The servants place the pheasant on the table in front of the queen, then the servant on the right leans over and cuts a small piece off the breast. He brings it to his mouth and chews deliberately for a moment, then swallows.
He follows the same procedure with all the fruit and bread, and takes a sip from the queen’s wine glass, before finally stepping back from the table.
Queen Silvia smiles widely and claps her hands in front of her like a child. “Excellent! You can take this away now, bring it back in ten minutes as usual.”
The servants bow and depart, taking all the food with them, aside from the wine, which apparently we’re permitted to keep. Aurelia and I exchange glances.
“Why did you do that?” Aurelia asks, her brow furrowing.
I bite back a snort. That was more polite than what I’d been thinking:“What the fuck?”
“I’m sorry, I should have explained,” Silvia says, smile still firmly fixed in place. “They’re demonstrating that the food is safe to eat.”
Aurelia’s fingers freeze on her wine goblet, her eyes widening. “Checking for poison, you mean?”
Silvia nods. “Exactly.”
“Why wait ten minutes?” I ask.
“In case he dies,” Aurelia says flatly, keeping her eyes on the table.
My eyebrows raise. I don’t know anything about poisons—it’s not something shifters tend to worry about because we process toxins so quickly—but Aurelia makes potions. It doesn’t surprise me that she understands more about this than I do.
Silvia ducks her head, a strand of dark hair falling across her face as if she’s embarrassed. “When you wear a crown, there are always those who’d prefer to see it on someone else’s head.”
I watch Aurelia’s throat work as she swallows, her gaze darting to the door where the servants disappeared, and her knuckles whiten around her cup.
To my annoyance, I actually agree with Silvia about this. I’d sacrifice a hundred poison tasters to keep Aurelia safe, but I know she would never agree to it. Anyway, that’s not the thing worrying me, now.
I scan the room with different eyes, taking in the long drapes, the wall paneling, every shadow where someone might be hiding. Silvia seems aware she has enemies, which means we could be attacked at any moment, and that Silvia probably has guards hiding everywhere. Neither of those things is comforting to me. I knew it was the right decision to bring my sword.
“So,” Silvia says. “While we’re waiting, I hope we can talk.”
“Of course,” Aurelia says quickly. “There’s so much I want to ask you.”
“Excellent,” Silvia grins broadly, her eyes never leaving Aurelia’s face. “But I hope you’ll let me go first. Forgive me for being blunt, but what are you doing here?”
Aurelia’s fingers twist in her lap; she looks unsure how to begin. “I get the feeling that you knew I existed all these years, but I can’t say I had the same experience. I was told that my mother died in childbirth, and no one ever mentioned I might have siblings. It wasn’t something I ever questioned. Several weeks ago I learned that I might not be as alone as I’d always believed, and I left immediately to find answers. I’m honestly in a bit of shock. I never thought I would find what I was looking for so quickly, and even if I did, this isn’t quite what I’d pictured finding.”
I watch Silvia’s face carefully. Her eyes glisten with emotion as she reaches across the table, stopping just short of touching Aurelia’s hand. “All those years,” she murmurs, gaze drifting to the window where stars are beginning to appear. “I had the opposite experience. I always knew you existed somewhere, but I had no way of knowing how to find you. I hoped you’d find me one day, and now you have.”
Aurelia leans forward, eyes wide. “So you were here the whole time? How?”
Silvia giggles. “What do you mean? I’ve always been here.”
“I meant, how did you end up the queen of Thermia. Our father was the king of Vernallis, and I thought our mother was from Solistine.”
Silvia’s smile doesn’t falter. “Ah,” she says, taking a small sip of her wine. “She was. It’s a long story, actually. I’d be happy to explain everything to you. I can take you to my tower after dinner and show you everything.”
I watch Aurelia lean forward, her eyes bright with hope. She smiles, and finally takes a sip of her own wine.
Silvia shifts in her seat, turning her attention to me. Her smile remains in place, but her eyes suddenly look sharp enough to cut glass. “So, tell me more about you.”
“He’s my bond,” Aurelia says promptly.
Something burns in my chest hearing her say that, but I force myself not to react.
Earlier when Aurelia finished with her bath, we agreed through writing more notes, that it would be best to maintain the lie that we’re mated. Although we decided to use the word soul-bonded instead, since Silvia is Fae and is likely more familiar with that term. By telling Silvia we’re bonded, we should be able to gauge quickly if she knows that the shifters can’t form bonds, and how she feels about that.
