Your eyes remained downcast as you ate in silence. Calais was telling some tale of his battle in the arena, though it was clear he wasn't as skilled as he pretended to be. Jack sat across from you, equally disinterested in his half-brother's ramblings.

"Oh shut up, you big oaf," Zetes said in his nasally voice. His voice was almost as sharp as his facial features. Calais went quiet and picked at his plate. Despite physically being the largest, he seemed incapable of independent thought.

"Zetes," Boreas said in a warning tone, brushing off his thick white beard. Oritiya lifted her chin, her hawkish face peering at you.

"And what have you been up to today?" she asked with faux sweetness. You swore you saw Jack tense. You told yourself it was just his instinctive reaction to hearing his horrible stepmother's voice. But it almost appeared like he was defensive of you.