AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I raised my eyebrow. “Which one?”
Darith looked at me, bemused.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m aware of at least 5 different Caids with that name.”
Darith nodded in understanding. “The one that accidentally insulted Queen Laylath by telling her that the fabric of the blue dress she wore looked like it came from Izmir.”
“Ah, yes, that one,” I replied dryly, not knowing who she was speaking about. But I was confident that the insult wasn’t accidental. “It’s an honest mistake. It could have happened to anyone. You both love your silks, and if you don’t have an eye for fashion, you can make that mistake.”
The fabrics looked nothing alike.
Darith pursed her lips. “Caid Fatima never was fashionable. She was too fond of dark colors and her hair always braided.”
“Horrific. But to answer your question, we do,” I said. “But we don’t take it to the same extremes that you do. We prefer a more subtle approach. The jewelry we wear, the clothes we choose to wear, these things can convey messages without being in-your-face about it.”
Decorations were meant to be enjoyed, not to be a source of stress. I didn’t want to spend hours worrying about the right mix of colors and symbols.
“Within the Aeglire, even the shift of a spoon can be significant.” Darith chuckled. “But I see your point. We should probably tone it down a bit. You are Midarian.”
I shook my head. “I don’t even want to know what a spoon has to do with anything. Or how many people I’ve accidentally insulted by not using the right one?”
“You’ve once proposed to lord Cert with the wrong spoon,” Darith said, deadpan.
Horrified, I stared at her. “I did not!”
“It was during the play of the Treaty of Stars.” Darith shrugged. “You used the wrong spoon. But he figured it was an honest mistake and took it in good humor.”
My hand flew to my mouth. “I didn’t even know there was a right spoon.”
They handed you five different spoons with each course and you could just choose one. Now it made sense why. Elves and their nitpicky, passive-aggressive ways.
“Now you do,” Darith said. “And it’s not as complicated as you think. The color of the handle corresponds to the formality of the event. Blue is for casual events, white is for more formal occasions, and black is for very formal occasions. The length of the handle corresponds to the importance of the person you’re giving it to. The shorter the handle, the more important the person is.”
“So the Queen would get a very short spoon?” I asked.
“No,” Darith said. “A Queen would get a spoon with no handle at all.”
My eyebrows raised. How did she use a spoon with no handle? And how did I propose to lord Cert with the wrong spoon? I would never learn all the customs and traditions of the Aeglire.
I sighed. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
I was just glad that he had taken it in good humor.
Her eyes twinkled. “Probably not.”
I groaned. “Once I’ve moved into this office, people are going to notice the little things I do wrong.”
So many things to learn. So many customs to remember.
“They already do.” Darith smiled. “But they also know that you’re still learning and they forgive you because of it.”
I sat down. “I don’t know if I’m ever going to get used to this place.”
Darith placed her hand on my shoulder and gently squeezed it. “You will. In time, you’ll come to understand the Aeglire and its ways. And you’ll find your place within it.”
I chuckled as I thought back to a particular incident. “Well, you once made a gesture that’s considered very offensive in Midar. So I don’t think you’re the one to talk to. You told me that my mother was a lady of loose morals.”
Her eyes widened, and she gasped. “Oh, I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
