Cover art by JenPotato
Please credit her if you want to post her illustration elsewhere 💙
Prince Bright Guntithanon is betrothed to Dara Kittiyangkul. Well, sort of bethrothed. She has the option to dissolve the union. But Bright is handsome, char...
I watch in horror as Meta piles his plate with corndogs.
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He places the last one with a flourish, looking proud of his pyramid of food.
"That's a lot of corndogs."
Meta smirks at me. "One can never have enough corndogs," he says as he pops one in his mouth.
"Leave some for the children."
Meta simply sticks his tongue out at me, unperturbed. I have never met someone so unbothered by my title in my life. I am still undecided if it was refreshing or annoying.
He starts walking towards the tables and I take that as my cue to excuse myself. I shouldn't stay if Dara wasn't here, right?
"Metawin," I say as he scans for a table to join. "I should get going."
He looks at me with abject horror. Like I suggested he jump into the nearest active volcano. "You are going to let me eat alone? Alone? What kind of manners do they teach at your castle?"
"Excuse me, but I have impeccable manners."
"Leaving me to eat alone is being well-mannered??" He asks the question so loudly that a couple of heads turn our way. I can feel my ears redden.
"Keep your voice down," I say. "Fine. I'll stay."
"Thank you very much." He finally spots an empty table and he walks towards it with his impossibly filled plate. I follow him but he shoos me away.
"I thought you wanted me to eat with you?" My god, make up your mind.
"So get some food. You can't just watch me eat. That's creepy."
I sigh loudly. Such a nuisance. "Fine."
I walk back to the buffet table and dutifully get a plate. As I peruse the food, I cannot help but grin. This wasn't a terrible idea. When was the last time I had cheesy spaghetti or fried rice balls for lunch? There were even pancakes with smiling syrup faces.
I get a couple of things on my plate and was about to walk back when I see the corndogs have been refilled. I decide to get a few pieces, just in case Metawin wanted more.
- - -
Metawin was sweating profusely. His whole face was red.
I had half a mind to call a medic but he would not let me.
"Are you sure you are okay?"
Metawin rolls his glassy eyes. "Opkors Ayham," he says as he half chews and half puffs air through his mouth.
He chews a little faster and finally swallows. He then greedily downs the glass of milk beside him.
He then lifts his fork up to stab another dumpling. But I was quicker than he was. I move the plate away.
