Was she ashamed of how she'd acted?
She should be.
Well, not really.
She hadn't done anything wrong. Even if we were a couple, which we weren't, she could ride with anyone she wanted. What rubbed me the wrong way was how she'd looked at that commander.
"Each floor of the dormitories has its own communal bathroom facilities," Jarren said as we moved on. "One for guys and one for gals."
Codric leaned closer to me. "Reminds me of the academy back home, but back there we had privileges."
Being royalty had its advantages. While other cadets had shared communal bathrooms, Codric and I had our own bathroom and nice, private rooms. The excuse had been that we had required extra security, which had been true.
Things were not as peaceful in Eluria as they appeared to outsiders, and political kidnappings and assassinations were not uncommon. What was common was the suppression of publicityabout them. The rags sometimes published the stories, but most of the public believed that they were fabrications or conspiracy theories.
We continued following Jarren through the corridors until we reached a set of large double doors, which he pushed open. "And this is the mess hall, where you'll take all your meals according to the schedule Captain Odinah outlined. First years also rotate kitchen cleanup duty, but yours won't start until you get settled." He smiled. "At first, you will be too exhausted just trying to keep up with the training schedule. After that, the roster will be posted weekly."
"Oh, the joy," Shovia murmured loud enough for everyone to hear.
48
KAILIN
"When caught between powerful magnetic currents, even the wisest dragon may lose its bearings."
—Ancient Elucian Teaching
The double doors to the dining hall swung open, and I nearly stumbled backward at the unexpected sight. Unlike the austere stone corridors we'd just traversed, the chamber before us was alive with warmth and mouthwatering aromas.
Three long tables stretched across the room, laden with platters of steaming food—roasted meat, mountains of vegetables, baskets of fresh bread, and pitchers of what looked like some kind of juice or wine.
But more surprising than the feast was the reception. The staff stood in the back of the room next to the door leading to the kitchen, and the cadets who had been selected in the two previous pilgrimages stood next to the tables. The moment we entered, they broke into applause.
"Welcome, new riders!" called a stout woman who appeared to be the head cook, given the pink pointed hat covering her hair.
I felt awkward, not knowing what to do other than murmur my thanks for the feast and the warm welcome, but with Shovia by my side, my awkwardness didn't last long.
Never one to hold back, she extended her hand to the nearest server, a young man with a nervous smile. "Thank you so much! I'm Shovia, and this meal and your warm welcome mean the world to us." She moved to the woman standing next to him. "This was the most grueling experience of my life." She moved to the next. "Did you know that we almost lost half our group in an avalanche?"
The cook nodded. "We would love to hear all about it, dear, but the food is waiting, and everyone is hungry. Eat first. Talk later."
Given the many murmurs of agreement, the cook was right, and even though the tea had made me forget about the hunger, I wanted to sit down, eat, and relax.
It had been a long and eventful day, and I was exhausted physically and mentally.
"They always do this," said a female voice behind me. I turned to find one of the cadets from the previous pilgrimages sitting backward on her bench so she could talk to us. "I'm Lilah. Second pilgrimage of this year."
"Kailin." I stretched my arm across to her.
She shook my hand and then Shovia's. "The kitchen staff consists mostly of people who failed rider training or got injured and couldn't continue. They wanted to stay, so they took onauxiliary duties." She looked around as if she was about to tell us a secret, then leaned forward. "Most have a partner who's a rider, and some even have kids. The Citadel is not just a military installation. It's a community."
"That's nice." I wondered why Dylon never mentioned any of this.
Was it really a secret that only riders were privy to? Or did he want to avoid Gran's prodding about finding a nice rider girl to settle down with?
"Yeah." Lilah waved a hand at the table. "Better start eating or Darma will swat you with her spatula."
I chuckled. "Wouldn't want that."
