The servers appeared from the kitchen with plates, placing them at the end of the table, and then left. Two cooks reappeared carrying a large silver, covered platter. They set the platter down on the end of the table. Steam rolled from under the lid. There on the tray was a whole pig with an apple in its mouth. Sarah couldn’t help the look on her face. The king roared with laughter.
“Have you never seen a pig?” Paul asked.
Her reaction got a smile even from Orion.
“My apologies,” she smiled. “When they look like that, they are usually alive eating the apple.”
The cooks started cutting into the pig while the servers placed the plates of meat around the table starting with King James.
Paul scoffed under his breath when they sat the plate in front of him.
“Paul,” Orion spoke softly but with a stern tone to scold him.
“I don’t like pork.” He frowned. He looked up from his plate of pork to see Sarah smiling at him. “They make me eat this stuff.” He protested. “They make me eat pork, and asparagus, and cauliflower. Oh, cauliflower makes me sick.” He shuttered. “Apples, I can’t stand apples.”
“We want him to try new things.” Floria spoke.
“Did your parents make you eat nasty things?” Paul asked.
Sarah smiled at him again. “No, they would encourage me to try new things but never forced me to eat them.”
“See that’s the thing in this family. It’s inherited. Eat it! Gross!” He stuck out his tongue.
“Paul,” Orion again reminded him of his place.
“Do you like pork?” Paul asked.
“Selectively.” Sarah answered.
“What does that mean?”
“I like pork chops, tenderloins, sausage, and bacon.”
Sarah’s plate was laid before her with a huge hunk of fat on it with a tiny piece of meat.
“Do you like that?” Paul asked.
“No.” Sarah replied with a blush.
“It’s the pecking order.” He eyed his father as he spoke.
“Pecking order?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah, the higher up the nobility chain you are the better cut of meat you get.” Paul smiled.
“Give me your plate.” Orion instructed.
“Why?” She asked.
He wiggled his finger at her, “give me your plate.”
She finally handed him her plate. In return, he gave her his plate. He had a nice lean cut of meat. “I won’t eat it anyway.”
Everyone at the table held their breath even the servers had stopped making noise.
“Thank you.”
To go with the meat they got mashed potatoes and peas.
Sarah took one bite of everything. Orion hadn’t touched anything. “Are you not going to eat anything?”
“No.”
“No?” She questioned.
He inhaled deeply. “The smell is enough.” He hissed. “Need I remind you we have had this conversation?”
“I know. And I am sure we will have it again.”
“It isn’t worth it.”
Sarah eyed Paul without moving her head. “It isn’t?” She questioned. “Perhaps you forgot something.”
Orion knew exactly what she was talking about. He loved Paul more than anything in his life. He took a heavy breath before taking a bite of the mashed potatoes. “Happy?”
“If that was the start of the healing process then yes. If that was to spite me, no.”
Not another word was said during the course of dinner.
After dinner, everyone scattered. Sarah followed Paul, Orion, and Floria down the hall. She kept her distance so they wouldn’t notice her.
They stopped in front of a door. There was a huge man standing in front of it, he opened it. Orion bent over giving Paul a hug and a kiss. He then took one step back allowing Floria to pass. She did nothing. She didn’t even look at him let alone smile. She didn’t touch him. She just shook her long black hair, stuck her nose in the air and walked right past him. The man that had opened the door quickly closed it behind her.
Orion stood there for a moment before leaving. It was hard to say if he wanted to break down the door or melt into a puddle.
Sarah felt a hand on her shoulder. She slowly turned to find James standing behind her. She started to apologize but he stopped her.
“I don’t know why you’re here.” He stared at the floor, “can you fix my son?”
“First, we must figure out what is wrong with him.”
“Agreed.”
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