The Tyrant's Queen

10: the girl with the bad father

There was no time to mull over the conversation- or rather, verbal attack- Thalia had received from Lucien.

She returned to her chambers, only to be greeted by a table bearing the weight of platters of food enough to feed ten grown men.

"What..." Even as she was dumbfounded by the single set of utensils set before her, her mouth was watering. "What is this?"

"Dinner, Your Majesty." Holding an extra napkin in hand, Matia responded promptly.

"His Majesty wishes to inform you that a few officials, High Priest Yhun, a few priests of the temple and yourself will be attending a small tea and dinner gathering in an hour and a half's time.

"The session will include briefing on the results of the interrogations, as well as a welcome for Officer Karlieus. His Majesty will be arriving at the door to accompany you to the venue."

Officer, instead of Official.

A man who used to head an infamous pirate ship, needless to say, wouldn't be able to bear wearing the sugary veneers that officials niftily wore on and off.

"I'll revise my question. Why is there only one pair of utensils?"

"A lady must fill her stomach before attending a tea or dinner session, Your Majesty. It is unbecoming to eat generous amounts before guests."

Thalia was tucking into the food before Matia's explanation was finished.

Nothing much mattered, as long as food was on the table and Letellia was being treated.

She was growing acclimatized to the mystifying but quite coherent logic of upper class manners for the ladies.

Grilled slabs of steak that leaked of juice and were bathed in deep coffee-colored sauce.

Salad made of vegetables that audibly crunched between her teeth.

Mashed potato as soft and relenting as whipped cream.

Piping hot chocolate cake filled to its core with fresh strawberry jam and melted chocolate-

"Your Majesty." Taking a step forward, Matia cleared her throat.

Matia wasn't an expressive woman, but one emotion that fleeted past her face was easily fathomable by now. Disappointment.

In the midst of chewing and swallowing another mouthful, Thalia scanned the plates before her- many of which had been scraped clean.

It'd been a few days at the palace, but she wasn't getting any accustomed to the food.

This was Matia's signal for her to stop eating.

Taking a quick, last bite of the chocolate cake, Thalia dabbed at her mouth with the napkin.

The warmth of the food was spreading from her stomach to the rest of her body.

Eyelids growing heavy and sitting in the chair having scraped a few plates clean, it seemed the ideal time to crawl under the warm sheets, sit by the fireplace and go to sleep.

A heaviness was weighing her body down, like cotton soaked in water. Thalia started.

Heaviness of her body? As naturally as possible, she scanned the plates before her.

Had Lucien ordered for this food to be spiked too? She wouldn't be able to know.

What he'd spiked her tea with, if the antidote he gave her would be even effective.

There was nothing she could determine or ascertain with certainty, except making sure her head- and that of Letellia's- were resting on their shoulders.