Chapter 317: Party’s over

Chapter 317: Party’s over

Naya thought it was going well enough. She hadn’t keeled over and died, for example, which became a bit more of a concern after learning one cook was an alchemist.

And the food was...good. Or at least the bread. The rest was tasty but far too rich for elven tongues, to the point Dariya was clearly pushing most of hers around on her plate like a child. Naya gave her the occasional glare until she took another bite.

“So, where are you all from?” Naya asked after another slurp of the incredibly salty soup.

Her hosts exchanged confused looks and didn’t answer so long Naya tried again.

“Did you come on ships? From the east? We hadn’t realized so many humans were on our continent.”

“We...” Haley shrugged. “Wait, there are other humans? Where?”

“Oh. I don’t really know.” Naya felt a little embarrassed. “I only know stories. I’ve never seen one. But my people say they live in the east.”

Haley seemed a bit disappointed. But she perked up.

“To answer your question—we came here with...some kind of magic. I don’t understand it, I’m afraid. We aren’t...well, I guess we aren’t from this world.”

Naya felt her brow raise. She was about to ask what world exactly they’d come from before Haley kept on.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com

“We can’t go home. So we don’t talk much about it anymore.”

Naya didn’t understand exactly what Haley was saying, or how this was possible, but she understood the sadness in the woman’s eyes.

“I know something about that,” she said quietly. “It must be difficult.”

“We’ve made new lives here,” Haley said, looking to the other, silent women chewing their food. “Mason and the other warriors have made it safe for us. We have enough to eat. The forest is beautiful. And we have many friends that are like family now. We do our best.”

“Yes.” Naya did her best to smile. “My people would like to do the same.”

They encountered another awkward silence. Naya searched for something to say, annoyed that Dariya seemed intent on sulking and playing with her food. She was about to ask when Haley’s child was due in a kind of panic before the noise of the outside world seemed to...freeze.

Naya’s keen senses no longer heard the birds, or the insects, or the wind. The human women all stopped chewing, staring off into nothing, their eyes strangely glazed.

Some kind of...warmth flashed over her, sending a prickle down her spine so sharp and quick she nearly jumped from her chair.

“What’s happening?” she whispered, feeling little hairs rise on her neck and arms as she glanced at the oracle.

“I do not know, princess,” the older woman answered, staring intently at the human women. “But look at them.”

The humans seemed completely frozen. Then everything returned. A voice yelled from somewhere outside the hall. And then another. Until dozens of voices were shouting and crying out in what seemed like...celebration.

Haley blinked and sagged, looking to the other girls with a wide smile until they all held hands.

“Mason...” she said, looking at Naya, “he and the others...they’ve won a great victory. They’re coming home.”

Naya tried to keep her discomfort and fear off her face as she smiled. She had no idea what had just happened. It felt like...divine magic. As if somehow these humans had been given a kind of message from a god. Or perhaps they shared some kind of...hive mind.

Perhaps they truly were from another world. Naya had taken Haley’s comment as maybe reference to some far away land, an island away from the continents. But now...now she wasn’t so sure...

Haley took another breath, again putting a hand to her stomach under the table.

“There is just...one small issue we need to solve. Where Mason’s...concubines will sit. During the ceremony. As it’s your day, perhaps we might...”

“They shouldn’t be there at all, princess,” said the oracle, her face suddenly transforming with clearly repressed outrage. “They aren’t nobility. They hold no claim to any titles. As far as I can tell, they have no official position whatsoever, which makes them little more than...”

Haley was taken totally aback at the outburst, having no idea the oracle would be so offended. She sat in silence until Rosa’s drill sergeant volume voice cut the elf off.

“Lady. I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but you better not finish that sentence.”

“Rosa...” Haley came back from her surprise, putting on a hand on the fiery Mexican’s arm.

“No.” Rosa stood and leaned across the table. “Listen, bitch. Haley’s just being nice. Truth is you aren’t queen, she’s queen. You’re not approving us. You aren’t anything. We’re approving you!”

With that Rosa turned and clacked on her heels back towards the bedroom, grabbing Lexi and practically yanking her off her chair. The Brit made a ‘sorry’ face at Haley, and a desperate sort of bow/curtsy towards the elves, then scampered after her friend.

The door slammed, and Haley took a deep breath.

It was pretty clear neither of the elves had experienced a pissed off, shouting Latina. Dariya was literally pale.

“I...I think we should go now, princess.”

“You don’t have to,” Haley said. “I’m sorry about that. Rosa can be a little...spirited.”

Naya did her best to seem unphased, but was clearly shaken.

“Dariya is right,” she said. “Thank you for the invitation. But...I think we need a little time to collect ourselves. I would like to try again. Perhaps my people and I can cook for you.”

“I’d like that.” Haley forced a smile, breathing a little easier. They hadn’t worked out the wedding details, and obviously there’d been some...mistakes. But she decided she’d have to accept baby steps.

She walked the elves to the door, wishing there was something else she could say to smooth things over. But she knew the whole thing might just be hard.

“Good night,” Naya said, and Haley forced herself forward to kiss the elf on both cheeks. It was obviously a surprise, and Naya blinked and maybe blushed a little, bowing as she turned away.

Haley closed the door and slumped into a chair, wishing she could open a bottle of wine.

Rosa stomped out a little while later, waggling finger at the ready, opening her mouth for another round until she realized the elves were gone.

“They hardly touched their food,” Haley said, looking at the dishes with a sigh. Rosa sat beside her and bit her lip, looking at least a little apologetic.

“I’ll clean up. And I’ll be nicer next time. But I’m not apologizing to that stuck up slut, or her wrinkly old...”

Haley scooped a spoonful of pie and pushed it between Rosa’s lips. The younger girl clamped down and took the bite, wiping a few crumbs before she grinned.

“Sorry,” she said, looking down after a few chews. Haley put her head on her beautiful friend’s shoulder and tried not to miss Mason desperately.

“It’s OK,” she said, kissing Rosa on the cheek. “She is stuck up.”

Rosa grinned, then laughed, and Haley felt a little anxiety fall away as she joined her.