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A pair of attendants flanked me, leading me to the room where I’d be meeting my father. Tension tied my stomach into knots, and I was thankful for the gorgeous surroundings of the castle to distract me.
It wasn’t long before we reached a large, arched set of double doors. Each of the men grasped a handle, pulling the doors open at the same time revealing a big dining hall—a glamorous, beautiful room with high ceilings of exposed beams, three chandeliers hanging at equal distances apart over a long table. Stone archways looked out over the garden, providing the room with a gorgeous view.
I stepped further in, realizing that I was alone.
“Hello?”
My footsteps echoed through the space. I approached the table, trying to wrap my head around how long it was; too many chairs to count were arranged neatly along the sides. At each end was a place setting, the kind with more forks and spoons and whatever else than I knew what to do with.
A door opened, pulling my attention away from the table. A tall, slender man with short, silver hair and a neatly trimmed beard the same color entered the room. Even from the distance I could tell that he was immaculately put together, carrying himself with regal poise and self-confidence, his shiny, black boots clicking on the stone floor.
This was my father. I had no doubt.
He stopped as he reached the end of the table, turning and facing me. Even without knowing who he was, without being related to him, his gaze would’ve given me pause.
“It’s you.” His voice was low and commanding.
“It’s me.” What else was I supposed to say?
Another beat of silence. “Come closer so I can get a look at you.”
I started walking toward him, the tension in my belly growing with every step. I could feel his hard, judging gaze.
When I was close, he glanced at me in an appraising manner, his eyes lingering on my piercing and my hair.
“We’ll have to do something about those,” he said.
“Is that right?”
“That’s right. But first thing’s first. It is good to finally see you again, Ava.”
My father stepped closer to me, offering his hand.
“A handshake, huh?” I asked with a small smile. “Look at you, getting all mushy on me.”
His arm still outstretched, he regarded me with confusion, as if he wasn’t aware that I was making a joke. To hurry the awkward moment along, I took his hand and shook it. His grip was firm and professional.
“Please, sit,” he said, gesturing to the other end of the table. “Our lunches will be brought in momentarily.” He paused as he prepared to sit down. “You’re not one of those vegetarians, are you? Or God forbid, the one where they don’t eat anything from an animal.”
“Vegan,” I said. “No, I’m not. Wouldn’t be in the business I was if I couldn’t eat all the delicious goodies the ocean has to offer.” I winced at my wording, my nervousness getting the better of me.
“Ah, that’s right,” he said. “Your… fish shop?”
I sat down at the other end of the table, the space between us so great that my father’s head was the size of a thumbnail.
“Crab cake truck,” I said, raising my voice to carry it across the table. “I make crab cakes.”
Despite the distance, I could still make out the look of confusion on his face.
“Yes, that’s right. Never in a million years did I imagine that my own daughter, the Princess of Edoria, would be making crab cakes for a living, but life is full of surprises, I suppose.”
“Got a problem with a little honest work?” I asked, a challenging tone to my voice.
“I’ve too many issues in the kingdom to consider such a matter a problem. However, there are many in Edoria who, if they knew the princess worked at all,let alone in such a way, would be appalled. a
“Well, I’ve never been one to worry about what other people think.”
“One look at your hair and that thing in your nose makes that abundantly clear.”
