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“What is wrong with my clothes?” She narrowed her gaze at him, catching his eyes flickering quickly up to her face. He couldn’t stop his cheeks from flushing, though he made sure his voice was steady. “Nothing. Let’s go.” With that he turnedand strode down the hall, completely ignoring his manners of letting her walk before him.

Chapter 22

Noora

This was a perceptually bad idea. She should have taken Lulva and left the palace already, it was the right thing to do. Now that the prince had ordered her out of the orphanage, it was up to his choice what Lulva would do with her life. Noora and she could have left the kingdom and started a new life. They still would. After this horrific dinner was over.

Something stabbed at her heart when thinking of making Lulva flee. The way her face lit up with joy when meeting a girl her own age and receiving attention from Nikolai’s sister like she never had before. And Noora knew she deserved it. Lulva was one of the kindest humans she knew, she had big heart and it made Noora worry all the time. Someone could take advantage of it, leaving the young girl encasing it behind.

The only reason she agreed to sit at the elongated table in the dining hall of the ice palace was Lulva and the way she lit up from the inside when Josephine asked for them to stay longer.

Silver clinked beside her and Noora flinched, her gaze flying to the head of the table where currently Nikolai resigned, his gaze placed intently on her.

His mother was occupying the place at the other end of the table, her black hair woven into an updo today, a few curled strands escaping the tight masterpiece on her head and brushing her clothed shoulders.

She had on a tight black gown that roved up until it met her jaw, just like the last one she had on when announcing the participants in town.

She was currently enraptured in a conversation with Kekoa, who was seated beside her, talking her ear off for the past half an hour. The seat beside him and across from her was occupiedby Sören, who was stuffing his face with meatballs and boiled potatoes, eliciting a disgusted sound from Tyra, who took the place left by her mother. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere else than this dinner table and Noora could not agree more.

Her plate lay in front of her and she was wondering which of the four forks displayed on the left side of her plate were appropriate to use.

Why were there even four forks? Could she not use one for all of the meals held at one dinner? It seemed more than unnecessary and rather ridiculous to use that many dishes that had to be washed later.

But why would the royals care? They were not the ones doing the washing.

“The inner one.”

Snapping out of her thoughts, turning to her right, she noticed Pika staring at her. “Use the fork on the far right.”

She blinked confused, before taking the fork in her hand. It was heavier than she expected.

“Thanks.” It slipped past her lips without her wanting to. Pika threw her a small smile in return.

When she took a bite of the meat she had to suppress a groan at the taste. The meat was so tender it melted on her tongue like sugar did in tea, the flavours of garlic and olive oil coating her tongue heavenly.

She knew the food in the palace was good. Even the small platter Tyra brought her the other night tasted like how she imagined freedom felt.

Without any hesitation, Noora focused on clearing her plate in a matter of seconds. She tried to keep herself from licking the sauce from the plate. She had never eaten this good in her life and apparently, her hunger wasn’t as unnoticed around her as she expected. Without anyone noticing, Nikolai nickedher plate and switched it with his, which was still full to the brim, the meat and potatoes steaming.

Noora looked up at him, narrowing her gaze. “I’m full, thank you.”

He raised his brows. “I doubt that. When was the last time you even ate a full steaming platter of food?”

“A few seconds ago,” she told him with a sarcastic smile but if she was being honest she could not remember the last time she had a proper meal.

“Instead of being sarcastic, which is the lowest form of communication I might add, you should eat. You will need the strength in the tournament.” Nikolai leaned closer to her while talking, avoiding the attention of the other participants of the dinner.

“I am not taking part,” she said through her teeth. Nikolai raised a brow at that, making his features slip into that arrogant mask she despised.

“Eat,” he concluded.

Gripping her fork in her hand, Noora did the only plausible thing she could at that moment.

She kicked her foot out under the table and came into contact with his shin, making the man wince.

His jade eyes flew back to her, looking clearly offended as if he had never come upon someone like her. His brows narrowed over his eyes as his cheeks flushed in anger. “Did you just kick me?”

“Don’t tell me what to do and I won’t kick you.”