“Small bites,” Seven whispers to me. “Sta’Criveran cuisine takes some getting used to.”
I smile my thanks but after weeks of hardtack and dried meat, it’s difficult to heed his advice. I want to devour it as quickly as possible, but I force myself to eat slowly, savoring each spice and texture. I must not eat slowly enough, though, because Avaric watches me intently, leaning forward with bright, curious eyes.
“Did they starve you in SteelTown?” he asks me.
I swallow the bite of fish I’d just taken. “No, never,” I say. “At the palace, I ate the same as any Kalovaxian courtier, though most of my advisors spent years in the mines, doing grueling physical labor on meager rations. And they’ve gotten worse in the last few months, I’ve heard.”
“Of course,” Avaric says, trying and failing to l
