Page 47 of Somber Prince

“So, you’re not drinking, either?” I lifted my glass.

“No. I can’t get drunk and can’t appreciate the flavor. It’d be a waste of wine for me to drink it.”

I took a tentative sip. The wine coated my tongue with the flavor of fruit and nuts. Sparkling bubbles danced in my mouth before sliding down my throat. Just like the food, the wine tasted exquisite.

“He could enjoy it, too, if you let him,” rushed through my mind.

I tried to ignore the pinch of guilt that came with the thought. But I had to admit the dinner would’ve been far more enjoyable for me, too, if Rha was more involved in it. There was a reason why food played such a huge role in many social interactions.

“What is this meat?” I asked instead, lifting a piece on my fork.

“Lamb,” Rha replied. “I took the liberty of ordering for you this time. But if you prefer the food you had yesterday?—”

“No, I’m good.” I took another bite of the fragrant meat with rice. “It tastes great. I was wondering, though, where did you get shrimp or fish in the middle of the desert? And so many different vegetables too?”

“The same place we get water from. Underground.”

“You grow vegetables underground?”

“The orchards and vegetable gardens have openings to the surface since plants require constant sunlight. But the animal farms are lower underground, along with people's dwellings.”

“You have farms and houses under there?” I gestured with my fork at the floor.

“The entire city is below us, Dawn. People prefer to live away from the scorching surface with its daily sandstorms. Underneath, it’s cool and quiet.”

I stared at my plate, trying to imagine houses and even entire animal farms buried under the desert floor. “So, Teneris is an anthill, after all.”

“An anthill? You can say that, I suppose.”

“With farms, houses, and giant kitchens that produce all this fancy food?”

“There is only one kitchen in the palace,” Rha corrected. “And I wouldn’t say it’s giant. Food like on your plate is only prepared for humans. As Joy Vessels, you’re the only ones who can appreciate it, anyway.”

“If you don’t eat this…” I poked at my plate with my fork, “What do you eat?”

“The same thing that’s served in the sarai.”

I made a face. “The tasteless mash and boiled meat, really? That’s what the Royal Court eats?”

He shrugged. “It all tastes the same to us. Why waste time and effort to prepare anything complex and flavorful?”

The lack of joy affected every aspect of the shadow fae life.

I sipped my wine, pondering his words before asking again, “If you took a drink of wine, for example, what will you feel? Will it taste like water to you?”

“No. I’d feel its taste, the bitterness, and the burn. But I won’t enjoy the flavor or get intoxicated from it the way Joy Vessels do.”

“That sucks. You really have no fun. Not even the artificial exhilaration of getting drunk.”

I set my empty glass down. A servant made a move to refill it, but I declined. Getting drunk on my own held no fun for me, either.

“Are there many things that bring you joy, Dawn?” the prince asked.

“Other than food and alcohol, you mean?” I smiled.

He nodded, looking serious and expectant.

“There are some… Let me think.” I drizzled a little honey over the plate of fruity dessert to buy some time. It was hard to remember the last time I felt truly happy. “To be honest, it’s been a while since I felt ‘joyful.’”

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