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“This is our queen? I would have thought her prettier,” she insults.
My hand goes to the knife set on the table, itching to show Cleo what we northerners do to people who dare insult us to our face, when Teo grabs hold of my wrist and shakes the knife out of my grasp.
“Be nice, Cleo, or you will eat alone. Today and every other day while the queen visits.
She eyes Anya’s beet-red face again and falls back in her chair.
“My apologies, Your Highness. We don’t get many guests, so my manners are a little bit rusty. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“Yes, you did,” I accuse.
Her smug smile affirms it too.
Thankfully, Samir and his colleagues enter the hall, all carrying trays upon trays of food. My frown only deepens at the extravagant display.
“We are but five people, yet there is enough food here to feed a small army,” I reprimand, although by the way Teo keeps smiling at me, I don’t think he understands that I’m chastising him.
“Tell me, if there is this much food in the south, then why have my last few ordered shipments never met their destination?”
Teo’s winning grin falls flat to the floor.
“As I told you, Your Majesty, I sent your shipments, as per usual. My men guaranteed me that they found their way north. If the food never made it to your table, I cannot be held responsible.”
“You’re the supplier! Who else should I hold responsible?”
“Your men, my queen. The ones who we delivered everything to. Ask them where the food went,” he counters, looking dead serious.
“My men?” I blurt out, completely offended.
“Yes, your men. I don’t know how I can say it more clearly. I have always fulfilled my obligations to the crown, even when that meant going against my values, and everything I believed in. So to have you sitting here, suggesting the opposite, is not only a slight to me, but to all of the south!” he shouts, slamming his hand on the table.
“Teo,” Cleo pleads in warning, sounding uncharacteristically contrite.
“No, it’s fine, Cleo. I’m fine,” he mumbles, pulling his seat back to stand up. “Ladies, enjoy your meal. Suddenly, I’ve lost my appetite.”
And just like that, he walks out of the room, leaving me completely confused at his reaction.
“What did he mean by that? When he said that serving the crown sometimes went against his values?” I hear Anya ask, but when I look at her, I see the question wasn’t directed at me, but at Cleo.
“That, my little cherry pie, is a question your queen should be asking herself.”
Cleo then gives a small peck to Anya’s cheek before standing up to follow Teo.
“What do you think he meant by that remark?” a previous silent Inessa asks, this time looking at me for answers.
“I don’t know,” I tell her truthfully, staring at the door from where he stormed off to. “I really don’t know.”
Inessa pops a grape into her mouth.
“Then use this time in the south wisely, my queen, and find out.”
Oh, I intend to.
Chapter 32
Teodoro
Five days.
