Blood Will Tell

IV

Edin dried himself and dressed in a hurry. It was almost six o'clock in the evening; he would be late for dinner. He only had a few minutes. He hastened his footsteps as he trod down the stairwell and paced towards the dining hall. If he could walk fast enough, he should be able to make it in a minute.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. No, he could not make it. He was supposed to be the one preparing dinner. If they were to dine at six, he should have been in the kitchen by five o'clock at the latest.

He was not running late—he already was.

He dashed towards the kitchen. The sound of simmering soup, clanging metal, and clinking of dinnerware rang from the room. He opened the doors. Arden was already inside, supervising the work of her magic.

She turned around to face him. Though he could not see her eyes, he could sense them narrowing into slits. It was one of those moments where one would be thankful her bangs were long enough to conceal her upper face. Had they not existed, one would be at the receiving end of a razor-sharp glare.

"You're very late. What were you up to?"

"I-I was showering."

She sighed. "Edin, I know how nice warm showers and baths can be, but this is not the time. You know I work six days a week and come home every evening fatigued from work. I have to protect at least a dozen towns, take care of you, and manage a million other things. The least you could do is not delay my dinner. Look, I'm starving!"

A grumble sounded from where she stood.

"That's how hungry I am."

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

She snorted. "You're lucky I don't have a night shift today. Wait in the dining hall. I've done everything for you."

Her tone cut him like a chef's knife slicing through butter. With a meek nod, he walked towards the door and left.

Edin mentally cursed himself as he made his way towards the dining hall. He had no excuses. There was no excuse for him to linger in the shower for nearly two hours when he had a task to do—and it was not a hard one, either. He worried about her hating him. His inner voice told him not to. She had chided him a couple of times before, but that did not stop her from looking after him. Even after all the mistakes he had committed, she would often tell him that it was understandable since every person was prone to them.

Except Arden. She never made mistakes. At least, Edin had never seen her commit one. He wondered if she ever had.

After a long and straight stroll from the end of one wing to the end of another wing of the castle, he arrived at the dining hall. Like the rest of the castle, the dining hall was opulent. A long table stretched from one end to the other. Though it was long enough to accommodate sixty-four diners, it had only thirty-two chairs and had only seated two for the past few years. Stained glass paintings were framed within the stone walls, its enchanted shards radiating the illusion of sunlight pouring into the chamber. If that was not bright enough, the row of cut-glass chandeliers hanging from the arched ceiling was even more radiant.

Arden entered not long after, leaving the doors open. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and watched the table set itself. Four glasses were filled: two smaller glasses to hold the finest red wine, and two cylindrical ones for cool mineral water. Silverware marched across the tablecloth before resting next to porcelain plates and bowls. A symphony of savory scents diffused throughout the hall as ceramic dishes brought their food. First, small bowls of salad made with vegetables fresh from the nearest farm, topped with crunchy croutons and tossed with extra virgin olive oil and a drizzle of vinaigrette; next, steaming-hot bowls of wild mushroom and truffle bisque, with slices of warm and crusty bread on the side; and for their main course, a whole rotisserie chicken seasoned with a dozen herbs and spices, served with savory potato purée and grilled asparagus. Metal utensils plated each dish, constructing each course like an artist sculpting a statue.