Griffin's Shadow by Leslie Ann Moore Read Free Book Online

about what happened earlier, Jelena. Please forgive me.” Sen said. “I should have introduced you properly, as you deserve. Rest assured that it won’t happen again.” He raised his cup to his lips and took a long, deep swallow.
    “If she insists on dressing like a servant, no one should be surprised that she’s treated like one,” Sadaiyo commented. He had also helped himself to the wine; he and Misune now sat on a smaller couch near the window, sharing the cup between them.
    “I dress this way because it is comfortable,” Jelena replied, her voice low and hard. Sadaiyo sneered. She turned her back on him and went to pour a glass of wine for herself and a cup of beer for Ashinji. She briefly entertained the idea of throwing the pitcher at Sadaiyo’s head.
    No. Why waste good beer on such filth?
    “Comfortable though it may be, it is not suitable garb in which to go before the royal court,” Amara gently pointed out. “I think the new green outfit I gave you as a wedding gift should do nicely.”
    “Yes, Mother. I’ll be sure to unpack it first thing,” Jelena replied.
    A knock at the door signaled the arrival of the baggage, along with several servants bearing trays. With the efficiency of experience, the servers soon had a hearty meal laid out—turtle soup, cold poached fish, a platter of steamed vegetables, wheat cakes fried to a crisp, golden brown, several loaves of bread, and a small wheel of hard yellow cheese. Apples and berry tarts made up dessert.
    The delicious aromas of the food set Jelena’s stomach to rumbling; however, decorum dictated that she, along with the rest of the family, must wait until Sen and Amara had taken what they wanted before serving themselves.
    The food tasted as good as it looked. As they ate, Sen spoke. “I expect the king’ll have a lot to discuss with me, so most likely, it’ll be a late night,” he said between mouthfuls. “Prince Raidan will probably be there, too. Sadaiyo and Ashinji, you’ll accompany me, of course, though I doubt you’ll need to stay the whole evening.”
    “The king will be calling the war council soon, don’t you think, Father?” Ashinji asked.
    “Yes, when all of the lords entitled to sit in council have arrived, he will, but I don’t know who all is here yet. Jelena, I’ll need your ring. I intend to show it to the king this very night.”
    “Yes, of course, thank you, Father!” With eagerness born of hope, Jelena pulled the ring out from its hiding place beneath her tunic and slipped the chain over her head. She presented the ring to Sen and returned to her seat on a floor cushion next to Ashinji.
    Sen held the ring up before his face, where it swung gently, back and forth, like a fortune teller’s pendulum. Pensively, he examined the gleaming white band of metal for a few heartbeats, then closed his fist around it and shifted his gaze to Jelena.
    “Jelena,” he began, “You know family means everything to us and—right or wrong—a person with no family can’t expect to rise very far in elven society.” He paused to look at Amara, who nodded in agreement. “When you married my son,” he continued, “you became a member of the House of Sakehera which, though no small thing, is not the same as knowing the house from which you came.”
    As if sensing her anxiety, Sen smiled in reassurance. “It’s an understatement to say that your life has changed since you first came to us,” he said, “but it will be nothing compared to what could happen if your true father embraces you as his own. Are you ready to face that?”
    “I’m ready for whatever happens, Father,” Jelena replied, but her bold words rang hollow in her own ears. In truth, she didn’t know which she dreaded most—acceptance or rejection.
    “Are you implying, Father, that she could be the daughter of a noble house?” Sadaiyo asked, eyebrows raised. “That’s impossible! What self-respecting elf of good family would mate with a human? Her mother could