From Ash and Flame

11

A WHOLE DAY of walking around the castle and finding somewhere in the maze of the castle grounds to get rid of her flimsy stake had left Aeress famished and she was silently glad when Theoden escorted her back to her rooms, announcing that dinner had already been delivered up to her. She'd skipped lunch to keep the Prince company, so when she opened the door of her chambers, the aroma of steak washing over her, her stomach grumbled loudly.

She strained her head around the corner, eyes widening as she took in the dishes set up on the table, the withering flowers which were sitting in the center now swapped for a fresh bouquet of chrysanthemums and lavender Aeress had spotted spouting in the well-groomed gardens. Candelabras winking with candlelight accompanied the flowers, lighting up the whole room.

But a frown printed itself on her face when her eyes fixated on a second plate sorted in with the collage of food.

She looked at Theoden over her shoulder. "You didn't tell me I would be having dinner with someone else."

The Crown Prince of Iledon smiled wolfishly. "It's too late now," he told her, adjusting the lapel of his suit jacket, the emblem of the Royal Family reflecting the lambent glow of light illuminating the dining room. "Your guest has already arrived."

Aeress crossed her arms over her chest, eyes roving over Theoden. "You?"

He bowed dramatically, inclining his head to look at her. "Surprise," he grinned. "I thought it would be nice to share a friendly dinner."

She spun back to the table, nodding at the organized food ready for their consumption. "I never agreed to this."

The scrape of chair legs sounded behind her, followed by Theoden's voice responding confidently, "You didn't need you."

"You do know being a Prince doesn't always mean you have the privilege of interrupting someone's private dinner."

The Prince made sure she was seated comfortably before moving to take the vacant chair opposite her, his dark hair falling over his forehead in a way that made Aeress desperately want to push it back. "I own the entire West Wing, Aeress. I can do whatever I please with my guests."

"Is that so?" Aeress muttered, picking up the glass of wine standing tall in the midst of all the other platters.

She drew it to her lips, the cold liquid dripping down her throat. It tasted bitter, but it was a type of bitter that sent gooseflesh hustling down her arm. Having tasted it before in the dinner parties she attended countless times to track down her targets, Aeress knew it was wine prepared in Byrn, a town famous for its brewery and costly beverages. The Prince must've paid a hefty amount to have these served to them all the way from the mountainside. She flicked her gaze up to Theoden, planting the wine glass back down onto the table. He was staring at her, sipping from his own glass.

"How much did this entire table of food cost you?" she asked him, selecting her cutlery carefully.

She could completely ignore him and get on with her evening, which would probably do her some good, but the way his eyes were fixed on her made her uneasy and silence definitely wouldn't make it any more tolerable.

He thought for a moment, chewing on a slice of steak he had cut out neatly. She tried to mirror it as he said, "Twenty gold and forty silver coins."

She nearly dropped the food she'd stabbed up with her fork. Even if she killed an entire room of nobility, she would never be able to reach that sum. "How much money do you earn to afford that?"

"About a hundred gold coins a day."

Not even all the money collected in the Capital could add up to twice that much. He probably earned it all from trade and businesses with other kingdoms around the realm. And the Crown Prince could spend all of that in the blink of an eye.