The Knight

Chapter 3

We sat down at the biggest table I had ever seen. There was enough room in it to seat twenty or thirty people, but for some reason, it was empty.
The queen sat down at the head of the table, Anne beside her. I sat down across from Anne and my parents sat beside me.
"Berkus!" The queen called. "Bring out the first course!"
"First course?" I mouthed towards my mother. She nodded, smiling.
     I turned back as a well-dressed old man came in holding a large tray in one hand. When he set it down on the table, I saw that they were bowls full of green leaves a bit lighter than spinach, shreds of orange and slices of a strange red fruit with lots of seeds spilling out.
     "Salad, fresh from the garden." The man said, handing each of us a bowl and a fork.
     Anne laughed. When I looked up, she was looking at me. "You look like you've never seen a salad before." She laughed.
     "I-I haven't." I stammered.
     Her smile fell to surprise. "Really?"
     I nodded.
     "We don't grow any of these vegetables at our house." My father explained. "We grow peas, cucumbers, spinach and peppers."
     "I think you'll really like it here." The queen said, winking at me. "We have all manner of vegetables and fruits you can try."
     "This is lettuce." Anne said, holding up one of the green leaves on her fork. "The red is tomato and the orange is carrot."
     I stabbed into the lettuce with my fork, expecting resistance. Instead, it slid right through and I even speared a tomato slice.
     I took a bite. The lettuce tasted strange and almost earthy, but with a small amount of juice. The tomato was sweet, the juice a bit more sour.
     It was amazing.
     "This is so good." I smiled. Anne smiled too while the adults laughed.
Before I had even finished the salad, the man came back, this time with a man and a woman behind him, all three of them carrying trays. When they set them down, the trays were covered in various breads and fruits. I took off a pear and began slicing pieces off and eating them. Then, the same three people came back with multiple trays of meats. Remembering my manners, I took my knife and cut a slice off the roasted Aeris, a bird-like air elemental.
     Once we were finished, the queen rose from the table. My parents rose after her, and Anne and I after them.
     "Now that we're all full, why don't you show Corona here the gardens?" The queen spoke to her daughter.
     Anne nodded eagerly. "Come with me." She said to me.
     I nodded and followed her. She led me through multiple passageways and into a tower. Before I knew it, we were outside.
     The sky was pitch back and riddled with stars. Back here, it was so quiet compared to the business of before. When I turned around, I could see the lights in some of the windows of the castle.
     "Follow me!" Anne whispered and I quickly turned back around and followed her down a steep hill to where a tall stone wall stood, not nearly as tall or think as the city wall. This one was about seven feet tall and a foot wide.
     In the darkness, Anne somehow found a big stone gate. That meant she must have come here often. She shoved it open with her shoulder. Seeing that she was struggling, I rushed over to help her.
     I'm known for my strong broad-shouldered build, so with me helping we got it done a lot faster than I could imagine she normally did when coming here alone.
     "Thanks!" She panted, slipping inside.
     When I managed to get inside, what I saw was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.