24.

I had one more day left at the palace. I was frustrated and just wanted to go home. After Kiran and I had arrived back from the village yesterday we had had to part ways, he on some important kingdom business, me to roam the empty corridors alone.

I had a new servant, an Immortal servant. She was Indian, in her mid twenties, with silky black hair pulled tightly into a bun, and a British accent. Ricasah, was proper and polite but had a strong air of dignity about her that made it hard to believe she was a servant. I liked her, but I didn't really need her around. I wasn't used to a servant, I could do things on my own.

She had brought dinner to my room last night and then told me about a private movie theater inside the west wing of the palace. Ricasah had explained that since none of the royal family would be using the room, I was more than welcome to.

I swallowed my irritation with her phrasing, knowing she had nothing to do with the laws and by-laws of the monarchy. In the end, I opted for the movie out of sheer boredom and fell asleep in the plush reclining stadium style chairs.

I had woken sometime early in the morning and zombie-walked my way back to my room, where breakfast had been waiting for me at the vanity. After I had sufficiently stuffed myself from the same delicacies I had enjoyed the day before, I decided to explore the gardens.

I got lost, both literally and figuratively, wandering around the palace grounds discovering walled gardens with beautiful climbing flowers and ancient shade trees. I found a stone pathway that led to a crystal clear brook that reminded me exactly of the one in Kiran and my Dream Walk world, complete with far off mountains sitting as a backdrop. I stayed there a while, with my feet in the soft current wondering if this was where Kiran had drawn inspiration from.

On my way back from the brook, I stumbled upon the stables for the elephants and had fun walking through, and interacting with the trained beasts from the ground. They were massive, I never felt so small or delicate standing next to their leathery tree sized legs.

In the center of the palace was more gardens and a huge atrium with elegant stone statues and fountains. The atrium housed all manner of wild and exotic birds, including colorful but very territorial peacocks that chased me out of their home with haughty indignation.

When I finally found my room again I was exhausted and starving. I had missed lunch and was in desperate need of a nap. But only seconds after collapsing face forward on the pillow-top king-sized bed, Ricasah knocked softly at my door.

"Come in," I hollered through a muffled voice, face down in my pillow.

"Pardon me. Your presence has been requested for dinner with the king and queen this evening," Ricasah announced politely.

That got my attention. I rolled over to make sure she was serious and when I realized she had no reason not to be, I threw my arms across my face with exasperation.

"Why?" I sighed.

"Excuse me?" Ricasah asked, assuming my question was directed at her.

"Why me?" I clarified, still not really talking to her, but too frustrated to care. I didn't want to eat dinner with Lucan and pretend I was someone I wasn't and worry about my food being poisoned or passing some secret test proving I was completely average. I didn't want to have to be polite and call upon the table manners Aunt Syl had drilled into my head as a child; I really just wanted to sleep.

"Why you?" Ricasah asked very perplexed. "Well, because of the Eternal Walk. There is always a dinner in the King's honor after the Walks are completed," she walked further into the room carrying a long white box that I noticed for the first time. "Granted, there are usually hundreds of candidates attending and the dinner is more of a ball than a private setting, but I suppose your circumstances are unique." She finished with an air of dignity.

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry, I'm new to all of this," I sat up, forcing myself to smile even though I truly hated using that excuse.

"I am aware," she smiled forcefully back. "The crowned prince sent this over, suggesting that you might not have anything appropriate to wear this evening." She set the box down on the bed and opened it, revealing a silk sari in soft pink, the same color of the dress he had sent me for the Fall Equinox dance. I rubbed the luxurious material between my fingers, feeling differently about this gift than I had the last.

"He was right about that." I eyed my carry-on suitcase with a little bit of contempt, wishing I would have been prepared for meeting Kiran's parents at least emotionally. Although, I realized that since neither Amory nor Kiran had warned me before now, the dinner might actually be a surprise to everybody.

"I will be back in an hour to help you dress," Ricasah finished and then left me alone in the room with my thoughts and new sari.

----

I stood outside the dining room doors not ready to go in yet. I was told dinner would be served promptly at six and I had a few minutes before I would be late. I swayed back and forth feeling like I would be sick, watching my reflection in one of the few glassed windows around the palace.

The pink sari was exquisite, with silver stitching outlining delicate flowers and loopy designs. I had opted for minimal makeup, not wanting to draw attention to myself; so other than mascara and a little lip gloss, my face was plain. I was afraid that my hair would draw unnecessary attention, so I had pulled it into a side braid; but now I wondered if I should have gone Ricasah's route and chosen the low bun.

"Did they not tell you we eat supper in the dining room?" Kiran's amused voice came from behind me; I turned to meet him. He looked especially handsome in a white seer sucker suit and soft blue dress shirt underneath, that was unbuttoned at the top in lieu of a tie. His hair was tousled underneath his crooked crown and he fidgeted with it, trying to get the elaborate piece of heavy gold to stay on correctly.

"Oh, and not out in the hallway?" I tried to make a joke, but still couldn't get my nerves under control. I had been having visions of Lucan slamming his fist down on the table screaming, "Off with her head," all afternoon. If I could get through this dinner without being arrested, I would probably be in the clear. I would be able to make it out of India alive and still a free girl.

"Come along, it shan't be all bad," he smiled and held out his bent elbow to me, gesturing with a nod of the head.

I linked my hand daintily through his arm, trying to recall my fairy tale knowledge and how exactly a guest of the king should behave.

We walked through the doors of the dining room and I was a little surprised to see the long table I had eaten breakfast at the day before gone, and a smaller, more intimate table set for five. I wondered absently how they had managed to move the larger table, it had seemed like a permanent and very heavy fixture.

The small table, in its place, made the room seem extra large. Underneath the table was a wide rug with a colorful mosaic pattern covering the cold stone floor. The fireplace on the east wall had been lit, but even though the room needed the opposite of heating, I couldn't feel any warmth across the expanse of the room. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling had been dimmed to provide a more intimate dinner setting. An exotic floral arrangement adorned the middle of the table.

Kiran walked over to the table and pulled out a chair for me. We were alone so far in the room and I was thankful for that.

"You look exquisite by the way," Kiran said softly to me, sitting down to my right.

"Thank you," I smiled, but rushed on. "Ok, what are some rules I need to know? Like guidelines? Um, do I need to bow or whatever when your father comes in?" My face flushed red, I felt sick again.

"Relax, you'll do fine," he smiled patiently at me. "When Father enters, you need to stand; a small curtsy will do fine. Make sure you keep your eyes down until Father has been seated and then you are allowed to sit and lift your head. Do not eat anything or even drink anything until Father has taken his first bite. And, don't speak unless spoken to, that is very important, Eden." Kiran finished quickly, giving me a worried glance before standing at the opening of the doors.

Lucan and Kiran's mother, Analisa, entered the room with all of the demeanor I would expect from a king and queen. Lucan was dressed in a cream colored suit with a white dress shirt underneath and was the perfect older version of Kiran. He had the same tousled blonde hair sitting underneath his crooked but larger crown, only he didn't mess with it the way Kiran did. He had strong blue eyes that swept over the room in an irritated, disapproving manner that made me nervous.

Analisa, Kiran's mother, was breathtaking. She was dressed in a turquoise sari that had silver stitching like mine, but was so superior in beauty she made mine look plain. Her long dark hair flowed about her as she walked. She had turquoise eyes that matched her sari; they were kind and not nearly as unpleasant as her husband's. Her dainty golden crown was the only one that seemed to fit exactly on the top of her head.

Behind them, followed a young girl, probably no more than eleven or twelve. She was also dressed in a sari; hers was in a fun magenta, and had gold beading all over the front sash. Her eyes were a golden brown that reminded me of someone but I couldn't put my finger on who it was. She was wearing a thin band of gold with a large diamond in the center, around her head; her crown was very age-appropriate.

I moved to the front of my chair and curtsied awkwardly, wishing I would have anticipated this moment and practiced the movement earlier this afternoon. I stared at the ground afraid of lifting my head and even more afraid of doing something wrong.

"Alright, that's enough of that," Lucan declared gruffly, "Eden, as I remember, you don't have much regard for the monarchy at all," he took his seat and everyone else followed, Kiran laughing to the right of me.

"No, please forgive me, I have the utmost respect for the monarchy," I sat down and cleared my throat, defending myself and afraid my previous beheading fears would actually come true. "I was um, I was just raised...."

"Human," Lucan finished for me, his frown turning briefly into a reassuring smile. "We are aware."

"Yes, that's right," I confirmed softly.

"Father, don't be so hard on our guest," Kiran said in good humor.

The servants brought out the first course, a green salad with a citrus dressing, and the delicious Indian bread I had come to love.

After we were alone again, Lucan spoke directly to me, "My son is quite taken with you Eden. I'm quite certain you have bewitched him." He stared at me, his deep blue eyes searching mine; I didn't know what to say. He didn't seem angry, but I felt like he was still accusing me of something that should be wrong.

"No, no, not at all," I glanced at Kiran, hoping he would help defend me, but he was suddenly very interested in his wine. "Kiran is betrothed," I finished weakly.

"I know," Lucan snapped, but not unkindly.

"Of course. Forgive me. What I mean to say is that, Kiran is too respectable of a man to mistreat Seraphina," A deep blush crawled up my neck and onto my cheeks.

"Is that so? Well, my dear," Lucan continued, turning to Kiran's mother, "at least their feelings for each other are mutual," he smiled at his beautiful wife who nodded her agreement eyeing me over with her turquoise eyes.

"I am Amelie," the younger girl introduced herself. "It is very nice to meet you." She smiled genuinely at me, her golden brown eyes sparkling from even across the table.

"Oh yes, Eden, this is Amelia, Sebastian's younger sister," Kiran smiled between the two of us.

I recognized the difference between how she introduced herself and how Kiran had said her name as the difference between the French and English pronunciations; at least French class had taught me something.

"Do you know my brother?" she asked excitedly, a look of pure pride in her eyes.

"Yes, I attend Kingsley with him," I smiled back at her, not wanting to go into too much detail on exactly how well we knew each other. Her excitement was catching, though, and I mused at how sweet and enchanting she was, especially for being Sebastian's sister.

"How wonderful!" she gasped, reaching out for Kiran's hand. "I wanted to join the boys so badly, but mother said I am too young to be that far from home." She pouted, looking up at Kiran with a mixture of hero worship and pleading.

"That you are, Amelia," Lucan scolded from behind his wine goblet.

She was instantly silent, her eyes falling desperately back to her salad. My heart went out to her; she had that kind of contagious personality that demanded empathy with every emotion.

"It won't be long, dearest," Kiran reached out for her hand again, and she looked up at him, her large golden brown eyes flickering with hope. "You'll be with us again soon enough," he smiled down at her and I saw that she believed him; there was complete trust between the two.

The servants appeared to clear the first course and then a second group of servants brought out a delicious-smelling soup. I was pleasantly surprised to find it sweet and a little sour, with apples, potatoes and raisins.

"Eden, I would love to hear more about how your walk went," Amelia said happily. "I have to do mine this summer and I am so terribly nervous," She glanced at Lucan making sure she wasn't saying anything she shouldn't, before turning her bright eyes back to me. "Were you terrified?"

I cleared my throat, desperately wishing she wouldn't have even broached the subject. I didn't know how to fumble my way through a lie in front of Lucan because I didn't know how a normal Walk was supposed to go.

"Yes, yes I was absolutely terrified," I smiled gently, with honesty.

"Oh, me too," Amelia gushed, offering me the same trust that she had given Kiran.

"Whatever for?" Kiran asked, perplexed. "There's nothing to be afraid of," he said confidently to Amelia.

"Well, Kiran's right," I cleared my throat again, hoping to sound convincing. "There isn't anything to be afraid of really, but it's hard to know that before you've done

it." I took a quick sip of my soup, hoping the conversation would end there.

"That's what I keep telling Uncle Lucan," Amelia glanced over at the king who had seemed to grow disinterested in our conversation. "I was hoping he would let me watch your walk Eden, just so I could get a glimpse of what exactly happens."

"Eden's walk wouldn't have revealed very much Amelia. I don't believe I've ever witnessed a walk end so abruptly in my life," Lucan looked down at me from over his glass, I was suddenly very nervous, realizing how erratic I must have come across yesterday.

I blushed and stared down at my now empty bowl. I didn't know if Lucan was expecting an explanation or if he already knew I couldn't give him one.

The servants came in again, providing a much needed interruption to the awkward silence. They cleared our bowls and replaced them with a lamb sauce over long-grain white rice with more bread to eat with, instead of silverware. I watched Kiran expertly tear a piece of bread apart and fold it into a kind of scoop, bringing the rice mixed with sauce expertly to his lips. I inwardly sighed, knowing this was not the place to attempt a finger food learning experience.

"Thank you for inviting me to dinner, everything is wonderful," I changed the subject, calling on propriety to cover my awkward silence. "I understand this usually only happens once a year," I tried smiling in the general direction of Lucan without actually looking at him.

"Yes. It does," he replied curtly. "But as you know your circumstances are.... unique."

"You have no idea how often I'm told that," I attempted a joke, but only Kiran laughed.

"Well, we are just happy you were so willing to cooperate," Lucan smiled at me politely, but his deep blue eyes were searching my face, waiting for me to react.

"No, please," I smiled, genuinely. "You are the ones who have been so accommodating. I apologize for my negligence in the matter." I did my best to sound grown-up and sincere; I hadn't had a choice in the matter, or even been asked to cooperate.

"In the summer we hold a ball," Kiran spoke up with anxious enthusiasm. "The palace is really quite lovely in the summer, Eden," he smiled at me with more affection than I thought was appropriate in front of his parents, but some instinct deep in the pit of my stomach told me to play the secret lover a little more obviously.

"I would have loved a ball," I cooed at Kiran, swirling the wine around in my glass idly.

"Then maybe next time around, your parents shouldn't die and leave you in the care of a-" Lucan spit out suddenly with cool-toned hatred that sent chills down my spine. He paused only for a second on the vowel and I was certain he was going to say Amory before he continued, "a, a human," he set his glass down a little violently, spilling the crimson liquid on the table.

I didn't know what to say or how to respond, but luckily Analisa, Kiran's mother, reacted before I was given the chance. Very calmly and collectedly, she set her own goblet down, dabbed at her face with her cloth napkin and stood. She smiled at Kiran and Amelia and then at me, before leaving the table and walking out of the dining room without another word.

"If you'll excuse me," Lucan mimicked Analisa's every move minus the smiles and left the dining room before I could analyze the rhyme or reason for any of it.