FROST- Jotun Chronicles #1

Decisions

The great hall was packed. When I walked in the smell of roast pheasant made my stomach growl and my mouth water. Passing between the center tables I could feel eyes on my back. The full blooded jotun were too refined for jeers or jabs, but the burning stares were enough to make me nervous. When I reached the half-blood table I was relieved to spot Charlotte waving me over.

“Megan! Over here!” She nudged Becca, who gave me a wide smile and scooted over on the bench. On Charlotte’s other side was a slim faced young man with greyish eyes and wavy blonde hair down to his shoulders. He was cute.

Charlotte turned to him, gesturing to me as I sat down, “Davin, this is Megan, or I guess everyone calls her Amora but I don’t. Megan, meet Davin.”

Davin reached over Charlotte, hand extended, “Hi Megan, nice to meet you.”

I shook his hand, thinking that he got automatic brownie points for calling me Megan instead of Amora. “Nice to meet you too. I hear you guys met on some walk under the stars thing.”

“We did,” Davin gave Charlotte a sideways look and a smile, “I was dazzled by the beauty, and the stars weren’t bad either.”

I watched, barely holding back laughter as Charlotte went beat red and giggled.

On the other side of me Becca said, “Megan, you should come with us tonight. They do it every night. It’s so gorgeous.”

For a minute I was about to say yes, and then I remembered that Loki was coming again tonight. The thought started butterflies tickling my stomach, “Yeah,” I said, “maybe I will.”

                “You totally should,” Amy leaned forward, past Becca to talk to me, “it’s so amazing. You get dressed up your best and flirt,” she shot a look across the table to a young man who was sitting across from her. His cheeks flushed brightly and he dropped his eyes to his lunch. The girl beside him, my scar faced critic from the other day, glared at Amy.

Unsurprisingly, Amy didn’t seem to notice the little drama she’d just created, “And you get to see all the best hairstyles and show off your hair.” She tilted her head back to show me the back of her hair, which was done up in an intricate twist.  “I made the servants do this this morning. Isn’t it amazing? It’s just like what the Queen was wearing the other day.”

“Geeze,” Stacy, who was sitting on the other side of Davin, rolled her eyes, “your adoration is getting out of hand, Amy. “

I hid a smile behind a forkful of roast, amused at the look of outrage on Amy’s face. She clearly wasn’t used to her lackeys talking back to her.

The lackey on the far side of Stacey laughed. I think it was Margaret, though I had a hard time telling her and Alicia apart sometimes. It was hard to tell when they were both sitting, but I think Margaret was taller than Alicia. The one that was probably Alicia gave Margaret a disapproving look.

“That’s not very nice,” she said.

I ignored their drama and set about to finish my plate, mind buzzing with worries. What was Erik going to tell me in the library? Why was he acting so hush hush? Would Lief confront me at some point today? He’d looked really really angry….

Under the table Charlotte bumped my knee gently. When I looked up she whispered, “Are you okay?”

I nodded, “I’m fine. Just thinking.”

She didn’t say anything back, and I noticed that she and Davin were holding hands underneath the table. Maybe if I did decide to go she wouldn’t come with me. The idea of making a break for it on my own was even scarier. I looked down at the remains of the roast on my plate. I wasn’t hungry anymore.