“Well, that is far better than chicken and lettuce,” I said after I’d chewed and swallowed. “It’s very good. You should try it.”
It was only then that Lance would. Mother and her bile was shoved to one side, replaced instead by the much gentler sounds of hundreds of people enjoying a meal together. Sparrow was like a machine, mowing through a truly shocking amount of food, only stopping to take a breath or to extol the virtues of various dishes. I tried to listen, buttheymade it difficult.
Being watched as I ate was never a pleasant experience. It felt like my mother had been doing that since the moment I was born, begrudging me every morsel, but there was no mistaking the attention I received from the silver riders as maternal. It was as if every slice of my knife, every stab of my fork, was enthralling, an impression that only intensified as I pushed the food between my lips.
These males are arrogant, Auren informed me as a man ran forward, laying a side of beef before her. Every single dragon was being fed the same way, but she disregarded her meal, staring across the courtyard at the silvers. Their heads rose up, necks arching, forcing the humans to freeze on the spot. I thinkthey wondered then if these strange new dragons saw them as food, or the beef they hauled over.They think they are entitled to us.
“I’ll have a word with them if you like, milady.” I turned to see Lance was leaning closer, but it was his expression that surprised me. Eyes blazing, he made clear in what capacity he meant. “Get those insolent curs keeping their eyes to themselves.”
My knife dragged across my plate. I winced at the sound metal on ceramic made, then forced myself to smile at the rider.
“There’s no need for that.” One of the silver dragons took a step towards Auren, but her roar echoed across the courtyard, communicating how unwanted this attention was. The brown dragon beside her bristled, standing up on his claws, revealing his considerable size. The silver dragon made a rattling sound of discontent, then stepped backwards, but not before he snatched the meat from the nearest human’s grip. “Giving them the attention they so obviously desire will just fuel whatever madness rides them.”
“Madness…” Sparrow swallowed with effort. “Yes, that’s what it is.”
Without a second word, she turned back to her food, freeing us to do the same.
Dinner went by relatively uneventfully. Our bellies were filled and that and the slight buzz a glass of wine had me sitting back with a flop when the plates were cleared away.
I just didn’t expect to see the tables go with it.
Tablecloths were stripped, lamps moved to the perimeter of the courtyard and the same hulking lads that brought the dragons their food now came to retrieve the tables. I was forced to scramble backwards, and as soon as I was up from my chair, that was removed as well.
“Dancing…” Sparrow sighed, holding her hands folded against her chest. “Gods, I love to dance and under the moonlight, while an orchestra plays?”
“Gods, I forgot about this part.” Lance looked slightly flustered.
“Lance!” Before the rider could elaborate, several riders appeared. One slung his arm around the man’s shoulders, the others thrusting a glass into his hand, and then filling it with a golden liquid. “You’ve got to come and drink with us.”
“Lads—” Lance shot me a frazzled look.
“It’s tradition!” Another insisted, drinking straight from the bottle, then offering it to the others. “A glass for every stripe you earn.”
The first man turned to us.
“Ladies.” His bow was a little sloppy and he grinned in recognition of that as he straightened up. “We just need to borrow Lance for just a moment.”
The man himself shot us a wide-eyed look, right as he was steered away.
“Well.” Sparrow came to stand beside me. “That was interesting. I was sure the lieutenant and those silver riders were going to fight for your honour before the entire keep.”
“No.” I said that far too fast. “No, that’s ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous?” she spluttered. “Obsessed is what I’d call it. Lance barely ate a thing, but I supposed it’d be hard to pine for you, mentally plot the silver riders’ demise, and eat dinner at the same time.”
“Oh no, that wasn’t what happened.”
I like this one, Auren said, forcing me to look up and meet her golden gaze across the flagstone.
“Wasn’t it?” Sparrow grinned. “Or maybe it was plot the silver rider’s demise, then pine for you. I couldn’t tell.” Without waiting for a response from me, she turned towards the silver riders who were the last to be dislodged from their table. “So do you dare dance with one of them? I admit I don’t remember blood being shed on the dance floor before this, but there’s always the first time for something.”
“Blood… shed…?” I croaked.
“Here comes some other cadet.” Sparrow seemed to be enjoying herself far too much. “Perhaps we have a third contingent ready to make a play for your hand.”
But he wasn’t here for me. With a smile and perfectly polite bow, he turned to Sparrow.
“Miss Sparrow, can I have the honour of this dance?”
