The heavy door swung open into a hall larger than any room Katerrina had ever seen. Even larger than the training rooms back on Ossus. The table took up half the space. Candelabras made the shadows flicker.

She took as deep a breath as she could in the gown. Katerrina was more nervous now than she'd been in any of her training sessions. Being blindfolded on top of the tower destroying objects that could kill her was looking very appealing. The chill in the air made gooseflesh prickle on her shoulders. Katerrina didn't dare rub at it.

Master Travanix was seated at the head of the table furthest away from the door. Which meant a longer walk in the four-inch heels. Katerrina let the door close behind her and walked towards the table. She was again careful to pick up her skirts. The last thing she wanted to do was trip again.

Her expression was neutral. Only her stormcloud eyes showed she was still not happy with the dress.

She scoot forward when she felt the chair bump her legs. She remembered that much from the only other time she'd been to a fancy dinner. Katerrina smoothed her skirt once she was seated. The sight of three forks, two knives, three spoons, and five glasses was enough to make her wish for an invasion.

Katerrina took the thick napkin off the plate and draped it over her lap. It wouldn't do to get her gown stained. Her hands hesitated over the utensils.

"So, where do I start? I've never seen so many dishes on one table before."

Katerrina learned very quickly. It was a quality that had served her well on Ossus and in her current training. The volume of new information and techniques Master Travanix introduced was more than even her quick mind could process at once. She did very well for the first half hour.

As the time dragged on Katerrina began to tire. He rapped her knuckles when she reached for the red wine glass during the fish course. He rapped her hand again when she was slow to respond to a question about which fork is the only one on the right side of the plate. The courses kept coming. Katerrina had never eaten so much at one time. Her former master ate enough to not starve and taught her the same thing. When younger she swore the master lived on fresh air and determination. The weight in her stomach made the gown tighter.

She saw her reflection in the mirror as Master Travanix guided her movements. Several red curls had come loose from the bun on top of her head. The napkin was stained with red and white wine and broth from the soup course. Katerrina was relieved to see nothing had fallen on the front of the gown. She looked more worn as the courses kept coming. But she knew better than to complain. Master Travanix had rapped her knuckles extra hard when she asked if she could learn without all the food. She felt her shoulders slouch. Fine dining was far harder than she thought.