Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 8)

“Um…” she risked another look at Gaius before turning her gaze on Lyra, still unsettled. “I… don’t know. I’m a little tired so I may, um… take a nap?”

Lyra nodded slightly. "A respectable and sensible pursuit."
"Perhaps..." Rickard hesitated. "If you wish, perhaps you could join Ivar, May, and myself for lessons? I'm teaching May Nortung." He glanced first at Gaius, then at Sera, then back at Ky. "Only if you wish to."

Ky also glanced at Gaius and then at Sara. She’d want Ky to say yes. It’d just worry her if Ky collapsed in her bed again like she desperately wanted to. Besides. Rickard probably wouldn’t have the courage to invite her to something again if she refused now. And she didn’t want that. Some day she may feel alive enough to desire friends. Even if she didn’t want them now.

She looked at Rickard and forced a little smile. So, effort it was. Both in forcing herself to be social and in having an academic challenge. Great. “I’d like that very much; thank you.”

She wouldn’t. But, then, she wasn’t going to like anything ever again in her entire life. So may as well.

Rickard relaxed a little and dipped his head. "Wonderful! I believe we're meeting a little after lunch time."
Sara and Sera both smiled slightly. The servants came out with dishes and began to circle around the table.

“Sounds great!” At least she’d have a few hours to sulk in peace before then. “I’ll look forward to it!”

She hoped there would be scrambled eggs or something similar. Those were easy to smash across the plate so it looked like you were eating more than you actually were. She wasn’t sure her stomach would be strong enough for a full meal.

There were hard boiled eggs but none scrambled. There were also potatoes in various forms, fish, lichen bread, and lingonberry jam, among other things. Gaius helped himself to some toasted bread and potatoes but didn't bother with jam or gravy.

Well, that wasn’t helpful. But she could still make it work. She just had to play her cards right and be strategic on how she filled her plate. Or, well, didn’t fill her plate, as the case would have it.

She took a slice of bread first and set it down on the plate, taking up as much space as possible. She then took a scoop of the jam and dumped it on her plate and squished it down. Her plate was already half filled.

Then she took a tiny sliver of fish and a hard boiled egg, strategically placing them so that her plate appeared full.

Tadaaki wasn’t fooled, however. He absolutely expected this. And she wasn’t going to get away with a piece of bread and single egg for breakfast. The fish was barely the size of her finger and didn’t count. He slipped his hand onto the table, next to Ky’s plate, and held up two fingers pressed against the table.

Ky looked at his hand, then up at his face and met his gaze. He looked at her evenly. They both knew he was demanding a second egg.

She sighed softly and took another one. It was easier to have this warden on her than Sara as a mother hen or Gaius making himself throw up to prove a point.

Gaius watched all this in silence; he saw what she was doing. He'd done the very same thing before he had given up trying. It was evidently upsetting Tadaaki. He picked up his slice of bread and took a crumb into his mouth, letting it sit for a moment before swallowing. It was easier the smaller it was, but his throat still tightened at the presence of the food.
Imali and Ua had entered unnoticed a few minutes before the food and were now sitting near Tadaaki's family. Imali helped Ua get food onto her plate.

She didn’t want to eat. Her stomach clenched at the very thought of having to tolerate food. It’d just make her feel sick. And yet she didn’t have a choice. Not really. She was entirely too near to everyone who would be paying attention to her plate. So she had to empty it. Or at the very least make an effort. Maybe she’d ‘accidentally’ smear the jam across more of the plate with her bread to leave the residue behind.

Actually.

That’s exactly what she was going to do.

She picked up the bread and smooshed it in the jam, dragging it towards herself so it made a trail. Then she put it in her mouth and mechanically chewed it, forcing herself not to think about it too hard.

“So, have you seen the orrery?” Aashi asked, turning towards Emery.

"Absolutely!" Emery nodded, chewing already. "I've lived here for ages. The orrery actually comes from the Eastern Realm, which is where I'm also from!"

“That’s so interesting!” Aashi grinned, distracted by helping Tasia cut a piece of fish into bite sized portions. But still addressing Emery. “Are there many of them over there? I’ve never been.”


Gods. Ky swallowed and looked at the eggs. Those were going to be hardest to get down. But thankfully they were smooth and soft and she had exactly the opposite strategy as Gaius. She cut the egg in half and shoved the entire half into her mouth, chewing twice before swallowing it mostly-whole. It landed in her stomach heavy.

"I think there's only one that's close to the size of the one here, and that belongs to the Orator. It's apparently very, very impressive."
Gaius was still working on his bread, making gradual progress. Sara was busy with the children.

“Sounds it!” Aashi nodded eagerly. “Have you seen that one?” Probably not. But, then, if he was a friend of a Lord perhaps he was friends with the Orator.

Ky tackled the second half of the egg in exactly the same way, then glanced up at Tadaaki.

“Thank you,” he murmured, voice not really audible and more like a breath of air. They both knew she was just doing it for him. And he appreciated it.

She nodded once and reached for her juice, hoping it would settle her stomach enough to make it through the rest of her plate.

Emery shook his head. "I lived in Ess. Couldn't really cross over to Rim, let alone into the Orator's palace." He smiled awkwardly. "I hear it's made entirely out of gold."

“Incredible!” Aashi said admiringly. “I’ve never seen real gold before.”