Page 24 of Somber Prince

“Not in Teneris—” Sigid was interrupted by the melodious clinking of the wall clock.

The glass labyrinth rotated with a series of sounds, sending Sigid into a frenzy.

“We need to go.” He opened the towel, urging me to get out of the water. “Quickly, please. We can’t possibly make the prince wait.”

I didn’t care about the prince waiting, but I didn’t want to get Sigid in trouble. He’d been honest and forthcoming with me. I’d actually enjoyed his company.

“Fine,” I sighed, getting out of the pool and stepping into the towel he held for me. “Let’s not try the royal patience then.”

Chapter Eight

DAWN

“All right, here we are.” Sigid blew out a breath.

He seemed nervous, leading me to a set of gorgeous double doors decorated with geometric designs made from pieces of hammered metal.

Two guards stood on each side of the doors. As we approached, they crossed their long, curved swords in front of us, blocking our way.

“The Joy Vessel is here by Prince Rha’s invitation,” Sigid announced.

The guards gave me a once-over before withdrawing their swords and opening the doors. The moment I stepped over the threshold, the doors silently closed behind me, leaving Sigid outside.

“Wait.” I shoved both hands against the metal relief of the doors.

Then, an appetizing aroma reached my nostrils, making my stomach spasm. I hadn’t eaten since that tasteless breakfast before the harness fitting. At this point, I felt like I could eat the prince himself, with or without truffles. The hunger didn’t ease the trepidation buzzing inside me, but it gave me the courage to turn around.

The room was long and spacious. In addition to the glow coming from the ceiling beams, tall candles in the pyramid-shaped holders illuminated the space.

Prince Rha reclined in a pile of cushions that were artfully arranged on a wide, low platform between two huge, shuttered windows. Two men on either side of the platform fanned him with feather fans on long handles. Dressed in a long flowing skirt of midnight blue, his chest jewelry glistening in the candlelight, the prince presented a truly regal picture.

“Good morning,” he greeted me.

I did not like the guy. I had good reasons to hate him. But my breath hitched at the sight of him. Like a black panther resting in a tree, his posture held that quiet, confident power that often proved far stronger and was more appealing than a loud bravado.

“Um…hi,” I squeezed out.

I knew very little about the man who held my freedom in his hands and found myself intrigued, wishing to learn more about the ruler of Teneris. The realization unsettled me. I far preferred the feeling of dislike and distant resentment toward him.

“Join me for dinner.” With an elegant hand gesture, the prince invited me to the long, low table that stretched between him and a floor cushion where the prince pointed for me to sit.

I smoothed my sweaty palms down the long skirt of my simple beige dress that Sigid had sourced for me, then took a few hesitant steps forward. The wonderful aroma of the food laid out on the table lured me in.

Shocked, I realized the prince had somehow gotten everything on the order I’d so haughtily placed with him earlier. Fresh sliced tomatoes were arranged in a circle with cheese and sprinkled with oil and herbs. Peeled prawns with their tails intact hung over the rim of a wide glass filled with greens and drizzled with red sauce. Filet mignon lay next to a generous scoop of mashed potatoes. I had no way of telling whether the potatoes contained any truffles, but they looked great and smelled amazing.

“You got it all,” I said in bewilderment.

“Some things had to be substituted with local ingredients,” the prince admitted. “But I hope the taste is still to your liking.”

Among the plates on the table stood a large dish covered with a tall, silver dome that looked like it might contain an entire birthday cake.

“How did you even know what all these dishes were?” I inched closer to the table but didn’t sit down yet.

Something felt off, making me suspicious. Weren’t we in a magical world here, in a different dimension, in a brand new to humans plane of existence? Where did the fae hear about caprese salad from, for example? Maybe the entire table was just an illusion, created by their magic.

“Teneris has recently acquired a chef skilled in cooking for Joy Vessels,” the prince explained. “Besides, the human world and Nerifir aren’t as different as you may think. A long while ago, both were one and the same, before the River of Mists flowed between them, breaking the worlds apart. We still are able to source most of the ingredients here.” He gestured at the table again. “Go ahead, take a seat, Sweet One.”

There was a lot of food here. It could easily feed all four of us in the room and then some. Though, there was only one place setting on my end of the table.

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