"Yesterday." The magnitude of Orion's lie exceeded his poker face, making Nelia click her tongue in reply. "Thanks for the food."
He gulped down the stew like a man who had just escaped a desert drinks water. He cut the steak into fine pieces, holding the bones with his hands and gnawing at them to not miss a single morsel of meat.
He tore the bread into big pieces which he used to scoop both plates before chewing them.
Nelia stood in silence the whole time and refilled Orion's glass of water as soon as he emptied it. Whenever she bent down to do it, her hair formed a flaming red waterfall that blocked Orion's vision.
He noticed it only halfway through his meal, when his stomach gave him the respite he needed to notice her clear silver eyes and beauty. She was Tyris' direct descendant which made her appearance dreamlike.
It took him even longer to notice the restraints at his feet.
