Page 57 of A Court Bright and Broken

“We’re not done yet,” he told me. Then with a smirk, he added, “Enjoy your dinner.”

Then he released me and walked away toward the table at the head of the room where his father and brother already sat.

A young woman sat with them. Princess Mareth, I assumed from the sparkling tiara on her head. She was blonde and radiant, her full, curvy figure filling out a petal-strewn light pink gown.

She was absolutely stunning and looked every bit the royal Fae princess that she was.

On her bare shoulder perched a tiny monkey. I thought it was called a capuchin, though I’d never seen one in real life, only in books. It was adorable, playing with a tendril of hair that had fallen loose from the elaborate upswept style she wore.

The princess plucked a grape from a crystal bowl in front of her and gave it to him, laughing at the way he gripped it in his little fingers and nibbled on it.

I realized I was smiling as well. Perhaps there wasonemember of the royal family who was not terrifying.

My own table was blessedly far away from theirs, situated in a corner at the back of the enormous dining room. I took a seat next to a young woman who appeared to be about my age.

She was humming along with the orchestra music that flowed in through the open dining room doors.

On her right cheek glowed a blue symbol, the first glamour mark I’d been able to observe up close. The design featured what appeared to be musical notes. I assumed it meant she possessed musical glamour? Based on its unmissable placement, she was quite proud of it.

She smiled at me. “Hello. My esteem shines upon you.”

“Oh. Hello, it’s nice to meet you,” I said in return.

“I’m Ronia–of House Kyne.”

Taking a quick breath, I repeated what had become my standard lie. “I’m Wyn. House Elardis.”

Her mouth and eyes went round.

“Grand Star,youhad a long journey, didn’t you? I thought getting here from Windros was bad. What do you think of Sunspire so far? It’s massive, isn’t it? Although, I’ve never been to Altum. Maybe your home is bigger.”

“It’s not,” I assured her.

She laughed. “Hard to be.”

The woman on the other side of me didn’t greet me at all, too busy complaining to her male companion about being seated this far away from the royal table. I guessed it was an indication of social rank?

She was insisting the harried-looking man get up and go protest the “insult” they’d endured and get them moved to a more appropriate table.

Obviously, she had no desire to get to know anyone else at this “inferior” table—or shine heresteemupon us.

For that, I was grateful. The fewer Elves I had to speak to the better. At least Ronia was nice.

“Things are so different here,” she said. “Did you know they actually eat creatures from theocean?”

As if to demonstrate her point, a server set down a platter of steamed shrimp in the center of the table. Ronia wrinkled her nose at the sight of the pink crustaceans with their many legs and black eyes.

Having grown up notthatfar from the castle and the Great Gray Sea that it sat on, I’d seen them before at various local markets.

Never tasted them, though—they were extremely expensive.

I nodded as if I knew what I was talking about. “Shellfish are quite good. You should try it.”

“You’ve had it? All the way down in Altum, out in the woods?” She rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky. My father is so tight with his coin we never have imported food.”

That was a close one.If Ronia hadn’t answered her own question, I would have been in trouble.

It reminded me that as friendly as this girl was, I was always one careless word away from disaster here.

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