Page 61 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

Sofia had seemed like she might still resist, but when Helena sat, she went across the room to a table near the door to retrieve two extra plates. She set one in front of Helena, who grunted her thanks at her, and then took the seat on my left.

The three of us dished up our plates in relative silence. Sofia had eaten already so she only took a small portion of every dish, but Helena spooned heaps of food onto her plate and then insisted I wait while she tried everything.

“So, Sofia, tell me about you,” I suggested when the silence became overbearing.

“I am an Árgoesi who moved to Kórinthos with a goal of working on staff for Princess Rhea,” she began.

“Árgoesi must be from Árgos,” I guessed, recalling the names of the five city-states that Riordan had recited to me the night before.

“That’s right,” said Sofia before she bit tentatively into a pastry. I could tell she felt strange about eating with me, andshe eyed Helena’s enthusiastic indulgence with raised brows. “I will arrange for you to be tutored. You should know about our world,” she told me.

“A wise choice,” Helena observed approvingly around a mouthful of her food.

“Have you been a handmaid for long?” I asked Sofia.

“Three decades. I served many ladies in Árgos and a couple in Kórinthos before coming into Princess Rhea’s employment,” Sofia informed me.

A knock at the door had my new handmaid looking confused and concerned, but then she rose quickly to her feet at the same time that Helena did.

“I will answer,” Sofia assured my guardian.

“Then I shall protect you as you do,” Helena retorted.

Sofia was far too polite to roll her eyes, but I could tell she was tempted as she went to crack open my door.

“Your Majesty!” she gasped in shock, opening the door just a little wider as she swept into a deep curtsy before rising elegantly. “Her ladyship is not yet dressed.”

“Sofia, it is alright,” I called, which seemed to further confuse and distress her, and the poor thing froze.

“No formalities,” Helena reminded her as she gripped the door to open it for Riordan.

Sofia stepped back as my mate walked into the room with Orion who eyed my new handmaid with a distrustful glower on his way by her.

“I thought we would eat together,” Riordan advised me as he leaned over to kiss my forehead sweetly, but I was rather distracted.

He was wearing gold armour like all the other soldiers with that sinfully detailed breastplate and a kilt of leather pleats that exposed his tanned, muscled thighs. The red cloak swept back over his shoulders, so I could admire the bands of muscle in hisarms, and I was right. He looked so good with a bit of charcoal smudged under his eyes.

I realized too late that my physical reaction to him was probably embarrassingly obvious to the Ktínos who could sense it. I glanced up and quickly confirmed my suspicion when I saw Orion frown and Helena smirk at me.

“You tasted all of the food?” Orion asked Helena who inclined her head in affirmation.

“Is poison really that much of a concern? Ares insisted on sniffing all my soaps and creams before I used them last night,” I told Riordan as he took the seat on my right. Being close to him was always enrapturing, but in that armour, I couldn’t help it when my eyes traced over him.

“I am glad he is being thorough. It is not… unheard of for poison to be used here,” my mate answered.

My handmaid seemed to regain her composure and retrieved two more plates from the table at the door.

“Apologies, your Majesty, I was not expecting you or I would have had more food brought up,” she said softly as she set one plate in front of him. Then she hesitated next to Orion who had insisted on sitting in the seat next to Riordan despite Helena’s full plate of food already being on the table across from me.

Helena snorted at him moodily as she shifted her plate down the table and then went to grab a fifth stool while Sofia set another empty plate in front of Orion. My tiny breakfast table could really only sit four winged people comfortably, but I was not about to displace anyone.

“Sofia, please sit,” I invited her. I scooched my stool closer to Riordan and gestured to her seat next to me when it looked like she meant to step away.

“Oh, I could never presume to—” she began to protest with a nervous glance at Riordan.

“Sit,” Orion ordered her, sharp and unconditional, and I knew instinctively he wanted the opportunity to assess her for himself. And while I did understand the need for caution with my new handmaid, I wouldn’t wish Orion’s attitude on anyone. So I glared at him.

“She was selected and appointed by Rhea so just leave her alone,” I ordered before softening my gaze to look back up at Sofia. “It is alright,” I tried to reassure her.

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