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“I’ll warn you before it happens again,” Alaric said, quietly enough that only I could hear.

I smiled to myself. Thoughtful.

After taking another breath, I followed him towards our places and tried to relax.

On Earth, I would’ve expected the most important people at a formal dinner to sit at the ends of the table, which was how things worked in the other six kingdoms too. High Mountain did things differently. Here, the important seats were in the middle, and the highest-ranking people faced the entrance.

I tried my best not to look shocked when we stopped right in the middle.

Astrid and Magnus sat facing the entrance. My place was directly opposite Astrid, with Alaric on my right facing Magnus. Lucien took the chair on my left, with Darius beyond him, while Leon sat between Alaric and Caius.

I had to look quite far down the table to find Cedric, Samir and Matthias. They each gave me a reassuring nod and seemed completely unfazed by where they’d been seated.

Alright then.

I turned back to the feast, which looked more like a buffet than a formal dinner. Platters of sliced roast and pale-shelled crab sat between bowls of mussels, potatoes, greens and mushrooms, with bread, cheese and fruit squeezed into every available space. Little dishes of golden pastries sat farther down the table.

“May I?” Alaric asked, his hand resting beside my plate.

With that much food in front of me, I had no idea where to start, so I nodded, sat back, and was perfectly happy to let someone else decide.

Alaric started with meat, potatoes, and greens before passing my plate to Caius, who freed some crab from its shell and set it beside the meat. Leon added a spoonful of something dark that looked like berry jam, Darius found room for some mussels, and somehow Lucien still managed to fit a few slices of pear onto the plate before setting it in front of me.

There was no chance I was eating all of that.

“Thank you.” I looked around at them and picked up my fork. “I don’t know if I can finish all of this, but I’ll try my best.”

I gave them my brightest smile and almost laughed at the five serious faces looking back at me.

“Eat as much or as little as you wish,” Alaric said, helping himself from the platter beside him. “The feast is symbolic, my heart. Even if you choose not to eat a single bite, know how much care we have taken in preparing for you. We intend to prove ourselves worthy of you, whatever hardship that may require. We have waited for you longer than I care to admit.”

I looked down at the food they’d chosen for me, smiling despite the warmth creeping into my cheeks.

Leon suggested I try the dark jam with the meat, and I almost moaned when I tasted them together. The jam tasted like pineapple and mango, with an aftertaste that might have been passion fruit.

“This has to be the best roast and jam I’ve ever tasted,” I said to no one in particular.

Astrid leaned closer to look at my plate, and I smiled at her before taking another bite.

“Midnight berries. Leon cultivated them,” Helena said from across the table. “It took him years to learn precisely what the plants required before they would bear fruit. He refused to abandon them, even after his earlier attempts failed. He was determined to offer his future mate something worthy of her.”

She looked at Leon with so much pride that something inside me melted.

“These are the most delicious berries I’ve ever tasted,” I told him, and meant every word.

“I’m pleased you like them. You’ll have as many as you wish.”

He held my gaze a little longer before returning to his meal, and I helped myself to some more jam.

“The roast is Alaric’s contribution,” Astrid continued. “A ridgehorn from the upper slopes. He tracked it on foot and brought it down with a spear, as our ancestors once did. Neither tracking instruments nor firearms are permitted during the trial.”

She smiled at Alaric, then raised her cup to her lips.

My fork stopped halfway to my mouth.

Alaric, meanwhile, calmly helped himself to some potatoes.

“A spear?” I asked, turning back to Astrid.