of his face and soaking his half-exposed chest.
“That is enough!” Aeris roared, making me jump. A dozen heads snapped up—growls, screeches, hisses, squawks, and barks peeling from their throats. Aeris screeched right back. “Get a hold of yourselves! Your queen is in your presence, and she is used to finer things and proper decorum. You will sit in your seats. You will chew and swallow your food before taking another bite, and you will use utensils!”
They all glared and groaned... at me. I truly was in another land because to look at my fath—King Salman with the fury they were throwing me was to be smote for treason. I knew because Emiana witnessed him do it when a peasant dared to look at him with the contempt he deserved.
Even the sweetest, gentlest dog will growl if you try to take their food while they’re eating. Some instincts are too deeply ingrained, and protecting your meal is one of them.
Slowly, I rounded the table and made for the empty seat next to Alisdair. Had Aeris called down for them to leave a seat for me, or was it always sitting empty—the constant symbol that their queen was too high and refined to eat with lowly faeriken?
Quietly, I reached for my seat. Aeris was quicker and pulled it out for me to sit down.
Alisdair scoffed. “Lo and behold, our table manners have been found lacking. Get your bibs and forks, everyone.”
Mocking laughter went up around the table.
“Will that satisfy you, little bird, or should I have a servant cut your food for you? Possibly chew it for you too? They can also—”
I pounced on the food, shoveling it into my mouth faster than I could chew. I’d never been at a table with this much food in my life. And meat! So much meat of all kinds and types. The rare times I had a full belly, it was full on the meager vegetables from our garden. It was then I realized Aeris had been instructing the cooks to feed me the dainty portions worthy of a princess. Why hadn’t I demanded to eat with everyone weeks ago?
Blown brows and hanging jaws stared at me. I blew past them all and narrowed in on Alisdair’s hand. “Are you going to eat that?” I snatched the turkey leg from his slackened grip and let out a belch that made Alisdair jerk in his seat.
I met the wide eyes with round eyes of my own. “What’s everyone looking at me for? If you’re not going to eat this, I will.”
Alisdair let out a strange and terrible sound, making me slow my chewing to give an expression more shocked than Aeris’s.
He laughed. Full-blown, raucous, pounding-the-table belly laughs. “You heard my queen.” He gave me the first real smile I’d ever seen on his lips. Not a smirk. Not a mocking grin. But a smile. “Let’s eat.”
The faeriken descended on the food—eating almost as fast as me. The pretty silk sapphire gown Aeris chose for me was ruined by spilled ale and food stains in minutes. Everyone was too focused on unhinging their jaws and shoveling food inside to chatter, and wasn’t that the way it should be?
Memories flashed through my mind of Emiana sitting at a mile-long table, picking at her apple-sized portion of a meal, and being forced to stop eating every time someone insisted on making meaningless small talk with her. Apparently, it was rude to eat while someone was speaking to you, or speak while you were eating. The result was Emiana always went to bed hungry.
“Fuck that,” I belted, “and fuck table manners!”
“Yeahh!” bellowed my court—laughing and pounding the table with their mugs.
Bradach clapped Alisdair on the shoulder. “You did good with this one, my lord. Dare I say better than you deserve.”
Alisdair tore off a bite of beef, grinning at me. “This I know.”
I PUSHED AWAY THE REMAINS of my meal, letting out another belch. I was stuffed to the gills. Couldn’t eat another bite if I tried, and I’d never been able to say that in my life.
“Twenty minutes.” Alisdair picked food out of his unnaturally long and jagged teeth with his claws. “I’m feeling generous tonight.”