Page 10 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
“There is a family dinner after the meeting tonight. Tomorrow, you will be judging the finalists of the fighting tourney and announcing the winner. The day after morrow will be the wedding, and don’t forget the afternoon tea with all of the eligibles before the Summer Masquerade, and then the final day’s closing ceremonies.”
Julian felt his heart sink with each list his mother handed him.
He tried to scan them all with his [Quick Read] perk before the elevator deposited them on the top floor, but there wassomuch more to do than the few things she’d chosen to actually mention. He gave up and put everything in his storage ring so he could greet the five people sitting around a table waiting for them in the meeting hall.
“Good, you’re here. We were just going over the proceedings.” Their Royal Highness Rowen of Peldeep nodded, greeting them from a seat at the other side of the round table. The shifter had taken the appearance of a stately green-skinned elf gentleman wearing an arachne-silk black tunic and trousers. King Keith and Commander General Rufus Triever of the Dark Enchanted Forest of Nilheim sat to the left of Rowen. To the right sat his sister, Countess Julia von Slyke, and her intended, Necromancer Chloe Watercress.
His sister smiled at him warmly, and he tried to return it. He hadn’t been there for her as much as he would have liked, and now Julia was all grown up and starting a family of her own.
All of the letters they’d exchanged over the last twenty years far outnumbered the few times they’d sat down at the same table.
He took a seat beside his mother as Their Royal Highness continued. “The first to enter will be the commander general—Ah, my apologies, are you going by just Rufus now?”
Julian hadn’t heard that Rufus had been deposed of his title, and made a note to catch up on current affairs before the Masquerade.
“As you say, Your Highness.” Rufus brought his hands together on the table and leaned forward. “I’m using my class title Protector for now.”
“Good, good,” the fox approved. “We will have you escort Gladiator Hana Lanora from Julia’s adventuring party, and King Keith will follow next escorting Striker Wendy Lanora—”
“Shouldn’t Keith enter first?” Julian asked. “As aking?”
Rowen grinned. “They’reChloe’s best men, so I assume the slight is on purpose?”
“Keep it the way it is,” Chloe ordered, looking smug.
“I told you that you should’ve made her your best man,” Rufus whispered to the Dark Lord, who merely crossed his arms and accepted his fate.
Julian sat and listened while Rowen laid out the wedding ceremony, the reception, and the proceedings leading up to the event. He only had a small part to play in each which came down to “stand here,” “escort Julia there,” and “exit over there.”
It took two hours.
CHAPTER 5
My Ex-Husband
Gerda
Raspelder berry. Meadowmint. Chamomile. Dewdrop pettle. Nettle. Peldeep Breakfast Blend.
So many varieties of tea!
I opened a jar of the Peldeep Breakfast Blend and inhaled. It was a mix of tannins with a hint of malt. The leaves were dried and crushed, unlike the intact full petals of the tisanes.
“May I help you, miss?” A pixie with bright-blue skin and violently sunflower-yellow hair flew up to the ledge of the tea shelf I was examining. She was wearing pants and a floral shirt … as in, a shirt made out of actual flower petals.
“Yes,” I said, pointing at the jars and ordering a medium-sized bag for each of my favorite teas.
Pixie Prim tea was a staple of my daily life.
“Right away, miss!” the pixie replied, taking several trips to fulfill my order.
“Maybe I should grab some too …” Bronwynn searched the jars. “But I’m not sure which tea Rufus would like. He prefers wine.”
“I have a fine selection of reds in the back,” the pixie offered, having flown back to grab the bag of chamomile.
Bronwynn followed the pixie to the main desk, where another pixie—this one with bright-yellow skin and pink hair—showed the half giantess their alcohol selection.
“Is there anything you’re looking for at the market?” I asked Henrietta, who was standing beside me, eyeing the tea.
