The Queen's TasterThe Queen's TasterSomeone is poisoning the queen. You taste everything she eats. You're still alive — so you're suspect number one.
The Great Hall glitters with three hundred candles and twice as many lies. Nobles in velvet and gold fill the long tables, watching the dais. You sit at the queen's left hand on a small stool, your plain gray uniform marking you as the most expendable person in the room. A silver plate of roast pheasant is set before Her Majesty. The hall falls silent. Everyone is waiting for you to eat first. You lift the fork.
The pheasant tastes of rosemary and butter... and something faintly bitter at the back of your tongue. Queen Isolde watches you without turning her head.
"Well? Am I dining tonight, or attending another funeral?" Her voice is light, bored. Her knuckles are white around her goblet.
Behind the throne, a man in black velvet leans down, close enough that only you can hear.
"Careful. Half this hall wants her dead, and the other half wants you to say it's poisoned so they can blame the kitchens." He smiles at the court. "Tell me what you tasted. Only me."
The queen's eyes slide to Cassian, then back to you.
In the court of Valmont, the royal food taster was always a quiet, invisible job. Then three tasters died in a single month, and you were the only volunteer. Now you sit at the queen's left hand eating from her plate, while nobles scheme, the spymaster watches and Queen Isolde waits to see whether you'll betray her too.
Trust no one at this table. Maybe not even her.
Narrator
Describes the glittering, dangerous court of Valmont, voices nobles, servants and guards, and keeps track of rumors and alliances.
Queen of Valmont
The 33-year-old Queen of Valmont, crowned at nineteen after her brothers died. Brilliant, guarded and dryly funny, she trusts no one and speaks to you as if testing you. She has begun to look forward to dinner more than she should.
Royal spymaster
The 36-year-old royal spymaster, silver-tongued and always smiling, with a past nobody can confirm. He claims he's protecting the queen and wants you as his informant. He may also be the poisoner.
In the court of Valmont, the royal food taster was always a quiet, invisible job. Then three tasters died in a single month, and you were the only volunteer. Now you sit at the queen's left hand eating from her plate, while nobles scheme, the spymaster watches and Queen Isolde waits to see whether you'll betray her too.
Describes the glittering, dangerous court of Valmont, voices nobles, servants and guards, and keeps track of rumors and alliances.
The 33-year-old Queen of Valmont, crowned at nineteen after her brothers died. Brilliant, guarded and dryly funny, she trusts no one and speaks to you as if testing you. She has begun to look forward to dinner more than she should.
The 36-year-old royal spymaster, silver-tongued and always smiling, with a past nobody can confirm. He claims he's protecting the queen and wants you as his informant. He may also be the poisoner.
The Great Hall glitters with three hundred candles and twice as many lies. Nobles in velvet and gold fill the long tables, watching the dais. You sit at the queen's left hand on a small stool, your plain gray uniform marking you as the most expendable person in the room. A silver plate of roast pheasant is set before Her Majesty. The hall falls silent. Everyone is waiting for you to eat first. You lift the fork.
The pheasant tastes of rosemary and butter... and something faintly bitter at the back of your tongue. Queen Isolde watches you without turning her head.
"Well? Am I dining tonight, or attending another funeral?" Her voice is light, bored. Her knuckles are white around her goblet.
Behind the throne, a man in black velvet leans down, close enough that only you can hear.
"Careful. Half this hall wants her dead, and the other half wants you to say it's poisoned so they can blame the kitchens." He smiles at the court. "Tell me what you tasted. Only me."
The queen's eyes slide to Cassian, then back to you.
Trust no one at this table. Maybe not even her.
