No one had come for her.
Without Queen Signe’s bargain, Elora would still be stuck in that dungeon.
So she shook thoughts of Eynallore and her family away, and focused on her future instead.
If she was to live in Irongate, if she was to be their queen, she would need to play by their courtly rules—starting with the queen.
Reluctantly, Elora pulled herself out of the gardens and made her way back into the castle. The rest of the castle hadfinally awoken, the servants scurrying through the halls to start their day. They gave Elora a wide berth, even with the hailstonenecklacerendering her Ashen powers utterly useless. Elora tried not to take it personally, and she didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, so she tried giving them space.
But as someone marched by with a heaping tray of fresh pastries, she had to stop them.
“Excuse me, are you taking those to the dining hall?”
“Y-yes, my lady,” the young woman squeaked. She glanced down the torch-lit hallway as if she was worried someone was about to yell at her. “I was told the royal family is expected to dine any minute now. Has there been a change of plans?”
Elora faltered. She was no longer accustomed to people looking to her for answers, let alone that the people of Irongate would willingly seek the word of an Ashen. But she supposed by now the queen had already informed the entire castle about her presence and the role she would soon inherit, otherwise every guard would’ve been upon her the minute she stepped foot out of her bedchamber.
“No, no change of plans, but I am in need of your assistance. I am still learning the layout of the castle and don’t know where our meals are to be held.”
The servant gave a curt nod, not a hair of her tightly wrapped, blonde bun falling out of place. “Of course, Princess Elora. Right this way.”
Elora held her breath as she followed the woman through the castle, wondering who else might be joining the meal. No matter who it was, it would be awkward nonetheless. There were centuries of distrust between the Ironbloods and the Ashen; that wouldn’t just disappear overnight. But hopefully the more they came to know Elora, the more trust they could help foster between their people.
Elora was surprised to find the dining hall nearly empty, only the queen waiting inside.
“Blessed day, Princess Elora,” the queen said in greeting, a golden goblet of wine swirling in her hand.
Elora gave her a stiff bow, still getting used to the respect and decorum she had long-since forgotten. “Blessed day, Queen Signe.”
“Please, sit. Join me for breakfast.”
Smoothing her silk gown beneath her, Elora did as was requested and took a seat near the queen at the end of the table, but with a respectable number of chairs between them.
“Will it just be the two of us?” Elora asked.
The queen finished a sip. “I’m afraid so. The twins left with Prince Leighton yesterday, and Barnabus and Niculas rarely take breakfast this early in the day.”
All the while the queen spoke, Elora couldn’t stop staring at the crimson stain on her teeth. It seemed thicker than wine, and it made Elora question whether she had been wrong about the contents of that goblet. With the curse in effect, she wasn’t even sure the queen could eat regular food. She would soon find out, she supposed.
The queen set her empty goblet down with a quiet thud. “Are you settling in well?”
Servants clustered around them, dishing fruits and meats and pastries onto their respective plates.
“Yes, I believe so,” Elora answered around the drool pooling on her tongue. It had been ages since she’d eaten anything other than moldy cheese and stale bread. It took every ounce of strength within her to keep her hands clasped politely in her lap while she waited for the cue to eat. Patience was her greatest strength though, and nothing would ruin this opportunity for her—if there was anyone in the castle worth impressing, it was the queen.
“Good. If there is anything you need, don’t hesitate to let one of the servants know.”
And with a wave of her hand, Queen Signe dismissed the flurry of service surrounding them, the servants retreating to the shadows and giving the two of them space to eat. Elora waited for the queen to take her first bite, but once she had, Elora delayed herself no longer. She picked up her fork and pierced a slice of cooked peach into her mouth. The combination of butter and sugar melted on her tongue, and Elora had to refrain from moaning.
If she had been alone, she would’ve cleared her plate in one inhale and regretted it afterward. Instead, she timed her bites with the queen’s, pausing in between to dab her mouth or take a sip of water. She was almost certain she caught the queen watching her on more than one occasion, which only served to bolster Elora’s steadiness more.
Elora hadn’t even eaten a third of the contents on her plate when a guard stormed into the room, disturbing their silence.
“My queen—” he bowed to Signe before hastily and warily addressing Elora. “My…lady.”
“We are in the middle of a meal,” the queen replied through a tight smile. “Surely this can wait until our daily check-in.”
“My apologies for the interruption, Queen Signe, but this is news you’ve requested to receive immediately.”
