Page 13 of Draekora

As if sensing her hunger, a group of Meyarins dressed in pristine white tunics and tights entered the room, each holding an assortment of platters which they placed carefully around the table. When they were done, they bowed to the royal family and promptly left again.

“Aegis de garsa. Tenorae sana graifos. Les vael tor,” Astophe said, and Alex jumped slightly when everyone around the table repeated the words after him. It must have been some kind of prayer or blessing, she realised. Though, who exactly an immortal race would pray to, she had no idea.

“It’s an offering of gratitude,” Kyia whispered, sensing her confusion. “We give thanks to those who provided the meal, those who prepared the meal, and those in whose company we enjoy the meal.”

Alex nodded her understanding and looked surreptitiously around the table, watching as the Meyarins reached for various platters and began dishing food onto their plates. As the servings were passed around to her, Alex followed their lead. When she had a sizeable collection in front of her—all of it unrecognisable to her eyes—she turned to Zain.

“Is this like fairy food?” she asked, as quietly as she could. “If I eat it, am I going to be stuck here dancing naked on the table tops for all eternity?”

Zain, having just taken a bite of something that looked like mashed potato except that it was bright green, instantly began choking. He coughed loudly, trying to clear his throat, drawing the attention of the table. After a few hacking breaths, his airways cleared and he held up his hands to communicate he was okay, and the others slowly returned to their food and quiet conversations.

“Would you like to ask that question again in a way that makes even the slightest amount of sense?” he wheezed out, his voice raspy from coughing so hard.

“You know, fairy food,” Alex said. “Food of the Fae.”

Seeing his blank look, she glanced shiftily around the table, aware that she had to be careful with her next words. “Where I... come from... there are legends warning that if you enter the land of the Fae—the Fair Folk—or elves, depending on which story you hear, you’ll remain there forever if you let any food or drink touch your lips. They usually say you’ll be dancing until your feet bleed because you literally can’t stop, since the Fae are supposedly not very nice and will laugh at you forever.” Alex shrugged. “Of course, there are different tales too, but that one stuck in my head as a child. And let’s face it, you guys are as close to elves or Fae as I can imagine.”

For some reason, Zain, who had been amused throughout her explanation, scowled at her ending.

“The Fae here are an annoying race of hair-pulling, stone-throwing, insult-hurling critters who are no larger than the size of your hand,” he said. “Everything else you’ve heard is an urban myth circulated by the mortals of this world so their children don’t wander off alone. They say that if a youngling enters a mushroom circle, the Fae will shrink them down and take them into their tree hollows, never letting them leave. But I can assure you, they have no such power.”

Alex felt a pang in her chest at the memory of Skyla’s terror when they encountered the mushroom circle surrounding Raelia. In fact, the last words she’d said to Alex before Aven had ordered her death had been, ‘Don’t let the Fae take me.’ Even though she’d been shape-shifted into Jordan’s body at the time, the panic in her words had resulted in Alex awakening from many a nightmare in the last fortnight. Mostly because Skyla’s fears had at least somewhat come true, just not at the hand of the beings Zain described.

“We are not related to those troublesome pests in any way, shape or form,” Zain said. His offended look remained in place, but he nodded to her plate. “So eat up, little human, and enjoy the delicacies of Meya—and for the love of the stars, keep your clothes on.”

He pointedly turned back to his food, clearly done with their conversation. It was then that Alex felt Kyia’s shoulders shaking with laughter beside her, and when she glanced over, Roka was also looking down at his plate and fighting a grin.

Well, at leasttheywere amused.

Trusting Zain’s answer, Alex picked up her cutlery—which was, like most things in the Meyarin palace, made of Myrox— and cut into what looked like a steaming golden pear.When in Rome, she told herself, taking a small bite. As soon as the taste hit her, her eyes lit up with pleasure, and she automatically reached for more of the strange fruit.

Trying one thing after another, Alex steadily made her way through her meal, with each dish bringing more and more delight to her senses.

“You guys sure know how to impress a girl,” Alex said to Zain, wondering if it would be against royal etiquette to lick her plate clean once she was finished. “This is incredible.”

“This is nothing,” he replied, gesturing to the table. “You should see the banquets we hold at the turning of each season. Nothing can compare to the food and merriment of those celebrations.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Alex said. “I’ll have to come along and see for myself one day.”

A loud clatter diverted her eyes to the head of the table where she was instantly seared by the burning gaze of the queen. Niida looked irate. In fact, Alex half expected the monarch to leap bodily across the table and attack her with a fork.

“Or, um…” Alex cleared her throat. “Not.”

She lowered her eyes and ate the rest of her meal in silence, acutely aware of the queen’s hateful glare locked onto her the whole time.

“So, Alexandra,” Astophe said, drawing Alex’s startled gaze from where she was idly playing with what remained of her food, hoping dinner would soon be over so she could finally leave the tense atmosphere. “I hear you’ll be undertaking thevarrungardtomorrow. How do you believe you’ll fare?”

Alex flicked her eyes to Roka, wondering what the king was talking about.

“I haven’t had a chance to tell Alex about the trial yet, Father,” Roka said. “I was planning on doing so after our meal.”

The king raised an eyebrow, letting out a hearty chuckle. “Well, she’s certainly in for a surprise, isn’t she?”

“I give her an hour,” Gaiel said in a snide tone, his face set in a sneer. “Two at most.”

“I don’t know,” Riza said, her voice contemplative. “She seems rather durable for a mortal, and she does continue to surprise us. I say half a day.”

Alarmed by their words, Alex looked to Roathus, expecting him to offer his own opinion. But all he did was crinkle his eyes and send her an encouraging wink, something she found unexpectedly reassuring.

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