Legendary Wolf by Barbara J. Hancock

Author:Barbara J. Hancock
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-06-06T16:39:55+00:00

Chapter 14

Vasilisa sat at the head of the table. Soren halted when he saw that his place was set at the other end. It was a position intended to convey a gesture of respect for an honored guest. Rather than accept the gesture, Soren curved away from the chair opposite Vasilisa and toward the chair to the right of it intended for Anna. Anna stood awkwardly for only a few seconds before she took the honored chair he’d left vacant.

Now Anna and Vasilisa sat at opposite heads of the long banquet table and Soren sat at Anna’s right elbow in a lesser position.

If the queen felt his decision as a slight, she gave no indication. Once all the guests were seated, she rose.

“Thank you all for visiting the palace this evening. Please enjoy your meal and this chance to welcome a Romanov back to the palace. The black wolf, the red and the white were Anna’s family while she was...away...from us. They have earned my eternal gratitude,” Vasilisa said. She raised a fluted glass that a servant had filled while she spoke. “I only hope that in time I can earn their forgiveness.”

Anna didn’t raise her glass higher than her lips. Soren didn’t touch his glass at all. But the rest of the table joined the toast, and as the queen arranged her skirts to sit again, the room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Soft conversations began up and down and across the long table as numerous servants entered the room with a first course carried on large silver platters.

Keeping with the Mediterranean style of the palace, the first course consisted of a selection of finger foods—fresh bunches of grapes, figs, olives and meats rolled with feta cheese. Anna had to force herself to copy the other guests as they chose dainty bites with silver tongs. It had been six months, but she had subsisted on the roughest of fare for so long that her mouth watered at the wide variety of textures and flavors presented for her pleasure.

She looked up after a particularly savory bite of cheese to find that Soren was watching her. She paused midchew as heat rose in her cheeks. Okay. So maybe she wasn’t being as dainty as the other guests after all.

“I can remember when a stale chunk of Patrice’s bread was all I could find you,” Soren said.

“You used to stand watch while I gathered berries when we materialized in summer,” Anna said.

“No matter what the future brings, I’m glad you’re not hungry anymore. You deserve this after all the deprivation,” Soren said.

“Eating won’t make you a traitor to your family,” Anna said. Soren hadn’t touched his food, although he had filled his plate when the servant had paused at his elbow. Probably out of pity for the young man who waited with his heavy tray. “You’ll need your strength when we go after the sword. It’s only food. Not forgiveness.”

“I was only distracted by your pleasure. I’ll eat. My survival instincts are too well honed to use food as a statement,” Soren said.

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