hile we ate breakfast, I was reminded of school.
Darling Castle had several dining rooms. The one my friends and I sat in now was like a perfect replica of the main dining area where the family had their meals—mahogany floors, unlit fireplace, rectangular pure gold table, ebony chairs. Only this place could host twenty people comfortably instead of forty. The way we all sat there—so many kids eating at a long table and exchanging stories—it was like our dining hall at Lord Channing’s. Maybe with better manners because of the princesses present.
Since several of our friends had to hustle to get to the peace talks, we decided not to contact Mark as a group. Those who wanted to speak with him would do so on their own.
Gordon, Marie, SJ, Divya, Javier, and Pietro departed at eight o’clock e
