Taigi narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before she broke into the biggest of smiles and sat beside him on a bench, with Yunohana joining him on his other side and Aria settling across the table. As the family took their places among their hosts, the cooks began uncovering the pots.
A cook set a platter of sliced roast before him, with flatbread wrapped in cloth beside it. Dark juices glistened over the meat, carrying the scent of garlic beneath the smoke.
Taigi watched him take his first mouthful.
The browned edge gave way beneath his teeth, yielding tender meat with a sharp sweetness that made him pause before reaching for the bread. He wanted another bite of that first.
"Oh, that's good."
Her smile returned in full.
"There's fruit in the glaze, my lord. From the trees near the river."
"Could you pass that bowl? I think the bread should meet it."
