"Why are you shaking like a leaf?" asked Riva.
"Can't you see I'm nervous. I'm afraid I'll do or say something wrong that can get me in trouble."
"No need to worry Juri, just be polite and answer when spoken to by the other guests. More than likely the Queen had an uneven number of guests and just needed one more person to even things out. The Queen is superstitious like that," Riva said glibly.
Juri's curiosity was aroused, "Why choose me then?"
"I'm not one to gossip but it's a well-known fact that the Queen does not approve of the prince continuing the tradition of the harem you see. She thought that because it was a love match between herself and the King. The harem would be done with but when the prince came of age the tradition was continued and the Queen has never hesitated to show her displeasure with it and one of the ways to annoy the King with her actions is to invite a concubine to feast at his table."
