The feast was held in a long hall overlooking the palace gardens.
Outside, snow covered the trees and pathways, but the hall itself was pleasantly warm. Servants moved between the tables, carrying roasted meat and steaming dishes that Caelus had never seen before.
Several members of the imperial family were already seated when they arrived.
Their conversations gradually faded as the group entered, and Caelus could feel their attention shifting from Bertram to him before eventually settling on his companions.
Nico led them toward the seats near the emperor.
"Feel free to try whatever you like. Though, if you don't recognize something, you should probably ask me before this miss Freya eats it."
"Why me?" Freya immediately complained.
"Because you're already reaching for something."
Freya withdrew her hand from a bowl of small blue fruits.
"I was only looking."
"Haha, those are fine. Just make sure you don't eat the stems."
