Filed to story: Sorry Alpha I Am Wolfless Novel
That all sounded a little bit ominous to me. Was she implying that her people may have been aggressive, hostile, or somehow actively working against us without her warning? That would make me a very angry alpha indeed. And what exactly was she needing us as allies for? I didn’t intend for us to rush to her aid all the time simply because she needs our help. My people were not going to be her personal army.
Still, we were in her territory for now so we needed to be careful. After that little speech it didn’t seem like anyone was going to talk anymore. Instead, servants started to carry in large platters covered with food.
I was expecting more human looking servants but it seemed that these ones were what was known as lesser Fae. I had studied up on Fae culture before coming to this meeting, as had Riviana. We needed to make sure we didn’t offend someone accidentally. These servants that were carrying the trays were known as brownies or broonies, they were said to cook and clean for their masters as long as they are being provided for and not mistreated. Apparently brownies were capable of being very mischievous and pulling pranks.
The brownies were small, about the size of a five year old child. All the brownies had a brownish color to them but that appeared to be caused by the thick hair that covered their bodies. The colors varied from a dark tan to the darkest of browns. Their eyes were varying shades of green, brown, hazel, and even pink. No blues though I noticed. They all wore very clean clothes for servants, not what I would have expected to see coming from the kitchen of a real life fairy castle. I think the thing that stood out most, though, was the fact that they didn’t have noses. They had nostrils but no actual nose. At most, a few of them might have had a small bump under the skin where their nose should have been.
The brownies moved quickly throughout the hall, delivering platters to the table where we were first then distributing them all to the others. They moved very fast and didn’t seem to be struggling at all with the weight of the heavy looking trays.
Once the food was distributed it was time to eat, but Riviana and I weren’t just going to start eating the food right away.
“Please, Riviana, do enjoy your meal.” Queen Gloriana invited my Little Bunny to eat her meal. With no need to prompt him, Gabriel walked over to Riviana’s side while Vincent walked to mine. The two of them then pulled a black silk bag that was filled with an array of utensils. This package had been prepared by Gabriel for just this instance.
The two of them worked in complete synchronization while they used different utensils to taste test all of the food. No one said a thing while the job was being done. Once they had eaten a bite of everything and sipped the drinks that were offered, wine for me and juice for my pregnant wife, we would wait for a few minutes to see if they were affected by them at all.
“I see you are still wary of us here.” Queen Gloriana still wore her smile as she spoke. “That is understandable. You do not yet know me. And I applaud you for being prepared to do just his.”
Once the test time was over and there was nothing wrong with either man it was time to eat. I was just glad that the two of them had used napkins to clean the goblets we were drinking out of, I was quite thirsty and the wine smelled amazing.
The food was wonderful, and I was happy to see that there hadn’t been any sabotage aimed at us. I know that both Riviana and I were very nervous about this trip, it wasn’t likely to be as easy as we were hoping it would be.
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Riviana
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The taste testing of the food went a lot more smoothly than I had ever thought it would. Vincent and Gabriel acted like they had been doing it for years. Perhaps they practiced it and rehearsed it over the last few days. I was proud of them for what they had managed.
Following the taste testing, and the next several uneventful minutes, it was time for us to eat. The fact that neither Gabriel nor Vincent got sick after waiting for several minutes meant that the food was safe for Joaquin and I to eat.
The true implication of the food being safe meant that the Queen of the Fae was not actively working against us. Though I hadn’t missed the warning in her words. She had implied that there might have been those in her kingdom, possibly even those right here at this meal, that didn’t want her associating with me and my people.
Who were my enemies here? Who were the people that didn’t want me here? What were they likely to do to me because I was here? The possibilities were endless in my mind. I just didn’t know what any of them were truly capable of.
The meal was delicious. Once I stopped worrying so much I actually allowed myself to enjoy it. There were a lot of dishes that I had not tried before. There was something that looked like miniature mincemeat pies but were actually more like a shepherd’s pie. What I had taken for the pastry on the outside was actually a golden brown coating of potatoes and it was stuffed with the beef and vegetable mix. That was the most normal of the dishes that I had seen.
There were also plenty of dishes that were also a lot more fancy than those pies. There was a leafy salad that was made with brightly colored vegetables that I had never seen before. The soup we were served was thick and blue. There were very few meats that I could tell you for certain what they were but they all tasted good. Everything was good to be honest. It just all looked different than anything I was used to seeing.
While we were eating Queen Gloriana asked me a few different questions. I wanted to ask questions as well instead of just answer, but I didn’t really know what I should ask. I was nervous and I wasn’t certain what I was allowed to ask and what I wasn’t. I mean, what can you ask an eternally young immortal Faerie Queen?
“I hear that the warlock that was causing a big issue over the last few years has finally been defeated. Was that your doing, Riviana?” I didn’t know if she was friends with my father or not, but I was going to air on the side of no. If she was a conspirator to Edmond then I don’t think that Acacia would have been able to stay with us.
“Yes. I killed him a couple of months ago, following a training trip to France.”
“That is marvelous. I am glad that he has been eliminated. He was causing so many problems for the supernatural communities. If we didn’t end his shenanigans soon then he would have completely exposed us to the humans.”
I was a little upset that Queen Gloriana referred to the death of so many innocent people as nothing more than shenanigans. Though, I guess when you’ve lived as long as she has you start to get a little desensitized to the issues going on around you. She had lived for over two thousand years. That meant she saw quite a few wars between the humans. The massive loss of lives during them all. I guess in comparison the crisis with Edmond was minor when put next to things like the world wars and all those other tragedies the world has faced.
“Is it true that Gannon was your father?” I didn’t detect any judgement in her voice, but to be fair she had hidden all of her emotions since I had met her.
“Yes. The warlock known as Gannon Cornelius Edmond was my father.”
“I am sorry that it came down to you having to destroy your own father.” She didn’t show any emotion yet again but still I felt the sincerity of her words.
“It’s fine. I didn’t consider myself related to him. He was nothing more than a sperm donor, a DNA source to make me. He was a monster and I would never consider him my family. My dad, the only man worthy of that title, was a million times better than Edmond.”
“That’s wonderful, Riviana dear. I am glad that you have a family that you love. Family is very important.”
“Do you spend much time with your family?” I had to know what it was like for a Queen to have a family.
“Not as much as I would like. I myself have not yet had children but I still love my family dearly.”
“You don’t have children?” That surprised me. How could you be more than two thousand years old and not have a child.
“I would like to have a child of my own, but I have yet to find the right consort for me. I have been fully tested by doctors that are not human. They have done all they need to do and assure me that the issue lies not within my own body. So, my only conclusion is that I have not found the proper father for my children yet. I hope to feel that connection as strongly as my niece, Acacia has. She and her mate have been very lucky as of late.”
I saw the wistful longing in Queen Gloriana’s eyes. She was a person who cared deeply for those that were close to her and longed for that bond between a woman and the baby in her womb. Subconsciously I put my hand on my belly and felt the firm roundness that was my babies growing inside of me. I wished that I could do something for Queen Gloriana, something to help her find her mate.
The banquet was just coming to an end. The conversation was going great. Everything was perfect. I should have known that it wasn’t going to last.
There was a commotion on the far side of the door. It started as just raised voices. There were two people arguing and the whole hall had turned their attention to the two that were causing a scene.
“No Grier, don’t do this. I’m begging you.” A woman’s high shrill and high pitched voice rang through the hall.