So the thing was, I had never tried boar. I hadn't any idea how it tasted and after looking at the source, I didn't want to know either.

"Why aren't you eating?" Reynard whispered as he cut into his slice of meat. "Is it undercooked?" He inspected his own portion by stabbing it and shrugged when he realized it was fine.

"It's not that..." I whispered back, aware of all the eyes on me. When Faustine had finished filling everyone's plates, she saw me hesitating and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

Faustine smiled. "Everything alright, dear?"

I smiled back, hoping my expression gave nothing away.

"Everything's fine," I said, drawling my words out and reluctantly bit into the food right after. I thought eating a couple bites would be enough to suffice Faustine's maternal instincts. But when the meat's spices started to melt onto my tongue, I couldn't stop myself from taking another bite. It was the most flavorful thing I had ever tasted, so rich in spices and the delicious smoky flavor!

Faustine was looking at me hopefully and when she saw my eyes roll back with pleasure, she started to laugh.

"Good?" she asked, finally starting her own meal.

My mouth was filled to the top with food so I just mumbled a reply which seemed to satisfy her.

Lennard and Reynard, who both sat side-by-side, were scarfing down every morsel on their plate. Honestly, I couldn't blame them. I noticed that the little kid who had been playing with his toy earlier didn't touch his food yet and was staring at me intently.

"Ma," he whispered loudly to Faustine, his eyes still on me, "is that Reyn's girlfriend?"

I almost choked on my food which was followed by a series of coughs and a swift Reynard supplied me with a glass of water.

"Yes, baby," Faustine answered. "That's her alright. Ain't she pretty?"

The boy didn't answer. Instead he said, "Why's she wearing that ugly hat?"

My mouth stopped chewing. I looked nervously at Reynard who had also paused eating, looking open mouthed at the little boy as meat juice dribbling down the side of his mouth. The kid was treading on very thin ice at the moment which could be dangerous for both Reynard and me.

With a mouthful of vegetables, Lennard decided to speak up amidst the tense silence, little bits of food flying in every direction. "Ay wash wonjuring je shame shing," he hollered but when he saw all the disgusted faces of the people around him, he swallowed hard and repeated the same sentence. "I was wondering the same thing. I mean, why's she dressed up in the maid uniform meant for the palace employees? Pretty suspicious if she's here instead of attending at the princess's ceremony up at the palace."

I parted lips to answer, but shut them again. What do I even say? He was right. Reynard was finding it hard to answer as well as he clenched and unclenched his fingers around his cutlery.

Then Faustine stepped in to save the day as she smacked at her son across the table.

"Don't be so rude, Lennard," she said to him and then turned to her other son. "And you too, Cael. That was very mean of you to ask. She can wear anything she wants, whether it be her hat or her maid's dress."

Cael buried his face into his chest and didn't speak for the rest of the meal to the point I started feeling bad for him, though nobody else seemed to care. After clearing away the plates, Faustine came back with a large bowl of something yellow and jiggly.

"Dessert is served," she said proudly as she set the bowl in the middle of the table. Lennard immediately bounced on it but his hands retreated as Faustine smacked them with a wooden spoon. "Oi," she said sternly, "let Ashli get a taste first. Go on, darling."

Lennard grumbled as I shuffled forward to get a chunk out of the bowl's contents and looked at it as a predator does to its prey. I had the good sense to do it quickly.

When everybody had a chunk of jiggly yellowness on their plate and had seated down, we started eating. I didn't know how one ate it but I sliced it with my fork and took a bite of it, surprised at how sweet and soft it was. It reminded me of those cup jellies Jieum and I used to buy at the local convenience store after school. Soon enough, my plate had been wiped clean.

"Aunty," Reynard said as he helped Faustine clean away the plates, "can Ashli stay here for the night?"

Oh God.

He had finally put out the dreaded question. I pursed my lips in wait of a reply.

Faustine looked up alarmed, from Reynard's face to mine and then back at his again. "Why…?" she asked slowly. "Won't Ashli's mother be worried for her?"

"It's alright," I chirped in, a bit disappointed on the inside. "I can-"

"No, no," Reynard interrupted. "She can't go home today, Aunty. Her mother is..." I could practically see the wheels in his head turn as he thought of an excuse. "She's currently at the health center."

I rolled my eyes but it seemed that Faustine had bought his lie because she stood there with her trembling hands to her mouth.

"Oh no!" she said worriedly. "What happened to her?"

"She's been having this big stomach bug recently. It just got a lot worse today so I had to call Reynard so we could take her to the Center."

Reynard sighed with relief and continued the fib. "Yes! And because there was no one else at her cottage, I advised her that it'd be best if she stayed with someone I know so she won't feel lonely, at least."

The look Faustine gave me almost made me feel bad for lying. But at this point, I'd do anything to ensure my survival.

Faustine looked confused. "Why didn't you take her to your house?"

"Ah..." Reynard was stuck. "We didn't have any spare rooms, Aunty. And honestly, my family doesn't know about her...yet. And I would prefer if you keep it that way."

She gave him a disapproving glare but didn't question his judgment.

"What about her father?" Faustine asked, still perturbed as she glanced at me.

Before Reynard could conjure up another lie, I said, convincingly enough, "He passed away a couple years ago." I held my head for extra effect.

Faustine came around the table and hugged me tightly.

"Aw, my love," she said as she parted, "you can stay as long as you want. Reynard, will you be staying with her?"

He scratched his head, thinking. "I won't," he said finally. "Mother must be waiting for me to return. And Rosa, too. I can't leave them alone now since Father's working up at the palace."

"Oh yes," she sighed. "Send Amice all my love, that poor soul. And thank Rosa for the lovely pot she sent me last week. I haven't gotten around to that lately."

"Sure will," Reynard laughed and came towards me with his arms extended as if to hug me. I inched away, alarmed, but his expression made me give in. It seemed that he wanted to tell me something important.

"If you feel like your powers are surfacing at any time of the night," he whispered in my ear, "ask Aunty to get me. I'll come by promptly, alright?"

"Yeah, okay," I said just as quietly.

Reynard separated from me and with another hug to Faustine and a back-slap to Lennard who was in the kitchen gobbling up the leftovers, he left.

Faustine and I were all alone at the table.

"Let me help you up," she said as she put the rag down with which she had been scrubbing the table with and put her arms under mine, lifting me up. Carefully, we walked over to the same, tiny room where I had woken up and I was sat down on the bed.

"There!" Faustine said. "If you need anything, don't feel ashamed to call out to me. I'll make sure Lennard doesn't come in here, okay sweetie? So rest assured."

I thanked her for everything once again and watched her as she walked out before shutting the door behind her. Finally alone, I laid back on the bed with a full stomach, hearing the calm rustling of leaves from outside the window. As my eyes started to close, I thought about how my day had gone.

I felt a little sad that I didn't get to see Christabel in her white gown and didn't get to say goodbye to her or Lorelei. Or even Martha.. But I drifted off to sleep, thinking if it was all for the best.