Page 91 of The Last Syphon

Almost as if she had only just noticed Prince Walder, Na-Ri immediately got to her feet and bowed at the waist. “I would be honoured to share a table with you, my Prince.”

Inara winced. That wasn’t what she wanted. She leant forward and lowered her voice so only Na-Ri could hear. “You don’t have to accept. Truly. I don’t want to cause more trouble for you. I simply wanted to offer you my friendship.”

Na-Ri raised her head slightly. Bright green eyes locked on Inara. She studied her closely, searching for deceit or any indication her words were false. Inara just smiled warmly.

There was an internal battle waging behind the woman’s eyes. Inara could see it, and she suddenly felt terrible for putting the woman in such a position.

She was about to step back and say farewell when Na-Ri finally smiled back and inclined her head. “Please. Sit.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

“So, you’re from the Borderlands too?” Inara asked, a chicken drumstick dangling from her fingers. She bit into the meat, and the beautiful taste of herbs and spices exploded in her mouth.

If there was one thing the Arelians had right, it was their fucking food.

Uhmp. Delicious.

“Mm-hmm,” Na-Ri answered. She nervously glanced over her shoulder, where Larissa and the twins glared daggers at her back. Inara had convinced the woman to switch seats and put her back to them so she didn’t have to look at them. She’d also deposited some of her own food onto her plate so Na-Ri could have a proper fucking meal.

“What village?”

“Blenton.”

“Ah.” Blenton wasn’t too bad, as far as villages in the Borderlands went. They, like Deadhaven, were located close to the kingdom boundary of Arelia. She’d stopped in once or twice before to do some trading, but had never seen Na-Ri there before. “Nice place.”

Na-Ri shrugged. “It’s okay.” She hesitantly put a spoonful of peas into her mouth, eating softly. “What about you?”

“Deadhaven.”

She gasped softly. “Oh. Um. That’s a nice place too.”

Inara burst out laughing. “No, it’s not. It’s a fucking shit show. But, you know, it’s home,” she added with a shrug.

Na-Ri nodded, a longing smile on her face. “It’s home.”

“Have you been here long?”

“A few years. My parents come to visit once a season to see how I’m doing.”

“That’s nice.”

“How about you? Do you see your parents often?”

Inara shook her head, offering Fraener, who was sitting calmly beside her, a piece of cut meat. “I haven’t seen my mother in a few years. She travels a lot. And I never knew my father.”

“Oh.” Na-Ri cleared her throat awkwardly. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. I’m not. He was a trader who came to the village and spent a few nights with my mother on his visits. And then he never came back. My mother thinks he died. The Borderlands is a dangerous place, and if you’re not careful, it can swallow you whole and never spit you back out.”

“This is true.” She nodded in agreement.

Glancing around the dining hall, Inara noticed something and could not help but ask. “Where’s your Charge?”

“Oh. Lord Rand?” Shrugging, she took a bite of a bread roll. “He does not require me today.”

Wait. What? “Are you not meant to spend all day, every day with him?”

Perplexed, Na-Ri shook her head. “No. On the lower end of royals, he does not require constant guard. And I am thankful for it. He’s not a very nice man. I am merely to accompany him whenever he leaves the palace.”