Page 54 of The Chosen Fae

"Okay," she said, "we've never had such a mixed-up mess as we have had during this game."

Rune, Lolita, and Stone sat down and said nothing, out of respect.

"What do you think you were doing?" the Game Master asked.

"Saving a fae from harm," Stone said.

"Befriending a fae seer who ends up helping you to save a fae?" the Game Master said.

"Yeah, so we're not sure what happened that he was taken, but we couldn't leave him where he was," Rune said.

Lolita shrugged. "I have to admit that I was willing to leave him to get him out of the competition."

The Game Master laughed. "Okay, so the three of you won the competition."

They all cast each other glances, all of them looking surprised.

"Truly?" Lolita asked.

"Yes. We like to see imaginative ways to handle things. Our guidelines were to befriend a human, which you did, but what made it more extraordinary was that she was a fae seer. By doing that, she helped you to free Fang. Then you thwarted Vesper in his conquest and ruined his chance to win the competition."

Rune smiled at Lolita and Stone.

Stone hadn't expected that to ruin Vesper's chances. But he was glad it did.

"And though Lolita didn't want to play the game, she also befriended the fae seer and helped you free Fang."

Lolita sat up a little taller in her seat.

"Since Fang got himself into a bad situation, and the fae seers planned to use him as bait, he could have gotten more of our kind in trouble. Not only that, he wasn’t even thankful to any of you for saving his life. For the issue of being used as bait to capture more of the fae competitors, he's going home. He should have pressed his button and we would have fae transported him out of there."

Stone was surprised, and he could tell that Lolita and Rune were too. They hadn't wanted him to be hurt, but they hadn't expected him to be kicked out of the game anyway. He hid a smile. He was glad. Fang was so arrogant.

"So since the three of you won, you'll have a special feast, only instead of it being in a private dining area, you'll be seated in the main dining area in the center for all the other fae competitors to see."

They all smiled.

"All right. Go. Enjoy your dinner."

Then they hurried out of their seats and into the hall.

Xena saw them first. "I guess you got into trouble for messing with a fae seer, eh?"

"Yeah. It didn't work out well for everyone concerned," Stone said. At least not for everyone concerned.

Vesper frowned at them as they headed for the center table where they would be served their meals.

"What do you want to eat?" a waiter asked, giving them special menus.

"Oh, the prime rib and all the sides," Stone said before Rune or Lolita could order. He looked a little sheepish at them because he didn’t let them order first.

Rune and Lolita smiled at him, and then Lolita placed her order. "I'll get the crab, shrimp, and scallop platter and a salad."

Rune said, "I'll get the hot sausage spaghetti, garlic bread, and a salad."

Then the waiter left to turn in their orders.

"Why do you three get a special dinner?" Vesper asked. "I'll get you back for screwing up my mission."