Page 39 of A Song of Shadow and Starlight

I crinkle my nose, "What's a girls' night?"

Her jaw drops, and she shakes her head at me with doe eyes. "I'll be back in a few minutes. We're going to have a proper girls' night."

Before I can have her clarify what she means, she slips out of the room, and shuts the door behind her. As promised, she returns with a basket of goodies in her arms. After securing the lock on our door, she scurries to her bed and rests the wicker basket on her mattress. She grabs a bottle of wine by the neck and pulls it out for me to see.

"A girls' night isn't a girls' night without a little wine," her smile is so wide and bright it makes me smile. "I also have plenty of snacks. I was able to convince the front desk clerk to help me stock up for the night, even though the kitchen closed an hour ago." As she continues to empty the basket of goodies, I see she managed to acquire two different types of chocolates, fruit, dried meats, small pieces of cheese, and flaky pastries that smell heavenly. She carefully pours two glasses of wine and hands me one, which I gratefully accept.

I swirl the red liquid in the long-stemmed glass, putting my nose closer to smell the rim. "Floral, fruity, and I detect a hint of spice." I take a sip and close my eyes. How ironic, that with a cellar full of wine from across the Six Kingdoms of Dalerin at my disposal in the Golden Palace, I'd find the best tasting option in a hotel in Bava.

"I hope it's ok," Eris takes a hearty gulp. "It's all they had."

My eyes fly open. "This is delicious!" I grab the bottle and look at the label and see it's a local wine. "I don't recall seeing any vineyards during our trek through the jungle."

She laughs. "The vineyards are further north, toward The Quarters. Less jungle and more hilly terrain. The Bavans make fine wine, grow incredibly delicious vegetables, and their soil," she kisses her fingers and makes a pop noise, "is coveted around the Six Kingdoms."

I would ask her all about the Bavan agriculture, but I highly doubt that's what one discusses during a girls' night. Although, I'm not really sure what the topics of conversation normally include. I know before any royal event or ball, I'm given a list of Do's and Don'ts.Dotalk about the weather.Don'ttalk about politics.Dotalk about music, literature, and the arts.Don'ttalk about war, trade, or finances. The more I think about it, even though I'm the heir to the throne, I'm not allowed to discuss anything of value with anyone. I'm meant to look pretty, act polite, and smile and wave as if I'm just the symbol of the crown and not the power behind it.

My nostrils flare in irritation. How did I not see this before? How have I been so blind to what my own parents were doing all these years?

"Are you alright?" Eris' voice pulls me back from the dark recesses of my mind. "You look like you were lost in thought."

"It's nothing." I shake my head, waving my hand in the air. "It's probably not a conversation worthy of girls' night, although, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to talk about."

"You can talk about anything on girls' night. It's just about hanging out with your friends and having fun." She pops a piece of cheese in her mouth and moans. "I didn't think I'd miss cheese so much."

"We have cheese in Midori," I remind her, but her eyes darken.

"Not for the staff though." She shrugs and I feel my cheeks flush in embarrassment. "I can't really complain though. Servants might not have gotten delicacies like cheese and meat, but we still ate well. I just had to give up my love of cheese for a couple of months," she winked, but it doesn't make me feel any better.

"I'm sorry," I lower my glass, tapping the flute with the tips of my fingers. "Had I known…"

Eris leans forward and grabs my forearm. "There's nothing to apologize for."

I clear my throat, hoping we can talk about something less depressing. "Tell me about your sisters."

An expression of what could only be described as bittersweet, flashes across her face, but she smiles and bobs her head. "As I told you before, I'm the middle child of five sisters. Jocasta is the oldest, and heir to the Hydran Throne. She looks and acts exactly like our mother."

"Queen Astraea Talay," I say proudly, at least knowing one thing about Hydran royalty.

She dips her head, though her smile fades when I mention her mother.

"Jocasta has water mimicry, meaning she can turn herself into water, and she is a master of her craft," Eris continues. "Thalia, my second sister, uses her water magic for healing. Clio can breathe underwater in her above-surface form. The rest of us need to transform into our Hydran forms to breathe underwater. And Hestia, the youngest, absorbs water, so if she really wanted to, she could dehydrate a body of water, and even steal moisture from mortals. She's the one sister I fear for because I'm sure my mother would like to use Hestia's magic for selfish reasons."

"And your mother?" I wait for her to meet my gaze. "What magic does she possess?"

"She is a storm conjurer. Hurricanes seem to bring her joy, especially when she sinks ships." Eris shrugs, taking another sip of wine. "From what I've heard, she hasn't done that in a while, thank the stars."

"What about your magic?" I ask, fascinated. "Is it true only the royal family has water magic?"

She chuckles lightly at my girlish curiosity. "Yes, it's true, only House Talay possesses different forms of water magic. My affinity is creatures."

"Creatures? What do you mean?"

An impish smile spreads across her brown face. "Would you like me to show you?"

I set my glass down on the nightstand between our beds and nod my head. "Absolutely."

"Alright," she sets her wine beside mine. "What is your favorite animal?"

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