Black Avatare

22 | DINNER

A stone balcony stretched out, overflowing with plants that were as eerie and magnificent as the rest of the palace. The leaves shone pearlescent under the moon, which hung in the sky like a glowing orb. Fireflies twinkled, and flowers bloomed—a smattering of reds and purples amid the ghostliness. At the center of this vision was an ebony table, adorned with flowers and candles, their blue-white flames flickering in the breeze.

Binara's mesmerized eyes landed on the Black Prince who stood motionless by the balustrade. The moonlight limned his features, and the wind tousled his wavy hair. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized that his silver eyes were fixed on her.

"Good evening, my lady," he finally said, and strode up to the table, where he pulled a chair for her—the only other seat apart from his. "I hope you had a good sleep."

Binara ignored the gesture. "Why am I here?"

"I assumed you must be famished."

"Well, you probably don't eat what I do." She eyed the table again, where cutlery glinted, and a new idea made her insides contort. Could it be that I'm the main course?

"If the food is not to your liking, I'll personally see to it that we come up with something to your taste."

Binara forced her legs to move and took her seat. Diyan sank down directly opposite to her at the small table. She was sure that the palace had its formal dining room, but it didn't surprise her that he preferred this place for his meals. The unreality of the situation washed over her yet again, and she breathed deeply, trying to get ahold of herself. She was aware of his keen gaze, which probably penetrated the mask she had on. Thankfully, her hands were on her lap, so that he couldn't see them tremble.

A clacking sound made her turn in time to witness six kinnaras pushing a food trolley, their wings buzzing in the air. The males wore an outfit with metal bracers, neck pieces and accessories. The lead male bowed to them, uttering words only Diyan seemed to understand. The next moment, Binara watched unmoving while the kinnaras placed her meal on the table.

A stack of string hoppers sat on a plate—warm, white and fluffy. Side dishes arrived and were swiftly positioned in a semicircle. Her eyes jumped from one to another, lingering on unknown vegetables, and settled on a bowl of kiri hodi—a golden gravy so creamy and fragrant that she wondered what coconuts they were using. A mouthwatering aroma filled her nose, and her stomach came to life, whining for sustenance.

Diyan thanked the kinnaras and exchanged words Binara couldn't make out. Then they were alone again. Soft music wafted from beyond the balustrade, though her vantage point allowed no glimpse of what lay below.

"You seem surprised," Diyan said, picking up spindly utensils that resembled a spoon and a two-pronged fork.

Binara plastered on her neutral mask. "How is this possible? Plants that grow in my world are found here?"

"There are versions of them here. The two realms are more similar than you think."

She slowly picked up the spoon. "The kinnaras grow all this food?"

"That's right. They also source wild fruits and vegetables from Himavan Forest."

"Where?"

He gestured into the distance, and Binara took in the deodar cedars that extended all the way to the horizon, touched with clouds and moonlight. This is insane. Maybe I'm insane, and this is all happening in my head. She scooped a minuscule amount of the kiri hodi and brought it to her mouth. Her eyes widened.

If she thought the villagers of Gongama cooked well, the food she now sampled was on a whole other dimension. There was flavor she didn't think was possible, as if she had unlocked a new taste altogether.