Page 37

My feet ached as I walked to the smallest dining room.

After the warden left, Clemencia taught me five more dances, stopping only so I could catch my breath and drink another vial of regeneration elixir. Though I was not a natural dancer, the choreography got easier and more fluid as we practiced. At the very least, my lady-in-waiting seemed impressed, and said we’d practice at least once more before we traveled to Avaldenn.

Two more days, I thought. I’d learned a lot in my time in the castle, such as how to use proper tableware, to dance, and how to address and interact with the varying levels of fae from the less powerful jarls and their families to the high lords and ladies of the Sacred Eight and the royal family.

But, of course, there was always more to learn, such as history and current events in Winter’s Realm. The names of the most important lords and ladies and their families were high on our list too. Thankfully, much of that could be learned from reading and I’d have plenty of time to do that in the sleigh on our journey east.

I reached the dining hall, and a servant dressed in a crimson uniform with a gold snow leopard above the heart opened the door for me. Roar waited at the small round table lit by six candles in the center. He stood at my approach and gave me a small bow. As I’d been taught, I curtsied.

“A natural,” he said, beaming at me. “Come, sit closer to me tonight. I want to hear about the rest of your lessons.”

“Clemencia is a strict teacher. I’m sure my feet will never recover.” I took my seat, and a servant swept in with wine and bread. I took both, and the servant gave an approving nod before he left the room to get the first course.

The household seemed to love the fact that I never skipped the bread or appetizers, and especially enjoyed it when I requested seconds. I suspected they weren’t used to ladies with a healthy appetite. How could I deny them the pleasure of serving one?

“You walked hours through the woods to get here. In piss poor shoes too.” Roar arched a brow. “Surely that was harder on your feet.”

“Snow and a wooden floor are very different.” I grabbed a roll and began to butter it. “How did your meeting with the merchants go?”

He released a long breath. “Well enough. They wish to import more from the Autumn Court. Unfortunately, no resolution was reached as I will need to clear such matters with the king. We might need to bring in more goods from the human world too.” He frowned.

“Really? Like what?”

“Foodstuffs.” A sigh gusted out of him as he plucked his own roll from the bread basket. “Once, my family did not need to ask the king for anything. We cared for our own people, but if something requires dealings with other kingdoms, now I must grovel.”

“That’s frustrating,” I took a bite of my roll, chewed, and swallowed before asking. “Why did the king become stricter?”

“Pardon?”

“You said that once your family did not need to ask. What changed?”

Not only did I hold interest because it pertained to Roar, but a lady needed to know this when at court.

“Ah, the change was in the past, not in my lifetime. Nor that of my father or grandfathers.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “But fae have long memories, and it’s difficult to let go of one’s family’s illustrious past.”

“Illustrious?”

“Once, we were more than wardens and protectors,” he explained. “The Lisikas were kings and queens of the west.”

My eyes widened. “That’s astounding. Were the other highborn families kings or queens once?”

Roar nodded. “The other high fae families were too. But there was a great war. One that decimated our lands, and only Queen Sassa Falk and her king consort had the power to save us all.”

“So, they made the rest bow?”

“And gave us a sliver of the power we once had in exchange for our loyalty. A pittance.” He spat the last word out with frustration and tore open the roll as though it had personally wronged him.

To me, it didn’t seem so bad. Roar lived in a castle. He had servants and whatever his heart desired. Yet, his family’s loss troubled him.

Long memories, indeed.

The first course arrived, a salad with the freshest of vegetables, and our discussion shifted. Roar instructed me in matters of his city or the kingdom, and I soaked it all in. By the time dessert came, sleepiness overcame me, and I considered skipping it. At least until I took my first bite of the dessert. “What is this?”

Roar grinned. “I thought you might like that.”

“Oh don’t be so smug! Answer me!”

He laughed heartily. The food had done him some good too and his dour mood when he spoke of his family had lifted. “Chocolate with vanilla icing. The Summer and Elven Courts specialize in growing chocolate. Believe it or not, they imported it from the human world and learned to work with the beans themselves.”