Edmea stepped forward, smug. Her pink hair was pulled back with a black ribbon. She also appeared to have made some effort with the loose, dark gown. A bejeweled clip that Arris had earlier seen in her hair now pinched the fabric to accentuate her waist. She looked, as always, glorious.
Edmea was quiet for a moment as she surveyed the space. And then she dipped her head.
“Majesty, I would add chairs, but beautiful chairs that are imbued with the power to move about the table, so that every dignitary may spend time at the right-hand side of the king and queen.”
It was a clever answer and the dining hall responded appropriately. Out of the stone, several chairs surfaced. They were made of finely carved wood and began to drift lazily about the circle. They were certainly beautiful… but they did not look comfortable. The carved wood resembled a rose beset with thorns and there was no cushion on the narrow seat.
“How would you improve this, Talvi?” asked the queen.
Talvi stepped forward. “They are homesick, so I would add a fragrance that brings them instant comfort, that they might be relieved of their weariness but not forget the reason why they traveled so far.”
Yvlle frowned. “That is a dangerous little ice doll, Brother. Be wary of her.”
Arris noted that his sister did not take her eyes off Talvi. Ever.
After Talvi, the contestants began to add and embellish in quick succession. Cordelia, a blue-skinned maiden from the Famishing, was the first to earn a smile from Queen Yzara after pointing out that they did not know the environment of the dignitaries, and thus the room should adjust to what they breathed. Zoraya added bubbles of light and quiet, for those who found themselves overwhelmed by theevening’s festivities. After Ursula—who added enchanted plates to warm the food so that the guests would not feel rushed through their meal—and Heka—who adorned the space with music that adjusted to their moods—only Orinthia and Demelza remained.
“Well?” asked Queen Yzara.
Orinthia looked frantic. Her eyes leapt from the lights to the stones. She stammered:
“Perhaps flowers native to their realm?” she said. “For beauty?”
Arris saw that his mother fought back a yawn at the suggestion. Orinthia looked shamefaced as she sank back into line. Finally, Arris could see Demelza fully. More and more, her red hair was on display, though there were still patches of mud and twigs concealing it. Arris remembered her wide-eyed panic from the first trial, and thought she would look just as mortified…
But she did not.
“And you?” asked Yzara.
Clearly, his mother considered this nothing more than a formality. He could see her tapping her toes against the stone, glancing toward the exit. Perhaps she could see Arris and Yvlle through the enchanted pane, for he swore his mother caught his eye just then, as if warning him to stay put.
“This isn’t fair,” said Arris.
“No,” said his sister. “It is not.”
“What do we do?” asked Arris.
But his sister was watching Demelza. Alone of the contestants, Demelza did not speak immediately. She lookedunhurried as she stepped forward and walked in a slow circle about the table. She paused, staring at the food.
“Today, child,” said Yzara, annoyed.
What Demelza did next was nothing short of ridiculous. She reached forward and stuck her finger in the main stew. On the sidelines, Edmea gave a horrified gasp. Demelza looked up and smiled at her. Then she gave the stew a good swirl before tasting it. Immediately, her face scrunched into a grimace. A second later, she broke off a piece of the venison. After a single nibble, she frowned again. Then she went for the boar. She had hardly put it in her mouth before she spat it out on the table.
“You… you ate the food,” said Queen Yzara.
“As I imagine a guest would,” said Demelza, facing his mother.
Yzara was stone-faced. “And?”
Demelza wiped her mouth and then curtsied. “Your Majesty, there is only one thing this meal is lacking in entirety: salt.”
Yzara stared at Demelza. Her eyebrows shot up her forehead. Her head tilted ever so slowly, as if she were seeing Demelza clearly for the first time. She smiled. And then, Queen Yzara began to laugh.
25A Salty Swan
Queen Yzara laughed. Not at her, as Demelza had initially worried, but because of her. Demelza felt as if a thread of gold had shot through her veins. She grinned, but the person she wished to grin at was not here. Throughout the trial, she had glanced at the walls, the ceiling, even the floor. Each time wondering whether there was someone hidden. But only the queen watched them.
“You have all done well, but only one of you has managed to surprise me,” said the queen. “Opulence, ornaments and over-the-top frivolities are all hallmarks of a memorable queen… but a true one does not neglect the fundamentals. Such attention to detail is as fundamental as salt is to food. I find myself… impressed.”
