A Call to Arms: Book One of the Chronicles of Arden by Shiriluna Nott, SaJa H

roommate, the more Gib realized Joel was avoiding the people there. With the pieces of the puzzle coming together, Gib was bothered and wanted to find some way to remedy the situation.
    The dining hall was packed when he arrived, which made finding his friends all the more difficult. After his plate was full, Gib wandered through the tables where they typically sat and was eventually flagged down by Kezra. He took a seat between Tarquin and Nage.
    As they settled back down to take their meal, another voice spoke up. “Hello everyone. May I join you?”
    Gib startled, his mouth half full with bread. “Diddy? What are you doing here? I mean, yes. Sit down. You know you don’t need to ask.”
    The young prince laughed lightly and took one of the empty places across from the four of them. “I try to remember, but you have to understand that my manners have been ingrained in me. Mother is very strict about that.”
    “Speaking of which, how did you manage to get away from her on our rest day?” Kezra chided him between bites.
    “Very carefully,” Diddy admitted with flushed cheeks. “I suspect Father is being chastised now for aiding me in my escape.”
    A round of laughter rippled through them. The Queen was apparently having a difficult time allowing her son to grow up. It was only within the past couple of sennights that she’d relinquished her grip enough to allow him to dine in the academy hall. And this was the first time Diddy had managed the feat on their day of rest, which was allotted every seventh day. Gib used the rest day as an opportunity to catch up on his reading.
    Gib shook his head good-naturedly. “It’s so strange to hear you talk about them. I know they’re your mother and father, but they’re the King and Queen to everyone else.”
    Diddy smiled as he picked at his dish, lifting some potato onto his fork. “I shall have to have you over to meet them one day, Gib.”
    It was in jest, but even the suggestion made Gib’s stomach churn. He realized that was the intended effect, but it still unnerved him to consider it. Meeting Diddy had been bad enough. He couldn’t imagine meeting the King or Queen of Arden.
    “Hey. What is that?” Nage’s voice was so loud and unexpected that Diddy stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth. “On your potatoes. What is that?”
    The prince glanced downward and seemed to be at a loss. “I don’t see anything. A bit of gravy, nothing else—”
    Gib jumped at that as well. The two of them must have looked quite a sight as Nage fumbled on in his delight. “ Gravy? Actual gravy?”
    Upon closer inspection, Gib nodded. “It is! I had some once when I was young. Pa had dipped a roll into it. It was delicious.”
    Nage was already on his feet. “I’ve never had any. I have to go get some.”
    Gib held out an imploring hand. “Grab a dish for us both. And some bread.”
    Nage nodded as he raced off, his back disappearing into the crowd. With no distraction, Gib noticed the utter silence surrounding him. Each of the others trained their eyes on him. His face instantly flushed. “What?”
    This only earned him laughter from everyone involved. Gib lowered his head and took up his fork once more. “Shut up.”
    Kezra was laughing so hard her face had gone red, and Tarquin gasped for air. “I forget how different life is for both of you,” he managed to choke out between fits. “Gravy has never been so exciting.”
    Kezra nodded her head but was still unable to speak. Even Diddy covered his mouth, trying to disguise his merriment.
    Gib slunk down in his seat and assured them of how entertaining they all were.
    When Nage returned a few moments later, with a bowl full of gravy and three small loaves of bread, he looked around at them all. “What’s so funny? Did I miss something?”
    Gib said, “Nothing. Go ahead and sit down.”
    They both dug into the gravy with their warm bread and grinned from ear to ear as they ate, oblivious to the stares their friends