Royal Tea Service (Tea Princess Chronicles, #3)

by Casey Blair

“I am as helpful as every little sister should be,” I say serenely. “Saiyana will confirm.” Iryasa huffs.

I blurt, “Do you want to get dinner?” Everyone stares at me, Yorani included, and I feel myself reddening. Was that too sudden, or strange? Perhaps they don’t want to spend any more time with me. Truly, given how much I ask of them I can’t blame them— “Yes, that is an activity that groups of close acquaintances in Istalam engage in, isn’t it?” Sa Nikuran nods like I’ve proposed a satisfactory answer to a philosophical proposition. “I would like to partake in it.” “I mean,” Lorwyn says, “yes, friends going out to dinner is a thing that normal people—okay how in the world have we gotten to a situation where I am the person explaining normal behavior? Miyara, I am absolutely sure this is your fault.” Their tentative acceptance—or at least lack of rejection—of my overture fills me with a sudden fervor. Friends go out to dinner. “We should invite Risteri.” Sa Nikuran chimes in, “As well as your Entero and Deniel!” “He is not my Entero,” Lorwyn says. “Of course he is,” Sa Nikuran says, looking at Lorwyn like she’s stupid. “Is seven too many for dinner?” I ask Lorwyn. “What? No—I don’t think so? It’s not like I go out to eat with people!” Glynis cuts in, “You are the most socially confused adult friends. It’s adorable.” I look back at Lorwyn. “Is this what’s known as ‘trash talking’?” Dryly, Lorwyn answers, “Yes, but only if it takes.”

“I trust your best,” she says, her glare morphed into something a little less angry but no less intense. “And part of your best has always been trusting me, and doing what you can to prepare me for the life I’m going to find, even though you know other people will judge you for it. For treating me like the person I am rather than what you think is best for me, and helping me learn how to choose as safely as you can. So I will go with you to Thiano so you can help me learn, and I won’t try the same thing on my own because I trust you when you tell me it’s too dangerous or I’m not ready. Okay?”

ability.” Yorani’s face scrunches up, and she attempts to lift one shoulder. A shrug. Oh my spirits. All right. So she doesn’t know for sure either. And also she just tried to shrug at me.

So keep your apologies, and let me.” I will horrify him completely if I cry, but it takes all my copious training as a princess to hold it in.

Yorani chirps and boops Thiano on the nose. Thiano sighs, snagging her out of the air to pet the scales on her nose as she makes a different noise in the back of her throat—attempting to mimic Talsion’s purr. “Little one, you are a tremendous interference,” Thiano mock-scolds.

Thiano’s expression betrays his surprise that Yorani actually listened to him. “I hope you realize you have just moved to the top of my dragon-sitter list,” I tell him.

it’s because no one can do everything alone. If that were a lesson I’d learned better I wouldn’t have had to rely on the accidental grace of my friends being in the Cataclysm yesterday to prevent a magical disaster. You know how many people have berated me for that oversight?” Karisa looks at me mutely. “Zero,” I say. “You want to guess how many people have rightly yelled at me for not relying on them sufficiently?” Deniel coughs. Karisa almost smiles. “Is it all of them?” I sigh. “Very nearly. Do you think you could manage to make different mistakes than me? I really do have this one solidly locked down.”

Deniel leans back, pulling me with him in a hug. “There, you see, next time you’re worried about something, we’ll just call all the teens you know. They have all the answers.” This teasing chastisement causes all available teens to find simultaneous interest in drinking tea and snacking, and the near uniform response surprises them and makes me laugh.

Until my baby dragon starts kicking up sand from the tray. I startle, then sigh. “Are you trying to get my attention, or are you just enjoying making a mess?” Yorani pauses long enough to meet my gaze. Without breaking eye contact, she deliberately kicks a clump of sand out of the tray, spraying it across the room and the floor. Burying my face in my hands, I laugh ruefully. “So, both.”

Lorwyn makes us all invisible—which makes Yorani sneeze and then chirp in delight at however that feels to her—as we head to the Cataclysm.

“Thank you for having my back earlier,” I say softly. “You know I always will.” “I do. I just want you to know that I appreciate what it means.” Saiyana’s head bows. “Miyara. Please don’t have feelings at me right now. I am too tired for feelings.” But not so tired she couldn’t manage to say that, rather than snapping at me. Oh, sister. She’s been carrying us all this far; it’s time for us to carry her for a while. “I’ll take it from here,” I say, still quietly, but a note of steel in my voice that makes her look up. “And Iryasa will help.” “Be careful—”

“You never just rescue people,” he says. “You make them part of their own solutions.” I stare.

Yorani butts her head into his ear. “Yes, I know I’m going to let you both in, you menace of a spirit. It’s past time you learned about dramatic timing. Observe.”

“You bought Yorani cat socks?” Thiano asks, faintly incredulous. I’m surprised he can make that out in the dim lighting here. “It was her idea. Talsion is her friend, and she has no concept of moderate behavior where her friends are concerned.” Thiano’s expression flickers. “You’re one to talk.” “Certainly not.” I know it’s not what he means, but I lift my skirts enough so Thiano can see my own socks: a matching pair. Thiano buries his face in his hands. I’d like to think he’s amused despite himself, but something tells me that’s not it; or at least not all of it.

So cute

Yorani flutters back to Thiano, pausing right in front of his face for him to admire her socks. His scowl deepens. “You’re perfect, little one,” he says gruffly, his words at odd with the severity of his expression, with the line of tension in his shoulders, as if Yorani and I together present an enemy of the highest caliber.

Saiyana snorts, but she does step back. “Hey Miyara, remember when I thought you should work with me on Istalam’s behalf?” What’s this now? “Yes,” I say cautiously. “I take it back,” my sister says firmly. “Everyone you spend any time with stops being intimidated by me. My entire process would collapse.” Reyata barks out a laugh. “In that case, I told you so,” I say. “Now please come sit on this nice comfortable stack of boxes with me before you keel over.”

Then I bring over the kettle, and she finally blinks. I gently remove Yorani from where she’s curled around my neck and place her in the bowl. Then I pour the hot water from the kettle over her as though she were a tea pet. Yorani chirps sleepily and curls into the hot water as I sprinkle a few leaves in for flavor, like accessories to a bath.

“The Tea Princess Accords,” Thiano suggests slyly. “No one is going to take a Tea Princess delegation seriously,” Lorwyn comments. “They will,” Ambassador Ridac rumbles, having not even commented on the presence of a witch in the room, “because I will personally shove it down their throats until they do.”