The pungent scent of roast meats, herbs, and spices filled the room. It was impossible to pick out one meal from them all, and the food kept coming—familiar meats that I knew, like a platter full of rabbits, grumfels, and large buvul roasts with a rich aroma of herbs, mixed with the musky scent of fats.

  There were also meats I’d never seen before, with an almost earthy smell mixed with spices that tingled the nose. What followed were the poultry options—so many types of birds. Again, I recognised a few, with various chicken dishes, and a platter of small, fist-sized birds that appeared to be stuffed with herbs, garlic grass, and butter.

  Then came the seafood. I couldn’t help but chuckle as the first dish through the door was a whole cooked thunar. What surprised me, though, was that there weren’t really any vegetables. It was all very meat-heavy, and I couldn’t lie—it smelt absolutely divine. Even Lily watched the food coming out.

  Although nothing seemed to take her interest for long. She just stared at me instead, and I knew what she wanted… I just didn’t know if I could pull anything out in front of the people at the table.

  “Let’s feast!” the king announced happily from the head of the table as he reached forward and started to take food.

  I noticed everyone waited for him to fill his plate first, but Lily had other ideas. She got to her feet, placing a paw on my arm, then nudging me with her head.

  That drew a lot of attention away from the food, and I knew if I didn’t do something she’d get grumpy—or more insistent.

  “It’s fine, lad. She can have whatever she wants!” Marcus said.

  I gestured to the table, but after looking at the king and then back at me, she nudged me again.

  Jen chuckled. “Just give her some food, Trev. She knows you’ve got the good stuff in your storage ring.”

  I saw the clear out Jen gave me with that one, and with a sigh I pulled out a fairly large piece of cooked drake and placed it next to my chair. It vanished almost instantly.

  But not quickly enough.

  “That smelt amazing. What was it?” Marcus asked.

  I must have looked stunned, because Milo came to my rescue. “Wyvern. We came across some storm wyvern in Boltron before we were forced out. It turns out Lily quite likes it.”

  There was a look from Lily that might have given us away, but Marcus either didn’t notice, or didn’t want to push it.

  “I’d love to try some someday! But for now—dig in!” he said, still cheerful.

  Once the king had a full plate, everyone else reached in and started grabbing food for themselves. I just watched in awe, not sure what I wanted to try. In the end, I went with one of the small stuffed birds, along with another poultry dish I hadn’t seen before that appeared to be covered in a creamy white sauce.

  Relying on the fact my skill would ask me to confirm, I attempted to store the two items. The small bird was an Uncommon Rockfer, while the other was an Uncommon Crystal Cockatrice. I’d heard of cockatrice before—never tried it, though.

  I took a bite of the rockfer first. What I tasted first were the sweet, earthy herbs it was stuffed with, followed by garlic butter, but the meat itself was incredibly juicy and soft.

  The cockatrice had an almost metallic tang to it that was balanced out by the creamy sauce. The meat itself was tougher than the rockfer—almost like eating buvul in texture.

  Once I’d finished those two, I inspected the dishes on the table. There were some I couldn’t reach, and no one else was getting up, but there was something that both interested me and scared me.

  An eel.

  It wasn’t the same as the one I cooked. This one had flaky white flesh, but what struck me most was the head. The teeth were massive—at least finger-sized.

  “Ah, you’ve spotted the strike eel, I see!” Marcus said, noticing me staring.

  “When you get juvenile ones like that one, the flesh is very sweet and delicate, but you don’t want to run into a full-grown one. They’ll bite you in half,” he said, laughing.

  I reached out, took a little onto my plate, and tried it. Sure enough, it was sweet and juicy, with a hint of saltiness to it. There were no strong herbs or spices competing for taste on this one—it was just the eel by itself.

  “Nice, right?” Marcus asked, grinning.

  I just nodded.

  For the first time, Luis spoke up. “It’s my favourite, but you can’t find it anywhere outside of the palace. Everyone says it’s too dangerous.”

  “Dangerous?” I asked.

  “Yeah—well, for two reasons. It’s dangerous to hunt, as they live in deep ocean water, but the juveniles occasionally get caught closer to shore.” Marcus leaned back a little. “The main concern is preparation. There are two large venom sacks that are very easy to burst, and they need to be removed.”

  “Only two of our chefs will make it!” Luis added, reaching over and taking more eel.

  “You’re a chef yourself, right? We can have them teach you if you’d like,” Marcus said.

  It shouldn’t have surprised me that they knew. My lack of concern about keeping things hidden was biting me now.

  I waved it off. “It’s okay. It’s likely too complicated for me.”

  “Nonsense,” Marcus said with a chuckle. “It wouldn’t come as a surprise to you that I have done some research on you before you arrived, and I know you have an interesting class. I’m not prying for details, by the way, but I would be remiss not to offer you lessons from the royal chefs.”

  Kathrine, who had been silent throughout the entire affair, spoke up. “I think they could learn from him. Lily was completely uninterested in anything on the table, and only wanted what Trevor had already cooked,” she said, with a small giggle.

  I felt uncomfortable with all the talk about my class—especially since I didn’t know what they knew.

  “Lessons would be good, but they’d need to happen at the house,” Jen said.

  “That could be arranged. I’m sure,” Marcus said. “I’ve heard the inner markets have a wide variety of amazing produce. I’ve not been out there myself—it causes too much chaos.” He chuckled again.

  “I’ve been,” Luis said excitedly. “They have really nice food.”

  Then he went silent, clearly realising he’d said something he wasn’t meant to.

  I caught the smirk on Kathrine’s face as she hid it behind her napkin.

  “You’ve been to the market? When?” the queen asked.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “No, no—I meant I wish I had been,” Luis said quickly, then grabbed for safety. “This eel is great, right?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at his attempt to change the subject.

  “I agree,” I said, nodding. “It really is good.”

  Amber looked unimpressed that she’d gotten no answer, but didn’t push. Luis gave me a quick smile and kept his head down.

  “I’m sure we were all troublesome in our youth and up to mischief,” Hari said.

  “Some more than others. Have you spoken to your father since, Hari? I’m sure he’d like to see you after all these years,” Reginald said, speaking up for the first time.

  Hari’s face dropped almost immediately. “I don’t believe he’ll want anything to do with me, and I think it’s best he doesn’t know I’m here,” he said quietly.

  “Nonsense. You know he’s been keeping tabs on you since you left, right? He was very concerned when he heard you were in Boltron during the attack,” Reginald persisted.

  Hari didn’t respond, just looking down at his plate.

  The main meal wrapped up quickly after that, as the servants began taking away the food.

  “Hope you kept room for the next course!” Marcus said happily, leaning back in his chair.

  Beside me, Liane muttered, “The best course.”

  Moments later, cakes and pastries streamed into the room—servants carrying trays and setting them across the table. There were so many options I didn’t know where to start.

  This wasn’t a dilemma for Liane, Jen, and Kathrine. All three dove in immediately. Clearly, there was no waiting for the king now.

  “So much food,” I said, still staring. “What do you do with all the leftovers?”

  “Well, normally we’d not have anywhere near this much—usually just a single meal,” Marcus said, taking only two small pastries for himself. “However, on a night like tonight where we hold a special feast, all leftovers are eaten by the servants and then taken home to their families.”

  I reached out and took a few myself. One was a flaky pastry with fresh fruit and a sugar syrup over the top. Next was a small berry tart. The third was a slice of cake that looked wonderfully soft and airy, layered with fruit and cream.

  “You should try the lemon tart as well. It’s absolutely divine. I hired the chef purely on his ability to make that one dessert,” Marcus said with a laugh.

  He wasn’t wrong. The crust was slightly sweet and crumbly, while the filling was cold and tangy, without being overly sugary. It paired perfectly.

  “Good, right?” Marcus asked.

  I just nodded, taking another bite.

  Liane overheard and grabbed one too.

  “Soooo good!” she practically squealed. “Trev—learn how to make this one!”

  They disappeared quickly after that as everyone decided to try one.

  The desserts were phenomenal, with my favourite being the cake. It was so soft and airy, and the cream had to have sugar whipped into it—perfectly sweet, then sharpened by the tartness of the fruit.

  Before I knew it, the meal was over and the plates were being taken away.

  “Marie, Henry, Reginald—it’s been a pleasure having you join us this evening, but I must now have a more private discussion with my guest,” Marcus said.

  They all rose and bowed, then made their way out of the room.

  Amber and Luis rose as well.

  “We will leave you to it. It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet you, Trevor, but I need to have some words with my son,” Amber said with a smile.

  “Hopefully, I’ll get to see you again,” Luis said, his smile only faltering for a moment at his mother’s comment.

  Soon there were only eight of us left: Hari, Jen, Milo, Liane, Kathrine, Marcus, Liam… and me.

  “I hope you don’t mind that Liam remains for these talks,” Marcus said. “He handled most of the information.”

  I looked at Hari.

  “It’s fine,” Hari said.

  “Excellent. I won’t play around—your connection to the phoenix is something we’re very interested in,” Marcus began.

  I was about to shut him down straightaway, let him know I couldn’t do anything with her, but I felt Liane squeeze my leg, stopping me and allowing Marcus to continue.

  “Historically speaking, our lineage rules due to our loose connection with the phoenix, with the blessing she bestowed on us. In turn, it provided our ancestors and family line with unique classes from the System—often phoenix-related. Now it is my understanding that you have received the feather that our ancestor once received, centuries ago,” he said.

  I shrugged. I couldn’t tell whether or not the feather was the same. It looked similar to the mural I’d seen, but whether it was exactly the same, I couldn’t say.

  “It’s fine. I’m not trying to take it. In fact, if history is anything to go by, anyone who tries will burst into flame and die,” Marcus chuckled, causing Kathrine’s eyes to widen.

  “No—this rumour of your ties to the phoenix will spread soon enough, if they are not already everywhere, and I would rather have you as a friend, or an ally.” Marcus leaned forward slightly. “Honestly, best-case scenario, I would like for you to marry my daughter.”

  “Dad!” Kathrine blurted, shocked, her professional mask cracking.

  Marcus laughed. “But I wouldn’t force my children to marry anyone, regardless of the benefits. What I would like is for you to be closer to the family. Part of that will be granting you a surname.”

  “I… I don’t know,” I said, not really sure how to respond, and looked towards Hari and Jen.

  “We’ll need time to think about it,” Jen said. “He left his home less than half a year ago. He’d barely be sixteen now, and this is a lot for someone to take all at once.”

  Liane wasn’t as kind. She crossed her arms “And what does he get out of all of this? You parade him around saying, look, the phoenix loves us, but what does Trevor get?”

  Marcus’s smile faltered.

  “It’s a fair question,” he said. “And time is certainly fine—I don’t expect a decision tonight. Truthfully, he’ll want for nothing if he chooses. He can live his life in luxury, doing whatever he likes, pursuing whatever he likes.”

  “A golden cage is still a cage,” Liane shot back.

  “Oh, please don’t mistake me. I don’t want him trapped here,” Marcus said, waving a hand. “He has the freedom to go wherever he’d like.”

  “I still want to be an adventurer,” I said. “I like my group, and it’s fun to see the world.”

  “You understand that being an adventurer is very dangerous,” Marcus said.

  Hari snorted. “That’s what my father said to me too, right before he disowned me. Personally I think court politics are just as dangerous.”

  I was surprised at the comment from Hari of all people.

  “And I believe he’s regretted those actions ever since,” Marcus said to Hari, making him falter.

  “But it’s perfectly fine. I respect your want for freedom,” Marcus continued, turning back to me. “Would you be willing to take a gift of armour, then?”

  I looked at Liam in his polished armour and remembered the king’s bright red set from earlier.

  “I… I can’t wear armour with Alira on it,” I said, shaking my head. “It wouldn’t be right. She’s mostly interested in Crisplet, not me.”

  “How about I set you up with the phoenix smith, and he’ll make you a piece more in your style?” Marcus offered.

  I still felt sceptical. What was I really agreeing to?

  “What’s in it for you, though?” I asked. “I don’t understand—sorry.”

  Marcus laughed. “Politics. I would very much like a positive friendship with you for many, many years to come. But even having you on friendly terms earns political points, and as I’m sure your party members will inform you when you leave tonight, many will try to get in your favour with invitations, parties, or gifts. Shamefully, I am no exception.”

  “Appearance is everything in the noble world, Trev. It’s why I couldn’t use my last name,” Hari said bitterly.

  “Precisely,” Marcus said. “Although, for what it’s worth, your father really did regret his actions before he heard of your connections to Trevor. In case you believe there are other motives—he came to me a couple of years ago asking if I could summon you to the capital just so he could see you again.”

  A pensive look came across Hari’s face, but I could tell he didn’t want to respond, at least not yet. Changing the subject, I said,

  “Could you help my friends set up a shop in the capital?”

  That seemed to catch Marcus off guard.

  “The merchant girl you were travelling with?” he asked.

  “Yes. Her name is Micca Carlye. She’ll be selling some high-end products, and we need to get her a shop. She’ll be living in the mansion you gave me,” I said. I obviously hadn’t run this by anyone, and I hoped I wasn’t speaking out of turn.

  I looked to my party, but I only saw smiles—everyone except Hari, who stared into his lap.

  “I can certainly organise a building for her,” Marcus said. “Kathrine, could you see it done?”

  Kathrine nodded once.

  That was far easier than expected.

  “I will give you some time to think about everything, Trevor,” Marcus said, his voice more serious again. “Understand I am not trying to use you, and I will not parade you around or force you to come to court. I would genuinely like our lines to be close. I imagine you have an interesting future ahead of you, and I’d be a fool not to try.”

  “I will think on it,” I said.

  After that, we stood, bowed, and made our way out of the room, with Lily and Crisplet walking alongside.

  There was so much to think about—but I really wanted to talk to Hari.

  I’d never seen him look so down as he did right now. All the talk of his family had clearly gotten to him.