“I will not have my wife near the beast,” the eldest Prince replied. “She is to dine in her chambers tonight.”
No one outside of their proximity heard the exchange but Zev’s sharp hearing missed nothing. Not the grinding of King Yoel’s teeth at his son’s insolent tone, nor Princess Ariel’s soft gasp or Prince Tzuriel’s stifled cough.
The High King straightened in his seat and smiled at Zev and Dyna. “Quite an adventure you’ve had today. You must be famished.”
The servants came forward to serve dinner. They set the table with heaping trays of raw fruit and vegetables, bowls of nuts and seeds, and plates of dates and figs. Within golden goblets, they poured a white substance—sweet rice milk by the smell of it. Zev’s stomach rumbled with hunger but he was disappointed at the lack of meat. It was against the Celestial faith to eat the flesh of animals and to drink anything fermented. They believed it would taint their sanctity.
Regardless, the variety of food was perfect for his cousin because she too abstained from eating meat. She smiled when the servants set a plate of fruit before her. They served Zev the same along with a second plate containing light brown crumbles.
“That is called manna,” the High King told him. “You will find it delectable.”
Zev waited for the King to eat first before he dared reach for anything. The manna was similar to bread; the outside was a soft, crumbly texture while the inside tasted as sweet as honey. Heavenly was the easiest way to describe the strange food. But he was too uncomfortable to stomach another bite. The tension in the dining room was too palpable to ignore.
Utensils clinked against dishes as the royals picked at their food. Prince Malakel’s face remained pinched while Princess Ariel stared down at her lap. Only Prince Tzuriel ate as he listened to his father’s conversation with Dyna.
King Yoel’s laughter filled the room when she told him about her meeting with the Watchers and what she first thought was a talking tree. To which he said talking trees existed but not in Urn. He carried on with the conversation; either ignoring or oblivious to the temperament of the room. Servants and the Royal Guard watched with stern eyes, their scorn digging into the back of Zev’s skull.
But he and Dyna were not the only unwanted guests.
Cassiel sat with his chin resting on a fist, pushing a lump of food back and forth on his plate with a fork. Like his father, he didn’t notice or care about the sporadic glares shot his way by the servants and Prince Malakel. Queen Mirah glanced at the dark Prince next, and her features twisted with revulsion.
How could his mother look at him that way?
Cassiel was an obvious contrast to his family and to the entire Celestial population, Zev mulled. A stain on a sheet of white silk, judging by the contempt simmering in the faces of anyone who looked at him.
It could only mean one thing.
Inbred,the Madness whispered.As are you.
King Yoel let out another burst of laughter, silencing the whispers in Zev’s thoughts. “You sure are a lively girl. I find I haven’t been this well entertained in years!”
Zev forced a smile as he tried to straighten his thoughts. “She is wonderful, isn’t she?”
“As wonderful as her name. Dynalya, was it?”
“Yes, like the flower,” she said. “Are you familiar with it?”
The High King leaned on the armrest of his glass chair. “Oh yes, I’m familiar with the flower. It only grows within the Vale of the Elves. In the Elvish language,Dynalyameans ‘great healing’. Who named you?”
Dyna’s smile faltered. “My mother.”
Zev cleared his throat to draw the High King’s attention on him. “Dyna’s parents were Herb Masters and once owned an apothecary, sire. They taught her the ways of botany healing since she was a child. She has already completed her training and now holds to the trade herself.”
The expressions of King Yoel and the other Celestials who had been listening switched to amazement. Herb Mastery was a highly respected title given to accomplished healers. She possessed an in-depth knowledge of anatomy and the skills to use each medicinal plant in the region.
“You have become a Herb Master this young?” King Yoel said with great approval. “May I ask your age, Dynalya?”
“I have lived for eighteen-spring-seasons, Your Majesty.”
“Many are double your age before they have attained such an accomplishment. You’re quite the extraordinary human.”
Human.
The word had such a powerful effect in the room it was as though everyone sucked in a breath at once.
Prince Malakel lifted his burning gaze to the High King. “So, you do realizeitis, in fact,human. I was beginning to question your sanity, Father.”
King Yoel’s expression hardened at the blatant disrespect. “I am aware,” he said tightly.
