CHAPTER 13

No one danced all evening. Not that I'd been to a ball before, but I was more than confident that dancing was a main factor during one.

Perhaps that wasn't what occurred at balls, I had nothing else to compare it to. I, at least, expected swaying crowds, music and frolicking. Instead, it was just a sea of people who spoke to one another, although not entirely focusing on the conversation they shared, especially not when I passed them, anyway.

Althea hadn't said a word to me about what she interrupted on the balcony, and I was thankful for that. If she questioned what'd happened between Erix and me, I feared I wouldn't have been able to provide an answer. Just thinking back to his strong touch and hungry gaze made me uneasy; at least that was what I thought the sensation was – a jolting flip of my stomach and the strange chilling in my chest, two feelings that did well to distract me from the many who bowed heads and smiled as I walked by them.

Erix didn't return to his station as my shadow, not even when a plainly dressed man called from the podium and instructed for the evening's events to cease and the council to begin.

I clutched at the half-empty glass as the crowd moved like a wave of flesh towards the exit. It was close to impossible not to be pulled along by the movement, but Althea stood beside me with an arm hooked around my own. Her hold was an anchor, and I was thankful for it, even if her silence or blatantly ignoring what'd happened made me feel just as awkward as I had when she interrupted us on the balcony.

As the crowd thinned, I noticed others who didn't leave. Men and women, young and old, waited back as those around them dispersed, exiting up the grand staircase and leaving the hall.

I focused on them, realising quickly that they all shared the deep tones of red and orange hair. Like Althea, they stood with pride, faces sharp with beauty and authority, a littering of statues that'd been hidden among the patrons of the ball. I didn't remember noticing them before, but one glance told me all I needed to know about who they were.

The Cedarfall Court.

Members of Althea's family, and there were many of them. I was left stunned and embarrassed at the thought that they'd overheard mine and Erix's initial argument, or seen me drunk on fey wine. I swallowed the hard lump of discomfort, forcing my expression to be neutral as each and every one of them turned to face me.

Some smiled, others tried to keep their faces empty of any exposing emotion. When the grand doors finally closed after the remaining stragglers were ushered out, the Cedarfall family sprang into action.

"Whilst they prepare the supper, I will introduce you." Althea tightened her grip on my arm as an older woman stepped forward first. She wore her auburn hair in a messy bun atop her head. It reminded me of a nest; it was disappointing not to see birds among it. Lines crowed the sides of her eyes, but that was all that signified that she was far older than Althea. She carried herself with graceful steps, her golden gown trailing behind her like silken water.

"So, you are the dear boy who ruined my favourite guest quarters." She smiled, closing her eyes as her face morphed into a dramatic grin.

Althea curtsied quickly, prompting me to bow. "Lady Kelsey, it is my honour to introduce you to Robin Icethorn."

"Stand, my dear," Lady Kelsey said, barely dropping my gaze. She reached a golden painted nail and lifted Althea up by the chin. "You of all people do not need to bow to me."

I felt the need to apologise as the blur of ice and smashed bricks flooded my mind. "About the room, I'm really sorry."

She laughed, pressing a jewelled hand to the taut skin of her chest. "I refuse to accept your apology as well, dear boy. For your little mishap has given me the most perfect stories to brag about during the dullest of events, such as the one we have just had to be privy to. Who else can say they hosted the return of the Icethorn Court?"

"My aunt," Althea added, gesturing with rolling eyes towards the woman, "will talk about it for years to come."

"As many years as I am blessed to have left," Lady Kelsey said with a genuine smile.

Even tipsy, I knew that she was the type of person I could warm to instantly.

"Thank you for letting me stay and for allowing my father to join me. It makes this… unexpected transition a little more manageable."

She waved away my comment as though it was a fly. "It is unbecoming of someone of your stature to apologise or provide thanks for anything. My dear sister would never dream of it, let alone her husband. I admit I was going to question just how much you knew about your heritage, but one look at you and it answers all my queries. You truly knew nothing, did you, my dear?"

I nodded, flicking my gaze to Althea. "Not who my mother was, nor what it meant to be her son. Although I'm slowly grasping it, I guess."

"Then you will learn, in time," Lady Kelsey said. "I do hope you enjoy the feast and the conversation that comes with it. As I have already said, my sister is not one for apologies, so let me do it on her behalf. The conversations that follow this evening will heavily revolve around you. If at all you feel as though you are a ghost haunting a room full of people who discuss you as though you are not here… they do not mean it. And also, remember that you are as important as they are. Do not be afraid to remind them of such."

Althea drained her glass, tipping the contents into her mouth until not a single drop was left. Pulling it away with a breath, she finalised the conversation with a single sentence. "I should introduce him to the rest of the family before we are called in for the council, it may soften the inevitable tension."

Just like that, the conversation was over, and Lady Kelsey knew it.

"My dear, it was a pleasure to meet you," Lady Kelsey said, soft hands grasping my own. She leaned in, whispering to me as if her niece could not hear. "I can see a confidence in your eyes. Do not let my family throw you with their comments or expressions. The Cedarfall family are historically known for their severe nature. At least some of us are not as… sharpened as others. But we have always been the Icethorn's greatest allies, I do hope that continues."

"Thank you," I replied, ignoring the tsking of Althea at my side.

"And some are historically known for chewing the ears off of those too polite to end a conversation," Althea added, to Lady Kelsey's amusement.

With that, Lady Kelsey left in a cloud of light giggles, sweeping off to claim a full glass of darker red liquid from a member of the serving staff.

"She was nice," I said to Althea as she urged me forward.

"She was intense," Althea grumbled. "My aunt means well and is more comparable to a magpie. But instead of shiny objects, she likes pretty boys and glittering jewels. My mother named her as Lady of Aurelia just to keep her busy and out of trouble. She is kind, but you will soon grow tired of her insistent parties and parades. Believe me."

Lady Kelsey didn't seem that bad, but Althea seemed to paint a picture of somebody completely different to whom I'd just met. "I sense some unresolved family tension."

"When you have a family of my size and… intensity, there will always be issues. Come, let me introduce you to my siblings. Oh, you are going to just love them."

Somehow, I didn't believe her.

Althea ran me through the introductions to the countless people that followed after Lady Kelsey. Her brothers and sister each looked like older and younger versions of one another. Almost perfect mirror images. Some regarded me with kindness, but some held wary gazes and closed off postures. I just smiled, cheeks hurting, and opted to not say much. With each person I met, I wondered more about what they thought about me. I was never one to care, but it seemed that I'd changed entirely the moment I passed the Wychwood border. It was that or the strong wine continuously sipped.

"Exactly how many siblings do you have?" I asked Althea out the corner of my mouth. I believed the next crowd we moved towards must have been other relations, but each time I was proven wrong. It was hard to count those I met, not whilst I was busy failing at remembering the many names.

"Twenty-three," she said through gritted teeth. "And believe me, what you are thinking, I'm also thinking, but three times worse."

It was almost impossible to believe, but the more fey I met, the more obvious it was that they were related, from the deep, auburn hair to the freckles and sharpened features.

"Where do you fall among the ranking?" I asked, fighting the urge to raise a hand and massage the apples of my cheeks where they ached.

"I am lucky number seven. Not that I dare dwell on it, but it was said that my mother and father spent a century entwined in love, resulting in the rabble you see before you. The thought only makes my skin crawl, but it is somewhat nice to know they care about each other so much that they want to see themselves running around in miniature forms."

"And all the work that comes with it…" I said, ignoring the pang of my heart, which always occurred when others shared stories about their families.

I didn't hear what she said next as I caught the blur of a form out of the corner of my eye.

Erix. He was back.

I studied him, but it seemed he did everything in his power to find a reason to look elsewhere. His obvious disregard irked me as if I'd done something to cause his coldness. I hardly knew the man; he was as much a stranger as the rest of the people around me. And it was he who had touched me first.

This awkwardness between us was his doing, not mine.

"If I need to change him out for another," Althea said above the rim of her glass, "I can. Gyah has already offered herself as another suitable guard for you."

It took a moment for me to realise that she was speaking to me. Shaking off the annoyance, I tried to push the thoughts of him to the back of my head. "It was nothing. Plus, sending him off would only make me feel like I've lost to whatever game he is playing."

"Nothing looks an awful lot like something," she retorted. "I've never been one for games."

"Me neither," I said, just as the grand double doors opened.

A servant stood between them, hands clasped before him as he addressed us. "The council will begin shortly. Please take your seats for its commencement."

Now it was my turn to down the remaining bubbling liquid in the glass I held. After the last drinks I'd devoured, leading to the strange encounter with Erix, I'd taken my time sipping this one. But the uncertainty of what waited beyond those doors set my nerves ablaze.

"A tip for you," Althea whispered as we joined the river of her family, who moved towards the next room. "Speak when it is your turn. You may be the heir to the Icethorn Court, but you are on Cedarfall land, and that requires you to show respect to the court."

"I know how to handle myself," I reminded her, voice slurring.

Althea raised a brow as if to say ‘Yes, okay, Robin. Whatever you say, Robin' .

"Then this is the time to prove that, to me, yourself and those who wait in that room. The answers you demand may soon be revealed, and I hope that brings you some clarity. But you must remember that not everyone – even my own blood – may be as quick to welcome the idea of your return."

"What do you mean idea?" I said, almost tripping over my feet as Althea finally let go of my arm.

"To some, in this court and in others, you represent the excuse to prevent unrequired bloodshed." A chill spread down my neck and made my limbs heavy. "But to others, you will only be seen as an obstacle stopping something we have planned endlessly for. A thorn in the rosebush of plans drafted over years… plans that many will not wish to see ruined."

"I don't understand what you mean," I muttered, stopping dead in my tracks.

"There is a war coming, Robin, and I hope you have returned in time to prevent it. But not everyone will think the same as me. This meeting will be important for many reasons, one being that it will shed some light onto who of my family I can trust and who I cannot."

The Queen of Cedarfall, head and ruling crown of the court, refused to take her amber eyes off me, not when we entered the room, nor when Althea guided me to a chair which'd been pulled back on a long table that took up most of the room. Her gaze was burning, itching at my skin in two points as she studied my every move.

Althea's mother was the spitting image of her, except older and more intimidating. Her thick red hair had been pulled over her shoulders, revealing the exposed sharpness of her collarbone and narrow frame. White strands of hair hid among the deep red, which made it seem that a seamstress had woven them deliberately throughout; it gave her added wisdom and age, which only intensified her aura of authority. She didn't look old enough to have sired twenty-three children, nor did the man who sat beside her.

The King of Cedarfall. He shared similar facial features to Althea, more so than her mother, such as the point of his nose and thick dark brows; there was no denying they shared blood.

Both the king and the queen at his side wore crowns of golden roots and autumn leaves which glittered underneath the grand, burning chandelier. Authority and grace rolled off them in waves of pungent power that I could feel even over the distance from their table to the one I now sat at.

"They keep looking at me like I'm a serpent about to strike," I whispered to Althea, who hardly cared to notice.

She waved a folded napkin, resting it upon her knees. "Did you expect to be ignored?" Althea said, sparing me a glance.

"What would you think if I admitted that being ignored was exactly what I hoped for?"

Althea nudged a shoulder into mine, and I could tell she was trying to calm my nerves, but, at this point, they were an uncontrollable storm. Especially after what Althea had last said about a war – something I'd never have dreamed was a possibility.

"I would tell you to grow a pair and sit up straight like you are meant to be here."

I swallowed audibly, taking Althea's friendly hint and sitting up straight in my chair.

"All rise for Queen Lyra and King Thallan Cedarfall."

I couldn't see who had spoken, but the screech of chairs sounded down the long table I had found myself in the middle of. Stumbling to catch up, I stood alongside Althea and the rest of her family who'd been seated on either side of us.

The only two who remained seated were Althea's parents, who watched us carefully. It was Queen Lyra who raised a hand slowly, interrupting the silence. "Thank you, my dear court and family, who heeded my invitation for this meeting at such short notice. And to my darling sister Kelsey, for hosting."

There was a rustle as heads turned to Lady Kelsey, who stood towards the end of the line. She bowed her head, a grin plastered across her face. "Always a pleasure, never a chore, sister."

"Please, sit." Queen Lyra clapped jewelled hands. "We have much to discuss, and a meal has been prepared to keep us going."

Everyone in the room shifted in unison. Everyone but me. I was likely the last whose bottom touched their seat.

Lyra's stare found mine once again, but this time she didn't stare in silence. "You cannot imagine the… disturbance your appearance has caused, Robin Icethorn."

"Mother," Althea warned softly. "Play nice."

"It's fine," I replied, voice cracking as I forced too much false authority into it. I could have done with another drink as I held the powerful stare of a queen. "I believe I've somewhat of an understanding, although it's not a clear picture. Although, I am confident it will be by the end of this meeting."

Out the corner of my eye, I watched as King Thallan placed a hand upon his wife's and held it on the table before them. "When my daughter brought me news of what had happened, I was convinced it could not be true, but you have since displayed abilities that are only possible for Julianne's bloodline. With that fact, combined with the gryvern's recent attack, I believe it strongly supports the claim to your lineage."

"What have those creatures got to do with it?" I asked, the echo of my voice reflecting the slight shake in it.

"Because the gryvern have not been seen since they slaughtered your dear family." Queen Lyra paused, a muscle in her jaw feathering as she contemplated her next words. "Then they turn up at our doorstep not even hours after you arrive. Do you believe it to be coincidence, or do you claim to be the heir of a court long believed to be lost to the past?"

"Coincidence?" I said calmly, even though it was far from what I felt. "I don't believe in such things. And if you are trying to ask if I knew about my heritage before this all occurred… I knew nothing until I came here."

" Nothing at all?" she requested again, her voice laced with distrust.

I nodded, biting the inside of my cheeks to stop myself from saying something I would regret. "Yes. I gain nothing from lying."

"Well, there is no denying you certainly look the part. And every member of the court can sense the power that riles through you, so I do not deny that you are, in fact, Julianne's child. That much, I understand. But what I do not understand is how Julianne had a child without it ever being known. It is not something that can be hidden lightly nor overlooked. And trust me, I would know."

I was aware of Althea and her many siblings who sat around us, each likely looking at me, waiting to see what I would say back to their mother.

"With all due respect, Queen Lyra, I know no more than you do." If they could sense the power in me, perhaps they would also feel my honesty.

"Hmm. I'm interested as to why your father decided to keep such knowledge from you. I suppose that is a question you can ask him yourself, now he is comfortably taking lodging in my court." Lyra studied me for another moment of silence, carefully watching for how I would respond.

I did my best to bite my tongue, but that was never a skill I was adept at. And the glasses of wine certainly stopped it from working. "With all due respect, the insight into my father's mind and reasonings isn't why I'm here."

If I expected my retort to displease Lyra, her subtle smile proved me wrong.

"Robin, you're right. There are other pressing matters that need discussing, which do not include your father's incredible skills of lying." Before I could respond, Queen Lyra spoke up again. "Matters such as what Robin Icethorn's life will mean for Wychwood going forward. As a court, it seems that we must be the first to decide on the stance we wish to proceed with. As you are aware, and so is our treasury, a lot of time and coin has been funded into preparing for our one-sided war. With the Passing mere weeks away, it is not long until Wychwood's preparations are put into motion. Now, it would seem, we have come across a bump in our perfectly drawn-out plans, and we must determine if we carry on over it or turn our backs on the path entirely."

Thallan cleared his throat before he spoke, voice deep. "Perhaps, before we begin this feast, we can come to a decision. This way the food will not be spoiled. Both the Elmdew and Oakstorm Courts will be receiving word of the Icethorn's return, and they will visit to see him for themselves. When they arrive, we must be in a joint understanding."

"If I may speak." A younger man stood from the table we sat at; all attention turned to him as he regarded his parents with a straight back. "I have something I feel that needs to be said before we continue."

"Please, Orion, share your thoughts," the king requested.

Orion – who Althea had already introduced me to – hardly regarded me now just as he had back in the hall, even though this time his words were meant for me to hear. "We should not allow the years of preparation go to waste. If we go back on our plans, it will not only upset our people, but the courts we have spent twenty-years securing peace with. And it is far more concerning having enemies this side of Wychwood than it is the humans."

"Oh, brother, do the other courts frighten you?" Althea said, leaning back in her chair as she spoke.

"War between our people–"

"There will be no war between the fey," Althea interrupted him. "Just admit to the crowd that you want to see bloodshed and be done with it. There is nothing wrong declaring you are an evil sadist who enjoys the concept of war."

"Althea, that is enough," Queen Lyra snapped. "Your brother has his views, as you have your own. This council meeting is an open conversation and open it shall be."

"If he can provide me with a valid reason as to why he would choose war over peace, then let him speak it," Althea said, stiffening in her chair. "I am all ears."

"The humans have been taking our kind, harvesting their blood for whatever plans they have."

"Wrong," Althea interrupted again. "Not all humans are involved in the abductions of our kind. You cannot accuse them all of a crime most do not know is committed."

"Well someone has to pay." Orion slammed his palms on the table. "How long have you been working to locate the Hunters' leader? The Hand has evaded your attempts for years. All that time wasted, and still, you return without their head."

"If you were so concerned, you would join our missions in retrieving the stolen, not sit here hoping for everyone else to enter the realm and kill the humans for you. If the cause is that close to your heart, then help me. Join my legion in finding those taken and see that they are brought home. But do not sit here and use that as the excuse for why you would allow war even though we have the perfect reason to prevent it sitting with us."

Orion's freckled face burned red, but so did the cloth beneath his palms; smoke twisted across the table, and the rancid smell of burning soon reached me.

"Rein yourself in," King Thallan ordered. "And sit yourself down, Orion."

I could see in the shaking of his face and body that he wanted to say something more, but Orion kept quiet, sitting back with a thud. His palms had burned marks into the table from the fire that spread from his skin, a fire I'd seen blossoming between Althea's hands not long ago.

"It is clear Althea is in favour of preventing war. Does anyone else believe as much?" Queen Lyra asked, eyes scanning the row of her court.

Another stood, this time a girl likely younger than Althea. Her hair was darker like her father's, but her amber eyes glowed like a jewelled flame, matching those of her mother. "If we have a chance of preventing the release of the Icethorn Court's power across the human realm, we should take it. What is to say it will not affect us in years to come?"

"Our barriers are strong. The labradorite stones are left unturned."

"The Wychwood barrier should have been secure, but it has cracked like the shell of an empty egg year by year. There is no saying the power, after devouring the human realm, will not turn back on us. No one understands it. We should not pretend that we do," Althea added.

I couldn't begin to fathom what they spoke of.

"Dear, would you let another speak for once?" Lyra said, smiling, as though Althea was a source of entertainment or pride; it was hard to tell which.

"Sorry, Eleanora," Althea said, winking at the younger girl who still stood and smiled in return. Eleanora was so young her mouth held gaps where teeth had fallen out, as mundane as a human growing.

"I stand with Althea. Robin is the perfect excuse for us to pull out of support of the siege on Durmain."

"Think of the waste of coin!" Orion shouted from his seat, stamping his feet beneath the table. "The time and resources we have put in!"

"What of the lives that will be wasted?" Althea snapped at her brother again. "Do you not think the fey will suffer greatly if we follow through with our plans?"

My head was bouncing back and forth, following the conversation and building tension.

"Robin, you have stayed awfully quiet… do you care to share your thoughts? These are your people's fates we discuss," Lyra said, looking at me. "You have lived among the humans. What are your views on the matter?"

I shook my head. As they argued over a war I never knew was a possibility, I could only think of the towns and villages nestled close to the borders of Wychwood, and what would happen when an army of fire-powered fey would trample over them. Yet all I could mutter as a reply was pathetic. "I don't know what to say."

"The humans killed your family," Queen Lyra said. "You should want to see them pay for that, no?"

A spear of anger pierced my lungs. The accusation that it was the humans who killed my mother was shocking to the core.

"You said it was the gryvern who… killed her?"

"Those monsters are nothing but puppets to a master. A master who we believe Althea had been chasing."

"Unsuccessfully," Orion barked. "Of course he would want to see them pay."

Ice cracked beneath my hands, coating the fork beside me. It took considerable effort to keep the magic reigned in as I faced Althea's brother.

"Don't tell me how to feel, or what you believe I should want. You don't know me." My knuckles turned white as I gripped onto the arms of the chair. "Never speak on my behalf."

Althea snickered beside me.

"Speak up then," Lyra said, expression urging me to continue. And speak up I did.

The chair nearly toppled backwards as I stood from the table. "Two days ago, I could not have even imagined that I'd be standing here. And now I'm asked to add my reasoning as to why you should not go to war with my kind." Humans. One half of a two-sided coin. "You might as well be speaking in riddles because I don't understand why you would even want war. What good has ever come of it before?"

"Land, power, riches. Three of many other reasons that would entice me to raise an army against the humans," Queen Lyra said, voice stern and sharp. "That and the fact our kind have been going missing for years, more so as the barrier keeping the humans from entering the Icethorn Court has weakened so much that they are able to pass in and out as they please. There has not been an Icethorn to calm the power building in those lands. It has lowered our defences and made our people easy for the picking. Like Orion explained, that is enough reason to raid their lands. To stop them." I opened my mouth to disagree when the tone of her conversation changed. "But I also see Althea's point. With your return and willingness to cooperate, you could claim the wild Icethorn power before the Passing and prevent the enraged magic from breaking the barrier entirely. You could restore the misbalance and petition for our sister courts to lower their blades, as I am contemplating doing."

Pain had claimed a home in my head. It started behind my eyes and made the light of the room hard to take in. I squinted, lowering into my seat once again as Lyra continued speaking.

"Robin, are you willing to claim your heritage and accept the unclaimed court as your own?"

I couldn't answer. It was close to impossible to speak as the pain in my head intensified, that and I didn't have an answer.

"Even he does not know what he wants." I pinched my eyes closed as Orion called out

No . I didn't know what ‘claiming my heritage' entailed. "I need time."

No one seemed to hear me as the argument of my wishes and desires fired around me.

"Robin?" Althea said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, forcing my eyes open as a sharp twist of pain ripped open the flesh of my brain. "This is all too much."

"He is right. This isn't a discussion we can expect him to make on the spot," Althea spoke out, hand gripping my shoulder.

"Time is not something we have, my daughter," Lyra cooed. "The Passing is weeks away, and if the court is not claimed, the power shall break free of the barrier and wreak havoc over the human realm whether we want it to or not. Robin can either stop it, or we will ride the storm across the border and into their lands, seeing through our plans."

"What has that got to do with war?" I asked, my heart beating so hard in my chest it ached.

"The storm building in your homeland is simply the first step," Queen Lyra replied, the room growing silent. "It is what follows the storm that will be the war."

What follows the storm?

"I do not believe a decision is required immediately," King Thallan added. "Time may be sparse, but we have not run out of it completely, and we do not need to make any choice this very instant. When our sister courts join us for the Passing, an answer can be provided then."

Lyra regarded her husband for a moment, both entrapped in each other's stares as though they spoke through their minds. Then she nodded in agreement, and the pain in my head subsided, only a little.

"Then it is for Robin to decide the fate of his kind and ours," Lyra announced, taking a seat once again. "You can have as many days as your hesitancy will allow, before a decision is made for you. Until then, we feast, and tomorrow we begin anew with the preparations for the Passing in the capital. Althea, since you have made claim to Robin as your cause, I leave him in your capable hands… I will stipulate what this requires by morning. Now we eat; all this talk of war has really conjured an appetite."

Hunger was far from my mind.

Althea gently squeezed my shoulder again and then lowered her hands upon the table. "If you can survive that, you can survive what comes next."

"How about another strong drink…" I whispered, my own voice affecting the ache in my head.

"You certainly deserve another." Althea's lips turned up at the corner. "I do not want a war, Robin, and a selfish part of me will do everything I can to aid you in making sure it does not happen."

Queen Lyra waved a hand; the signal was not for us but for the servants who stood behind us. "Bring the food. Having something to chew on may give someone else the chance to speak."

Before she had time to finish her last word, a line of servants flooded into the room with trays full of food.

In a single moment, the room went from scentless to bursting with smells so divine that my mouth watered on cue. Each plate was the same, I noticed, as the serving staff placed them on the table before us. Suddenly, hunger was exactly what I felt. A forced feeling, as though the scents were spelled to entrance me.

My hands fidgeted on my lap, wanting nothing more than to reach out and take a handful of the mashed potatoes and stuff them into my mouth. Instead, I followed Althea's lead, who sat patiently, waiting for a command to eat.

Once each person was presented with a plate before them, the servants still didn't leave. Instead, they took their place behind each of our chairs and stood, carefully waiting for a command. I glanced back to see a young woman behind me. Her hair was dark and cut pixie short. Bright, piercing eyes looked ahead, not caring to notice me. And behind her stood Erix. Before I could see if he looked at me or was still ignoring me, I averted my gaze, focusing back on Queen Lyra.

"Tasters, please step forward."

The servant I noticed moved forward until she placed herself between Althea and me. She, as well as the other servants, each revealed a fork from their loose sleeves and moved it towards the plates of cooling food upon the table. It was a dance, each of them moving in sync.

Althea tensed, but not at the man who reached for her food, but to the girl between us. I even noticed her bright gaze flick towards Althea, but the moment was brief, enough for me to understand that they knew each other.

"What are you doing?" I asked, stomach turning as the woman lifted a forkful of potato and meat towards her lips.

She paused long enough to reply. "I am your Taster." Whatever the fuck that means. Then the fork passed between her lips, coming back empty.

I remembered what Erix had said about my drink being tasted before I'd downed it. Had the same girl drunk the bubbly wine that Althea had gone to get for me whilst I was too impatient to wait? Was that how she knew her?

Somehow, I believed it was more personal than that.

Glancing at Lyra and Thallan, they both began to eat as their own Tasters moved away. They spoke between themselves, not once looking my way, which I was thankful for.

"All is fine," the girl announced, stepping back to reveal a relieved look on Althea's face.

Althea caught me looking, so she quickly glanced towards her own plate and spluttered a laugh. "Cannot harm to be cautious during such events as these."

I forced a smile, but it was weak and lasted no more than a second.

A heavy thud sounded behind me as I reached for my own silverware. A crack of something hollow echoed, followed by a gurgling noise that sent a deathly cold shiver down my spine.

It was Althea's gasped cry that had me turning. The girl, my Taster, shook violently upon the floor, a green foam spluttering from her paled lips. Her arms and legs thrashed, kicking out against the legs of my chair. I should've moved – should've done something to stop her head cracking over and over again against the slabbed floor. But I just sat there and watched, unable to make sense of what was happening before me.

"Briar!" Althea shouted, throwing herself from her chair to cradle the girl in her arms. "Briar, stop it! Briar, stop!"

Erix was beside me in a blink, guiding me from the chair and away from the plate of food this Briar had tasted.

"Did you eat anything off your plate?" he demanded, hands grasping my upper arms with such frantic tension. But I did not answer. I could not do anything but watch as Althea held the girl in her arms, snarling at anyone who got close. "Robin, tell me! You need to answer me. Did you touch the food?"

He placed his body in front of the horrific scene, blocking it from view. I looked up to see Queen Lyra, a beautiful face pinched with worry. She spoke in hushed tones as her wide eyes screamed with an honest pleading I had not seen from her thus far. "Take Robin back to his rooms, it is not safe, even here."

"Right away," Erix responded, trying to steer me away by my shoulders.

"The food…" I said, body numb. "There was poison in the food?"

Lyra closed her eyes and bowed her head in confirmation. When she opened her eyes again, they were ablaze with fire so intense the warmth rippled over my skin. "Get him out of here. Now."