"What do you mean by that Vale!?" Penelope said indignantly. "I'm not stupid… Well, at least, not that stupid."
"You're not stupid at all, Princess," Vale said emphatically. She leaned over as she said it, a little too close for Penelope's liking.
"You smell of drink too…" Penelope said, shying away. "Is it really that good?"
It was only then that she seemed to notice that nearly everyone on the table, aside from her, was engaging in drink in some form or another. Lady Tiller had her wine, but she was the only minor exception – the rest had honeyed ale, or beer, and some of the Yarmdon men were being given the more bitter stuff that the Syndran's didn't feel like tolerating so early in the evening.
