Chapter 6 #4
It took about five minutes for my teams to do their secondary security sweep, but eventually, Palchur came and knocked on the door of the carriage.
“Sire,” he said with a frown. “I have some bad news.”
My heart sank as my mind whirled through all the worst-case scenarios, and I braced myself for disaster.
“The innkeeper tasked a new maid with preparing your meals,” he explained. “And she’s made a real blunder of the situation.”
“Um, okay…” I frowned in confusion, but the tension left my body. “What does that mean for us?”
“Do we not have food to eat?” Yori pouted and looked like she might cry.
“No, Your Majesty,” Palchur assured her. “It just means your meals are being served in the main dining room rather than in your private suite.”
“Oh,” I chuckled. “That’s not a problem. We’ll eat in the dining room. No worries.”
“Very well, sire,” Palchur said. “I’ll let the kitchen staff know.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Roald appeared like clockwork to help the ladies down from the carriage, and my private group of semi-incognito soldiers formed up around us in a loose formation.
“Shall we?” I asked the women.
“Yes.” Serra nodded.
“Yes, please,” Carissa said. “I’m quite famished.”
“It’ll be fun to eat with the commoners,” Tanell said.
Yori rolled her eyes but smiled at my golden-blonde lover.
The leader of my private security team, Anders, led us toward the inn door, and we entered the bustling dining hall.
Anders took a deep breath, probably to announce my arrival into the room, but I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him before he could open his mouth.
“I don’t need a royal announcement to eat dinner, Anders,” I said. “It’s fine. Thank you.”
“Yes, sire,” Anders said with a nod of his head. “As you wish.”
“Make sure you eat, too,” I insisted. “Alright?”
“Yes, sire.” He nodded again and turned to the rest of my security team.
A serving girl who looked like she was probably about seventeen walked up and greeted us.
“Your Majesty,” she said with a very deep curtsy. “A million apologies. I misunderstood the instructions…”
“It’s fine,” I assured her with a friendly smile. “Don’t worry about it. We’re just looking for a good hot meal. Can you do that for us?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” she said with relief in her soft brown eyes. “My name is Merryl. I’ll be serving you this evening.”
“Thank you, Merryl,” I said.
“If you’ll follow me,” she said. “Your table is this way…”
I nodded for her to lead the way, and she brightened up when it became clear I wasn’t going to demand her head on a pike or anything. It was a stark reminder of how different I was from the country’s former king, and I wondered if people would ever become used to my way of doing things.
Merryl gave me another nervous look as she stopped at a simple table near the back of the dining room. It was set with clean, white plates, silver mugs, and a candelabra with six lit tapers in the middle.
“Is this sufficient, Your Majesty?” Merryl asked.
“Yes.” I gave her my friendliest smile. “This is perfect. Thank you, Merryl.”
Her face relaxed in shock for a split second before a bright smile lit her up like a lantern.
“There’s water in the mugs,” she said. “Would you like anything special to drink, sire?”
I looked to the ladies in my company.
“Wine?” I asked.
“Yes, please,” Tanell said, and she smiled at Merryl. “Red, if you have it?”
“Certainly, Your Majesty,” Merryl said.
“That’s fine for me as well,” Serra said.
“And me,” Carissa agreed.
“Will you bring me some whiskey, please?” Yori asked with a mischievous little grin.
“Oh.” Merryl’s eyes went wide in surprise. “Yes, of course. I’ll be right back, and your food should be out in just a moment.”
“Thank you,” I said as the ladies and I sat down.
“She was so sweet,” Tanell said.
“And very nervous,” Serra pointed out with a soft smile.
“I suspect she was worried she’d lose her position,” Yori said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Serra and Carissa looked at her in confusion, and Tanell gave a small, empathetic nod.
“Why would she lose her position?” Serra asked.
“Because she fucked up,” I explained before Yori had to. “It sounded like the innkeepers wanted to serve us in our suite, where we wouldn’t have to rub elbows with ‘the commoners.’”
“Oh,” Serra murmured, and her face shifted into understanding. “I never thought of that.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” Yori whispered under her breath.
She’d spoken quietly enough that Serra and the others hadn’t heard, but I’d caught the words on the shape of her lips as she spoke. I reached out to squeeze her thigh, and she gave me an affectionate look.
“Well,” Carissa said in a diplomatic tone. “It all worked out.”
“True,” Tanell agreed. “No need to dwell on it.”
“What do you think–” Yori started to say, but a thunderous smashing sound interrupted her.
My heart leaped into my throat at the sound of shattering glass, and Anders appeared at my side out of thin air.
“Sire–” he began.
“No!” a man shouted across the room. “You’re a damn dirty cheat!”
I turned just in time to watch the broad-shouldered man throw a right hook into the bearded jaw of another man at his table, and all hell broke loose inside the dining hall.