For a moment, Elara simply stared at the bread.
It sat on the silver plate like a foreign object, something that didn't belong in her world.
Her hands hovered over it, trembling slightly."
Eat."The command was sharp, but not cruel.
It was an order, and orders were things she understood.
Slowly, carefully, as if handling a venomous snake, she picked up the loaf.
She took a small, tentative bite.
The taste exploded in her mouth.
Warm, fresh, baked with honey and herbs.
It was better than anything she had tasted in years.
Better than anything she remember tasting.
Vaelith watched her.His jaw tightened beneath the silver mask.
Something about the way she ate bothered him.
Not the act itself, but the fear radiating from her.
She looked as though she expected the food to vanis
