The queen was a tall woman, dressed in a flowing violet gown with gold embroidery that glimmered in the light of the candles and lanterns illuminating the hall. She also wore countless shining gems and chains of gold in her graying hair, and around her neck, wrists, and waist. A crown of gold and gems sat atop her head and the ink of tattoos adorned her face and hands. As she approached the table before the throne, her two attendants stepped aside and no longer followed her as they had upon entering the hall.

"I welcome you all here for this meal," she said to the silent room, surprising Li by speaking in the Trade language. He supposed he should not have been surprised as he was not the only guest present who was clearly not a Nair.

"I thank the gods for bestowing upon our world the food which we will here enjoy," she continued, "for it brings us life and pleasure. I thank the hunters, farmers, and merchants for bringing that gods-gifted food here for us to enjoy. May they and their families always enjoy good health and prosperity."

She spoke again, this time in Nair, and Li had the impression that she was repeating what she had already stated for those who did not know the Trade language. Ardlac had explained to him that most children in Solaris learned it at an early age, but perhaps not all those present had been able to have such an upbringing in the city.

When she had finished speaking, the queen sat on her throne, and the guests also settled themselves again. Conversation resumed and servers began to set food on the tables. Li was immediately overwhelmed by the variety of food before him. There were dishes of meat that included birds and fish he had never heard the names of before Ardlac gave them. There were cooked and uncooked vegetables, some of which Li also wasn't familiar with. There were breads and rolls of all sorts, some filled with seeds and some with fruit.

"Try a bit of everything," Ardlac suggested. "But don't consume so much that you can't eat more. There will be desserts."

"Perhaps you could suggest the best dishes?" Li asked, still feeling overwhelmed at the choices before him.

Ardlac smiled and took Li's plate. He filled it himself with a variety of dishes, but left a few untouched. He set it before Li, then added two small rolls. One was dark and apparently plain, and another appeared to be filled with seeds and herbs. It all smelled and looked wonderful to Li. Before he could taste any of it, a server arrived to fill their glasses with a drink that was dark in color.

"It's a drink made of local fruits," Ardlac explained. "It isn't wine. That comes later. It's sweet and spicy." He took a sip from his glass and sighed. "I've missed this."

Li sipped his drink and was surprised at first by it. It had a fruity taste, though he wasn't certain he could name the fruit, and it was sweet. There was also a bit of spice to the taste that lingered on the tongue after swallowing it, but it was mild and subtle. Overall, he thought it quite good. He also thought the food quite good, especially the dishes he was certain he would have been able to eat nowhere else.

Conversation and laughter flowed around him. Ardlac talked about meals he'd had at the palace before, when he'd come with his father. Fenion added his own experiences to the conversation. When Li had asked, he had been happy to explain how he had come to be a member of the Eliarant.

"I had gone to the Temple of Durasyan to become a priest," he explained. "I was twelve then, the youngest allowable age one may join a temple. Followers of Durasyan have always been known to be open to experiencing and encouraging love in all forms. I had gone to the temple to embrace the worship of the God of Love because I had felt little of it myself. My parents had died when I was only a year old. A plague had gone through Solaris and killed nearly half the city. My mother's sister and her family were obligated to take me in. I was the youngest in the family, as all my cousins were nearly fully-grown. One of my cousins, Aubrille, did look after me more than my aunt, and showed me more love. I don't believe I would have been as well cared for if she had not been at home still. It's she who encouraged me to seek a priesthood when I became twelve, as it would allow me to leave my aunt's home. I chose Durasyan because I knew the stories of how he brought his love to those who felt little from those around them. That particular priesthood is also known for being quite open sexually. There are a few rituals and holiday celebrations that involve sex or self-pleasure among the priests, though they are only a small number of the usual rituals. At the age I was when I joined, I was not involved in any of those rituals, as initiates must be at least sixteen before it is allowed, and it is still usually not encouraged until the age of eighteen. Of course, what one does privately is another matter entirely and at the initiate's discretion. I was only able to attend two such ceremonies, and I found I greatly enjoyed them - and I do not mean merely physically."

He took a sip of his drink before continuing, "As I began to grow, the other priests claimed I was becoming quite beautiful and that I would be, in their estimation, gloriously handsome as an adult. My abilities as an Asir also began to take form, and I was asked to study at the Temple of Eryf instead of that of Durasyan, as my abilities were tied to communicating with the dead and that temple would suit my skills better. I did not enjoy my study there as greatly as at the Temple of Durasyan, but it was there I learned about joining the Eliarant from a priest who claimed even the God of the Dead would refuse to allow me to pass into the Spirit Realm because I was too beautiful to take from the living. I had told her I did not wish to become a priest of Eryf and that I preferred the priesthood of Durasyan. She suggested I might attempt to join the Eliarant. She wrote to the castle on my behalf and I was interviewed, tested both physically and morally over the course of nearly a year, and finally accepted at the age of eighteen. I then was trained in the proper behavior of a member of the Eliarant for another year before being sent to the house. At this time, I still continued to study at the Temple of Eryf to master my Asir abilities. Those of us who are Asirim continue to hone and work with our powers even while a member of the Eliarant, of course."

"And are you a priest, also?" Li asked.

Fenion smiled and sipped his drink. "No. Though we are given much freedom to do as we please among the Eliarant, all temples require priests to devote their lives entirely to their god. I am, however, a devoted follower of Durasyan and appreciate the love I have found in my life in all the forms it takes. The bonds between members of the Eliarant are usually quite strong." His expression grew thoughtful for a moment. "Most of them," he added. "I am also, due to my abilities, a follower of Eryf. I do not worship him as fully in my heart as I do Durasyan, but I do hold him in high regard for the gift of my abilities as an Asir."

The meal concluded then and the servers cleared away the dishes before bringing more drinks. This time, Ardlac explained, the drinks were wine. After a short time, the drinks were followed by desserts of many varieties. There were pastries, pies, tarts, creams, and candied fruit. There were even flower petals dusted with sugar imported from Orma. By the time they finally left the palace, at nearly midnight, Li felt utterly stuffed with food and the drink left the world feeling muffled. He was thankful to have Ardlac with him to direct him toward their carriage and their home.