“I’m sorry, Loti,” I smirked.
“You wipe that smile off your face.” She swatted me with her towel. “Sit down and eat before I have to wallop you.”
Inok and I shared a look and promptly sat at the counter.
“Asha’s back, Loti. Could you make sure she is fed?”
“You heard your king, get upstairs and feed that animal,” she barked to her full staff.
“But what do we feed her, miss?” a young maid asked.
Loti jutted her chin forward in disbelief. “Asha is a cetani. Take her a goat.”
“A full one?” another asked incredulously.
“Unless you’d like to chop it in half for her first?” she snapped.
“No, miss,” the fae replied, curtseying, and rushing out of the kitchens.
“If you aren’t going to be nicer to them, we’ll have to find new help by the end of the Trials.”
“Oh, aye,” she agreed. “It’s hard to find good help around here though, so good luck.”
She was in a mood. I shoveled the eggs into my mouth and hoped I could get away before she tried to put me to work. Inok must have been thinking the same thing because he finished before I did. We set the dishes in the sink and just as we were about to leave, she caught me.
“I’ll expect you for dinner, or would that be too much for an old female to ask?”
“I’m more than twice your age, old female. I’ll be in the hall for dinner, I promise.”
“See that you are.” She shooed us out the door.
“The next time I cross paths with Morwena, remind me to bring Loti,” I joked with Inok as we walked down the halls.
He stopped immediately and turned to me.
“What do you mean, the next time?” he asked.
“Oh right, I should probably get you caught up.” I looked to the full hallways of fae bowing and otherwise avoiding me. I shook my head. “Not here, Inok. Best come to my rooms.”
After telling Inok everything that had happened with Murtad, the tavern, and finally Morwena, it was safe to assume he’d never leave my side again, whether I ordered him to or not, but we carefully laid out a plan just in time to stop and see Brax before the Trials began.
“How do you feel?” I asked him as he swung a sword back and forth.
“I feel lucky, Your Grace. It’s quite an honor to be chosen as your champion, especially since I don’t work in the pits.” He sheathed his sword.
“I’ve watched you grow from a boy, just as I watched my own son. You’re a good lad, Brax. Just keep an eye on that right side of yours and leave your emotions out of it.”
“Okay,” he answered, hopping from foot to foot.
“Remember what I told you,” Inok added. “You’ve been trained like a soldier, they’ve been trained like street fighters. They won’t fight with honor, so don’t expect that from them. You watched Greeve last time. Attoc’s males are especially ruthless. Keep your eyes open. Even when you think they are down, they probably aren’t.”
“Got it.”
“The first fighter will have naught but his upbringing for training. He will know how to fight, but not well enough to best you. He personally slighted your king, and you’re there to teach him a lesson. Think you can handle that?”
He stopped his warmup and looked at me. “With pleasure.”
“How have your mornings with Muth been?” I asked.
