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“Where is my maid?” I whisper, hoping my voice carries over the music.
Nor grunts but says nothing, which stokes not only my irritation, but my anxiety. If they hurt her, I swear I’ll burn this kingdom to the ground.
I’ve lost so much already. Losing Lizette would take the last straw of my sanity.
I can’t do any of this without her.
“Walk faster,” Nor urges, tugging on my arm to speed me along, and I scowl in his direction.
Even walking briskly, it’s difficult to keep up with him because of the height difference. His legs are impossibly long, and I have to take several steps to make up one of his.
Our rectangular table is set for two and draped with a shimmering golden cloth. Two servants, both dressed in black with maroon ringlets on their horns, pull out gold wingback chairs for us to sit, and I admire the glimmering plates and silverware to avoid the hundreds of eyes now staring at me.
I flick my gaze in Nor’s direction to watch for cues, but he seems rather unimpressed by everything and stares back at the crowd with a bored expression.
As tempted as I am to ask him how he can be so unamused, there is another question consuming my thoughts.
“Where is my maid?” I ask again.
He doesn’t answer immediately, but the way his ear twitches says he heard me. His eyes are glued to a pair of minotaurs making their way down the hall toward us. One is a man, his torso as thick as a tree trunk, and the other is a woman with a vibrant red braid. They stop a few feet in front of the table and bow so low, I can see the backs of their heads.
When they stand, they both say, “Good fortune and health.”
Then they turn around and head back to their seats, only to be replaced by another couple a minute later. They pause, bow, and recite the same phrase as those before them.
“Is everyone going to do this?” I whisper, desperate for an answer other than a grunt.
Thankfully, Nor finally obliges.
“Yes. It’s customary for all the guests to bid the newlyweds well before the feast begins,” he says under his breath, not bothering to look in my direction.
If that’s how he wants to play it—barely acknowledging my existence even though we’re officially married by Ulleh standards—two can play that game.
“You’ve yet to answer me, Prince Nor,” I say as another couple steps up in front of the table to wish us a prosperous marriage. “Where is my maid?”
He sighs heavily, his hand closest to me clenching into a fist on the table. “In your room. In her room. I don’t know, Princess. I’ve been just as preoccupied as you have.”
“Well, you could have said that the first time instead of ignoring me.”
Heat singes my cheeks and I turn my attention back to the guests, plastering a fake smile on my face. I’m already over this royal ball, and it hasn’t even begun. All I want to do is head to my room, wherever that is, and sleep for several days after the emotional and mental ordeal this entire venture has been.
After the last of the guests find their way back to their seats, it’s time for the servants to spring into action. At least twenty servants, all in matching attire, make their way throughout the room, serving everyone food.
The first servants come to our table with platters of bread and serve Nor and I without a word. Then, platters of fruit are brought up. None of the servants ever address us or ask our preferences; they just load our plates with food before skirting away and heading to serve the rest of the hall. After a few minutes, I can barely see my plate beneath the mountain of food.
Staring down at it makes me think of home, and my stomach clenches painfully. We would never have enough food to feed such a crowd, but in Ulleh, they seem to have a surplus of it. I halfway wonder if it’s just this way in the castle, or if everyone in the kingdom has as much food as they could possibly want.
This food was probably stolen from nearby kingdoms like mine.
The thought dulls my appetite.
“Eat,” Nor says as he picks up his utensils and turns his attention to his food. “It won’t be long before we’re expected to dance.”
As reluctant as I am to follow any of his orders, I pick up my fork. The last thing on my mind right now is food, and the next to last thing is twirling around the celebration hall with Nor in front of all our eager spectators. I just want to see Lizette, lock myself in my room, and formulate a plan to bring peace between our kingdoms. The sooner I get to work, the better.
The light music continues to play throughout the hall as everyone enjoys their meal, and Nor doesn’t say another word to me as I pick at my plate. The food is delicious—better than most of the meals I’ve had in my life—but the ache in my chest intensifies with every bite.
I wish everyone in Hyatt could be here for this feast. If I could, I’d stuff a carriage full of it and send it racing back home. It seems like a fanciful dream, but maybe I could work up the courage to ask that of my new family if things go well.
