The Trio of Trouble

Chapter Eight, Dinner with the Queen

Chapter Eight

Dinner with the Queen

     I blinked, Marco and Jacos' faces appearing in my eyesight. Like Satery had said, I didn't feel any discomfort physically, but the horrible images and memories still played in my mind.

 "Jack, are you alright?" breathed Marco.

     I nodded, and pulled myself up off the ground. Satery, stared down at me, still standing in front of the water basin. Her face was grim, and full of thought, her cheery, bubbling attitude had faded.

"We did what you wanted," I managed. "Now give us our things and let us go."

     Satery shook her head. "I never agreed to that. I'll let you all go...soon. But for now, you are my guests, and I will treat you as such. Supper should be finished by now, please, you must be hungry."

     I gritted my teeth irritably. I almost kept demanding our freedom, but then I spotted Marco's face. He stared long fully at the queen a small hope glimmering in his eyes. He licked his lips, and clutched his grumbling stomach. He was hungry. I was suddenly aware of my own hunger, a hollow pain starting to grow in my gut. "Fine." I muttered, not pleased with being defeated, though it wasn't a real fight, or anything near it, I felt my pride was wounded. Satery smiled, seeming to forget her troubles from a few seconds ago. She spun around, and pushed though the double doors into the hallway. "This way!" She said joyfully.

      We followed the human queen though the winding hallways, occasionally passing a swamp creature who would bow respectfully. When we reached the dinning hall, I wondered if we had reached the end of the entire castle, but there seemed to be more passageways beyond it. I had never looked at a map of Asiligad, but I was sure the swamp must have taken up a good space on one. The dinning hall was about the same size as the throne room, and just as grand. The ceiling was see though, and though the water above was dark and muddy, the light from inside created hues of rich blues in the water. There was a long table the seemed to be carved from the rock that we stood on. It was attached to the floor, and was the same light gray, blue color. On the table, dishes of strange looking food steamed in the cool air. Queen Satery, motioned the remaining swamp creatures to lead the room. They didn't look very pleased, and hissed in their hoarse language their eyes darting towards us. But the queen wouldn't hear of it, she lifted her hand motioned them to be off. Reluctantly, the creatures tromped off and slammed he doors behind them.

 "There," Satery said as if out of breath, "we can be alone for dinner."

    Marco thrust towards the table, but I put out an arm stopping him. "Check for poison." I whispered, then moved my arm.

Marco rolled his eyes, as if I was telling him to sweep the floors or something and walked off.

'Fine!' I shouted at him mentally, 'Go and die from poison! It's not like I've tried to warn you or anything!'

     But, obviously, Marco couldn't hear me and he plopped down onto a seat innocently. Of course that just made me more mad, like he was somehow supposed to hear my thoughts or something, and I stomped to a seat across from his. I even knew I was being silly, of corse Marco couldn't read my thoughts, and it wasn't his fault we where in that situation. It was the way he acted about it that made me frustrated. He seemed to not care that we where in a dangerous underwater castle, surrounded by menacing swamp creatures. He seemed to have completely forget our last encounter in, seeing the blasted past and future!

     I glanced at Jaco at least he looked a little solemn. He gazed at the covered plates of food, his face brightening.

'Nevermind.' I crossed my arms, 'Men.'