Page 57 of A Legacy of the Light

We follow him over, and Tavish pulls out the chair to King Raghnall’s left for me to sit in, leaving the seat opposite me free for him.

“Thank you for joining me,” the king says as Tavish rounds the table.

It’s not like we had a choice, I think, but hold onto my retort. Instead, I politely thank him for the invite and try not to show any sarcasm.

Tavish and his father start discussing some import tax that Eildon, the kingdom across the sea, is introducing. It can’t be that important given they are talking about it openly in front of me.

I quickly lose the flow of the conversation and sip some water from the gold-rimmed glass in front of me.

“That’s enough business talk for this evening, Tavish. We have company. I’m sure Elsie doesn’t want to hear about our import problems.” Raghnall turns his body toward me in his chair.

“I don’t mind. If you have things you need to discuss, please don’t let me stop you.”

“I invited you to dinner tonight to get to know you better, since you are staying in my home.”

His tone is the politest it’s been. It’s almost pleasant.

I’m not buying it for one second.

“There’s not much to know,” I tell him. Which is partly true. Mostly I don’t want him knowing anything more than he needs to.

He watches me intently before deciding what to ask me. I hold his gaze confidently. My gut tells me I can’t back down from him, not like I did in the hall yesterday. If I show weakness, he will use it.

“What do you do in the mortal world, Elsie?” he asks.

“I work for a consulting firm. We’re hired by businesses to review their working practices and overall performance to make suggestions for improvements, and help them implement the changes.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

“Most of the time. It has its challenges, but so does any job.”

A Seelie dressed in the standard uniform approaches the table with some wine, which Tavish and the king accept. I decline.

Raghnall notices. “You refuse the wine. Why?”

Tavish interjects before I can reply. “That would be my fault, Father. I told her that Seelie wine is stronger than what she is used to in the mortal realm.”

Raghnall nods in confirmation, and three Seelie enter through a door to the right of the fireplace, each of them carrying a covered plate.

A young man places one in front of me and I murmur my thanks to him. I immediately feel stupid since Tavish and Raghnall completely ignore the Seelie placing plates in front of them.

In unison, the servers lift the covers off, revealing a simple salad. I had been so preoccupied with my nerves for this dinner that I hadn’t given any consideration to the food.

I wait for the king to pick up his fork and start eating before I do the same. The salad is crisp and fresh, with a dressing that adds a kick of flavor. We eat in silence for a minute, the only sounds those of cutlery against the fine china and the crackling fire.

“You mentioned yesterday, Elsie, that it’s only you and your grandfather. What happened to your parents?” King Raghnall asks, unashamed about probing into something so personal.

I catch Tavish’s eye. He shakes his head subtly, but to communicate what, I don’t know.

“I never knew my father, and my mother died around eighteen months ago, along with my grandmother.” I keep my answer factual and to the point. He doesn’t need to know any more than that.

“I am sorry to hear that. We lost my Ailsa, too.” For the first time, I hear something close to a normal emotion in the king. I don’t doubt he loved his wife. I can see that in his eyes. You can’t fake true grief. I’m still not sure about his intentions, though, and why he would suddenly reveal something so personal.

“I’m sorry for your loss, too,” I say, and I mean it. More for Tavish than for him, but my sympathies are genuine nonetheless.

“Thank you. She would have liked you, I think. She was quite fascinated with the human realm and what we could learn from them,” he remarks and I smile at him for the compliment.

Once we have finished our starters, the same servers remove our plates and offer us more drinks. I accept some more water, determined not to try the wine tonight, and to keep my wits about me.