Chapter 9: Dinner

*ding* Roasted artichoke.

*ding* Venison with roasted root vegetables.

*ding* Wild mushrooms with herbs.

*ding* Champagne sorbet.

*ding* Bacon wrapped quail.

*ding* Cheese course.

*ding* Chocolate mousse with seasonal berries.

I tried to stay focused on dinner service. The scene at dinner earlier kept replaying in my mind.

“You’re too kind, your highness. It must be the glow of an expectant mother that you are detecting. Osiris has blessed me with another pup.”

Pregnant. Again. She always wanted a daughter? It killed me to watch her dote on Horus. Her golden child. He was only a year younger than Dmitry. Yet, Dmitry had never experienced any love from our mother. Perhaps those first few weeks after his birth she doted on him. If Osiris were to die too would she be able to abandon Horus as abruptly? Would Horus carry on raising his sibling while mother sought out a new alpha? Would she be too old by then to even lure one in? This was just a useless spiral. There was no reason t