I knew then I had made a grave mistake. I should have picked a dullard like Lord Parable. Then I could let him talk while I recovered myself. Instead, all I could do was follow him to a table close to one of the fireplaces, two away from the head table. Lord Draw signaled me to the far side of the table and we stood, waiting. The heat of the fire felt good on the half of my backside it reached.
Everyone remained standing while the queen lifted her golden chalice. A large blue rock to match her necklace sparkled on the front of it. I hoisted my own cup, surprised to find it already half-full.
“A toast to our new friend, Lady Dottie of Mayfair. May your advice be true and your seer be...reliable.” She gave a tinkle of laughter—she was the only one—before everyone took a long drink.
It was wine, bitter and dark; nothing like what my parents poured for me and Fern on New Year’s Eve. I swallowed quickly and tried not to look as if anything was amiss.
Then the smell of roasted meat hit my nose. Servants entered through a smaller set of doors, carrying full platters. That seemed to signal to everyone they could sit. Lord Draw and I sat side by side on one bench, the fire to our backs. Chatter started up again in the expansive dining hall.
A girl—maybe early high school if we had been back home—set a platter in the center of the table. “Thanks a bunch,” I told her. Both the girl and Lord Draw looked at me, surprised. I avoided their eye contact by checking once more for Jerrald, but he was nowhere to be found. I would have liked to thank him, and he was more familiar at this point than Lord Draw—I couldn’t believe I called him “Lord Solicitor.”
Lord Draw nudged the platter nearer. “A slice of beef?”
“Oh yes.” I took two slices and piled my plate full of mashed turnips, a mess of greens and sprouts dressed in sweet glaze, and slices of hearty bread, then ate ravenously. It was simple food, with little spice, but well cooked.God, that tastes good.When did I last eat? Apple slices and peanut butter that morning? I couldn’t stop, nearly filling my mouth again before I swallowed. I took another sip of the sour wine.
Lord Draw plopped seconds on my plate before I could ask. It was only in the second round that I slowed enough to look around. Still no Jerrald. Other tables had similar platters of meat and bowls of salad and turnips, but at the head table, Ariana was tipping an oyster into the queen’s mouth.
I took a shallow drink of wine and realized the sour flavor was starting to fade.
“You do realize the danger you’re in, don’t you?”
I turned too quickly and found only Lord Draw’s olive eyes. No one had sat across from us, and I felt suddenly alone with him despite the crowded hall. I was instantly on guard. “What do you mean? I’m here to help Queen Elthra.”
“You’re lying. And doing it badly.”
I raised a brow as if I was insulted but didn’t reply, only filled my mouth with another bite of roasted meat and chewed it thoughtfully. Lord Draw ate as well. He didn’t seem to expect an answer, didn’t even seem to think it was a problem I was lying, only that I should be better at it.
He wouldn’t say that if he knew who he was sitting next to. I thought I was doing quite well actually. I was a visitor from another world, already accepted. Plus, I’d established where and when I was in book five. The moment I had time with my quill, I could sketch out all the scenes to come and what I needed to change. The problem so far was I’d been in motion since I’d arrived.
Perhaps I should have come up with a simpler backstory, but I still thought I could slide effortlessly into life at the castle, slowly win people over. I knew advanced statistics for goodness’ sake. It couldn’t be that hard to impress undereducated folk who thought horseback riding was the new big thing.
I looked at the queen again. The greatest threat of downfall would be if the queen never came to trust me. She was suspicious and the queen didn’t know me from the Dark Mage. The thought made me shiver despite the fire’s blaze. What Queen Elthra had said earlier was true—you didn’t want to be on her bad side.
Just then, the doors of the hall boomed open. I spun in alarm, terrified to find the deadly Lionsgate horde pour through. Instead, it was a man with ink black hair, wide shoulders, and daggers at his side.
Ironclaw at last!
