Collaterals

The Steel, the Quips, and the Taunts.

They served Wild Boar, today, which was how Leila knew she'd upset the Empress. She looked down at her plate, having already eaten all the vegetables, had a portion of the mashed potatoes, and drank it down with some water. She glanced in front of her, where Arun sat across the table. Last week, he'd been asked whether the empire's meat was not good enough for him. Leila remembered how she'd just barely stopped herself from fidgeting in her seat, knowing the Empress would be looking for some sort of reaction. Arun had stared at the Empress— seated, as she always was, at the head of the table—almost dumbfounded: he never had any meat at their weekly dinners. He'd said as such, only to be met with silence. And it was in silence they sat, for what'd felt to Leila to be a great deal of time, until the Prince had cut into the meat. The clinking of his utensils had been the only sound made, and it was with a forced smile that he'd chewed the meat. Leila had thought he was going to be sick.

She looked down at her plate, now, moving the meat around, hoping it would seem as though she'd eaten some. Perhaps, if Leila cut it up into little pieces, the Empress would be none the wiser.

"Is it not to your liking, Dear?"

Leila looked up.

The Empress had green on, today, jewels of emerald weighing heavily on the golden chain rested atop the breasts peaking from her white and green gown, and it'd made Leila think of just how pale it made her skin look. Almost sickly. The Princess feigned surprise, brows raised just so as she said, "Not at all, Your Majesty."

"Oh but you've barely touched the meat." The Empress had an elbow on the table as she leaned forward, head leaned to the side. She had on that look of hers, brows drawn closer, mouth downturned, lips slightly pursed. One might think her concerned were it not for the glint in her eyes: the daring, the wanting, almost, to be challenged.

Leila gave a polite smile, cutting into the meat. This time, none of the other four seated around the table stopped their meals. They gave nervous glances, shifting this way or that, but, for the most part, their heads remained down. Leila could not help but wonder what Arun thought. And when she brought the boar's meat to her mouth, bit it off the fork, and chomped down on it with distaste, it was her family she thought of. She gave the Empress a polite nod as she gulped it down. The Empress did not sit back as Leila had hoped she would. Instead, she placed her chin in the palm of her hand, watching. Leila had another bite. And another. Soon enough, there was no more than small pieces of the Boar's meat on her plate, slumped into the remnants of the mashed potatoes and peas. It was only then the Empress smiled, the kind of satisfaction in her eyes that one achieved only upon winning a game.

"Tasty, isn't it?"

Leila smiled, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good," The Empress nodded, returning to her meal. She spoke as she cut into the meat on her plate, repeating the same words Leila had heard a thousand times, "It is important that we eat together, as a family. The Empire can only function as one, if we function as one."

They all nodded.

There were five of them. Leila, Arun, Davu, Qadan, and Vichama. Each the second borns of the royal families of, respectively, the Kingdoms of Aradia, Inai, Swahn, Monol, and Cani. Though they were still allowed the terms Prince and Princess, each of the Five knew what the servants whispered between the halls, what the people of the Tainish Empire called them: The Collaterals. Leila had hated the term, growing up. She'd soon learned, however, that it was the kinder of labels used by the common folk to refer to them.

Leila had tried to keep the contents of her stomach down, when she'd returned to her quarters that night. She'd sent her maidservants away, and twisted and turned underneath her sheets, trying desperately to ignore the way her stomach sat heavy atop her lungs, how it churned and burned as though she'd ingested burning coals. And though her windows were wide open, letting in the chilly Tainish night air, despite it being a week into spring, the Princess of Aradia had developed a fever, sat up in bed, clutched her upset stomach.