It was no coincidence that Islinda was seated beside her "owner," Aldric. If Queen Maeve was responsible for her dining with the royal family, then she undoubtedly considered the seating arrangent, particularly with Elena strategically placed next to Valerie. The sa Valerie, who couldn’t hide his displeasure at being wedged between his nesis Aldric and Andre.
The sumr prince was possessive and jealous, and his constant stares at Islinda would undoubtedly lead to trouble. Despite his denial, everyone at the table knew that there was sothing between them, and his blatant longing made it clear that he still wasn’t over her. At this point, Islinda began to question whether she could trust him to handle the situation, considering he couldn’t control his raging emotions.
On a positive note, Islinda was relieved that Theodore wasn’t seated beside her. She knew she shouldn’t trust any mber of the royal family, but at least Andre was an ally. Theodore had tried to kill her, and forgiving him wasn’t going to be easy.
As if on cue, the spring queen, Queen Nirvana, and Theodore’s mother, said to her, "You look good, Islinda."
Islinda blinked in surprise at the unexpected complint. This was the first ti the Spring Fae queen had spoken to her. "Thank you," she said politely.
The spring Fae added, "However, wearing a pair of makeshift pointed ears doesn’t make you one of us."
Islinda’s mouth twitched as she watched the Fae Queen lift her wineglass to her lips, taking a sip and glancing at her with an air of arrogance.
So much for thinking the queen liked her, even if only a little.
"No, she isn’t one of us. But you don’t need to have certain features to be Fae. Ho is wherever you’re welcod, comfortable, and loved," Theodore retorted, earning surprised looks from everyone at the table.
Islinda noticed the way Queen Nirvana’s motion halted and she narrowed her gaze at her son, their eyes clashing in a heated challenge. Whatever had just happened, Theodore wasn’t defending Islinda because he liked her; he was affected. Sothing nagged at Islinda’s mind that Queen Nirvana’s remark hit close to ho, and her son was only retaliating.
Islinda racked her brain, trying to recall what she knew about Theodore, and then it hit her: his elven daughter. It seed that half-breeds were not the only mistreated species at Astaria.
Fae Queen Maeve snorted, "Could you both cut it out? We have guests at this table," Her eyes rested on Islinda alone, ignoring the quiet Elena.
Islinda got the point, even though it left a bitter taste in her mouth. She was the only outsider here.
"Good thing the screen has been put up so the others can’t hear the royal family airing their dirty laundry in public," King Oberon said sarcastically, his eyes scanning the table with a warning tone, his aura heavy and suffocating.
However, Islinda subtly looked behind her, searching for the screen that the king was referring to, but there was nothing. But now that she thought about it, Islinda realized that she hadn’t been able to pick up on conversations from the other Faeries in the hall.
She could sense that the Faeries were conversing based on the movents of their lips and their stares, but she couldn’t make out anything apart from what was happening at their table. No wonder the Fae realm was clearly more advanced than the human realm.
Finally, King Oberon announced, "We should eat."
With the king’s command, everyone picked up their cutlery and began eating. Islinda was the only one who hesitated, wondering if the food had been enchanted. Aldric’s caution about food had been drilled into her head to the point where she couldn’t eat without caution, even in her dreams.
"Here," Islinda felt relieved when Aldric handed her a plate. From the looks of it, he had selected the foods that were safe for her to eat.
Everyone at the table noticed the gesture and stared at the scene with intrigue, except for the scowling sumr prince. Queen Nirvana was the only one who snorted and shook her head in amusent. Islinda’s cheeks burned with embarrassnt, knowing that Queen Nirvana was mocking her for trying to appear as a Fae while not being able to stomach their food.
"Eat," Aldric said, leaning closer and whispering softly in her ear, "Princess."
What the...
Islinda’s eyes widened as she stared at Aldric, or rather Eli, in shock. How...? What...?! Quickly composing herself and reminding herself that she was dining with the royal family, Islinda forced herself not to look at the dark Fae prince too much. However, she couldn’t help but have nurous questions racing through her mind. How was Eli still in this body when Aldric had only agreed to let him out for thirty minutes?
"So human..." Queen Maeve began, only to be cut off rudely by Valerie.
"Islinda, mother. She is a living, breathing person with a na," Valerie said with a clipped voice.
Queen Maeve clenched her jaw, anger flashing in her eyes, but she suppressed it. "Tell Islinda details about you." She eyed King Oberon who had spared her no look since the al began. "I’m sure my husband is curious too."
King Oberon lifted his face, "Why do you keep dragging into this, my lovely queen. One might mistakenly think you are trying to set up with the human?" He said casually, yet his eyes glead with annoyance.
She smiled sweetly, placing her hand on top of her husband’s hand on the table in a gesture that would have seed tender if their gaze wasn’t filled with hostility. Islinda could see the silent battle they were fighting through their eyes alone.
Fae Queen Maeve tutted, "Of course, Your Majesty. We all know that Queen Nova’s position cannot be filled carelessly by a re human, isn’t that right, Aldric?"
It was astonishing how swiftly Islinda could detect even the slightest shift in tension, and right now, the temperature in the room had dropped to a chilling degree. However, Islinda couldn’t tell who was responsible for it. Was it Eli, whose body had gone tense, or King Oberon with his frigid expression? Or perhaps it was both?
One thing was certain: Queen Maeve knew how to provoke the two most powerful figures at the table, and Islinda felt a lump in her throat as she struggled to swallow. Her body tensed, ready to hide under the table once the fight erupted.
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