Destined for Vengeance ✔️

Chapter 43

Dinner that evening was uncomfortable, to say the least. Corinne and Alder seemed to have gotten over their disagreement. Or perhaps they'd had so many of the same conversations that they had learned to let it go after a certain amount of time had passed. The same could not be said about Aaron and Jade. Their argument had been about more important issues, perhaps, and they didn't have the familiarity the older couple had. They weren't used to arguing, and so they weren't used to making up either.

"Well, this meat is just lovely," Corinne said. A few seconds passed. "That was all the small-talk I have patience for. Why is everyone being so awfully quiet? There is only so much I have to say to your father, Aaron. You need to add to the conversation every once in a while."

"Apologies," Aaron said, but he didn't sound sorry.

"I agree that the meat is lovely," Jade said. It was the best she could do.

"It really is very fine, isn't? I mean, I still prefer my rabbits raw and freshly torn apart, but hey, can't have everything."

"Nothing beats a good hunt," Jade said, nodding. "But this really is very good."

"Right? They have good cooks here, I'll give them that much. In truth, that's the real reason I've stuck around this long. Hunting your own food has it's pros, but it's a real drag in winter."

"O, yes. Especially if you have many mouths to feed. We usually supplement our own supplies by going into human cities and buying other things there."

"We used to buy what we lacked as well. Well, when I say 'buy'..."

Jade chuckled. "I see we have the same definition of the word."

"Do you really think confessing to crimes in front of the king is a good idea, love?" Alder said.

"Why, if there is any advantage to being a royal, it must be that the law does not apply to us," Corinne said.

"Of course the law applies to us."

Jade's head snapped up at that with such suddenness that even she didn't see it coming. It was an involuntary reaction to the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Had she been more like Ryleigh, she might have asked when mass murder had become legal. But she wasn't Ryleigh, so she ducked her head again and averted her gaze to her plate.

Dinner was even more uncomfortable after that.

Afterwards, just as Jade was about to flee to the relative safety of her bedroom, Aaron stopped her.

"Do you have a moment?"

She had many moments – after all, she had little of a routine since she had come to the castle, nor did she feel free enough to start one. She hardly felt allowed to move her feet without one of the royals present.

"Yes." Was he aiming for a continuation of their argument? She wasn't sure she had the energy left for another round, especially since she hadn't slept at all that night. "Why?"

"You still need to meet your teachers."

Plural? Her brow furrowed, but she didn't feel like asking for clarification, so she merely nodded and followed him out of the room.

"I will link them to meet us in one of the classrooms," he said.

Again with the plural. Did he have so little faith in her etiquette-knowledge that he had felt the need to hire two teachers instead of one? He wasn't looking at her and she felt actual physical discomfort as a result of her mental anguish. She didn't want to upset him, but she also didn't want to lie to him. And if he couldn't understand that he was asking her to cross over to the side of the enemy, then that was on him, not her.