Page 49 of Wingless Crow: Part 1

She smiled, looking at me as if I were a clueless child, “Sweetie, my husband has had sex with this entire court by now, every male and female in attendance. If you’re worried about my feelings on this matter, don’t. I’ve learned long ago to deal with them.”

That raised another question.

“If he’s had so many chances to get so many women pregnant and it still didn’t happen, don’t you think the problem may be in him, not you?”

She snapped her spine rod-straight. Her delicate features hardened. Her eyes narrowed, as if I had personally insulted her.

“The king is blameless,” she bit off. “Just do what you’re told, Sparrow, and we’ll pray to the gods for the most marvelous outcome.” She leaned closer, malice slithering into her voice. “Fail me, and you’ll regret the day you were born.”

* * *

Istaggered into the royal dining room, my limbs heavy with dread after the conversation with the queen.

Unlike at the ball a few days ago, the dinner was served at a table. That didn’t mean everyone was sitting in their seats, prim and proper. The king’s guests sat in each other’s laps, moved their chairs, or flew over the table if they saw a seat they liked better than their own.

King Tiane occupied the high-backed chair at the head of the table. He wore a shirt tonight, but it was so thin and transparent, it would reveal his skin even if it was buttoned all the way up, which it was not.

A woman leaned over his shoulder, her lips joined with the king’s in a kiss.

I paused half-way across the room, unsure where to sit. Could I just climb into the king’s lap while he was kissing someone else? Or should I find an unoccupied chair at the table and let him be?

Queen Pavline was busy talking and laughing with a group of courtiers at the other end of the table. I couldn’t count on her to provide me with guidance. Dove smiled from the other side of the table, and Libelle wiggled her fingers at me in greeting. It was nice to see their familiar faces in the room full of strangers. But the seats on either side of them were already occupied.

A man suddenly flew up from the chair closest to me and fluttered over the table to a woman sitting across.

“Nothing tastes as good as your kisses, my lady,” he declared, hovering over her. She giggled before tipping her head back and catching his kiss on her mouth.

I headed to the chair the man had vacated.

“That’s Lord Petuh’s seat,” King Tiane’s voice rose over the table.

I paused, with my hand on the back of the chair in question.

“Come here, my sweet baby chick.” The king petted his thigh in invitation. “Have you forgotten your place?”

People’s attention turned to me, and I hurried to the king, relieved he’d called me after all. The woman who’d been kissing him flashed me a cheerful smile, moving away to give me space as he pulled me into his lap.

“You missed the first course of the dinner.” The king pouted.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I’ve been…um, delayed.”

Should I tell him the queen wished to talk with me? She never mentioned that our conversation was supposed to remain a secret from her husband.

The king, however, didn’t appear interested in hearing the reasons for my delay. He perked up as a servant placed a plate with a tiny pyramid of meat jelly on the table in front of him.

“I hope you like aspic. It’s divine.” The king cut his fork into the gelatinous mass with small cubes of meat and cooked vegetables suspended inside it.

Just like at the ball before, I had no plate of my own and was forced to watch everyone eat without any food served to me. Thankfully, I'd learned my lesson from the last time and had eaten well before coming here tonight. I wasn’t hungry, using the time to survey the room and study the people.

The dining room was considerably smaller than the royal ballroom but just as opulent. White-gray vines held the marble wall panels set with pastel-colored crystals that illuminated the space with waves of soft color-changing light. The vines weaved into a tight pattern high above us, forming the ceiling.

I slid my gaze over the table toward the white double doors with gilded molding. Four guards stood at each side of the doors, watching over the king and his guests. But Voron wasn’t there.

Again, I felt a pinch of disappointment.

But why?

Shouldn’t his absence be a relief? After his outburst in the gardens, Voron had stormed away and hadn’t been searching for my company. Which was exactly how I wished it to be.

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