“Act like one,” he ordered.
I nodded though I wasn’t certain what that entailed.
He glowered at me. I tried to look contrite.
Then he let me go and started to move around the table but as he did a wave of sound hit us, he moved back to me, his arm circled my waist protectively and we both looked at the wild, cheering like mad crowd.
“Hurrah!” someone cried.
“Long live Prince Noctorno!” someone else yelled.
“Behold, the black prince and his exquisite bride!” someone else shouted.
How. Totally. Cool!
“Hey, ya’ll!” I shouted and waved.
At my greeting, the cheer rose so high it nearly took the roof off.
Cool!
I smiled. Tor’s arm around my waist squeezed.
“Princess,” he clipped into my ear.
Oh shit.
Right.
I stopped waving like a friendly person, closed my fingers, cupped my hand slightly and started waving like a royal person.
This had no affect on the crowd who kept shouting, clapping and stamping then someone yelled, “We love you, Princess Cora.”
“Isn’t that sweet?” I yelled back in the direction from where the words came even though I had no clue who said it.
“Deliver me.” I heard Tor mutter from beside me and I looked to the side and up at him.
“What?” I asked.
“Just, gods, please sit down and eat,” he replied.
“Sure,” I said, smiled at the crowd, did the royal wave again then Tor let me go and we sat down.
The cheering kept going for a bit then subsided but only when Tor looked toward them, inclined his head but lifted a hand, palm up, and he pressed the air out. They took their royal command and cooled it.
Whoa. Awesome.
I got over my awe, finished with his bread then put it on the side of his bowl and started on mine.
“So,” I began, “I need royal instruction. I’m not hip on this princess gig.”
“Pardon?” he asked and I stopped slathering butter on my bread, dropped the knife to the board and brought the slice to my face.
“This princess gig. You’ll need to explain,” I told him and then took a bite of the bread.
It was chewy and full of flavor. Lush.
“Well, you can start with never asking the proprietress of a pub to drink with you,” he stated.