ELRETH
It was strange. She'd been at the head table before with just her friends when her parents were gone, or they'd come to a meal late. It shouldn't have felt any different to sit up there—she'd sat at that table her whole life.
But sitting at its center, in the chair that was her fathers—she couldn't think of it any other way—it just… unsettled her.
She sat stiffly while her friends bantered around her.
"Do they serve the best cuts to the Queen, do you think?" Rak asked as they all took seats—the two males on either side of her, Gwyn next to Rak.
"This is no different than any other meal," Elreth said.
All three of her friends gaped. "You are joking, right?" Gwyn asked quietly, leaning over Rak to meet Elreth's gaze. "You know they're all watching you now?"
"Yeah, I heard them talking about it when I got in. Everyone's wondering who you'll pick for Cohorts."
