The waiter winced at the biting question and then looked hard at the empty table twelve as though pure will could bring the gentleman back. "He was there a minute ago. It appears he has left, perhaps for the festival? It starts soon, you know," he explained, clearly eager to escape the awkward situation. With a hurried wave, he excused himself.

Ariel watched Taylor uncertainly as the priestess returned to her seat. But her alarm was uncalled for, as a small smile appeared on Taylor's lips. She picked up the magnolia and twirled it between her fingers.

"I believe this counts as my first magnolia of the night, Mr. Warner?" Taylor said, not particularly interested in the playwright's response. "I don't believe either of you have received one?"

With her smug smile, Taylor clearly expected the reply to be no. However, Ariel was able to match her in numbers and in smile. "I received my first magnolia before dinner."

"You did?" Mr. Warner cut in, surprised, but no one paid him any heed.

The priestess paused in stroking the stem of her magnolia to raise a disbelieving eyebrow. "Right. Sure you did."

Ariel sat straighter in her seat, her cheeks tinting red. "I did."

Never mind that it was a completely platonic gift, given by John...

Taylor sat back in her chair, gazing into the magnolia. "Oh really? Where is it?"

Ariel opened her mouth to respond with something along the lines of "right here," but then blinked as she realized it wasn't right here. It was somewhere else...but where? Ariel glanced at John, who was watching her with an odd expression, something caught between encouraging and discouraging. His smile was bright enough, but his eyes silently pleaded with her not to reveal it. Ariel gave him a quick half smile and returned her attention to the priestess.

Just great. I lost John's magnolia and now I look like a liar...

"Well?" Taylor persisted, her expression growing more triumphant with every second Ariel remained silent.

Pointedly ignoring the priestess's smugness, Ariel mentally retraced her steps. Did I leave it at the theater? No. The garden. I left it on the bench! I could go out and get it, but John...

Ariel smiled to herself. "It's in my room. I left it there before Leroy and I took our walk."

Beside her, John relaxed a bit. Ariel couldn't help noticing him glance at Mandy. Ariel blinked with confusion, but before she could put any more thought into it, Taylor began again.

"Fine, but then who gave it to you?"

If Ariel could have found the woman's foot, she would have stepped on it promptly, but there were simply too many feet under that table, and the risk of brushing up against Jasper... Ariel's cheeks tinged pink. Jasper. He had slipped her mind. It was a dangerous mistake. She could only imagine what brooding stare he had been giving her all this time... but when she chanced a small glance his way, she found he wasn't looking at her at all, but gazing off distantly.

With Taylor's last question burning her ears, Ariel was prepared to refuse to answer, but was saved by something even better: food.

"Here we are," Noah announced, setting down a large circular tray in the middle of their table. "The finest festival food you'll ever eat."

"He speaks the truth," Mr. Warner agreed, helping himself to a serving of steaming rice.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

With a sigh of relief, Ariel pretended to be absorbed in dishing up, eager to get a bite in her mouth and have an excuse not to talk. A second waiter followed Noah with a tray full of coffee. The hot cup of amber liquid set in front of Ariel was the icing on the cake, and for the first time that night, she felt content with her mouth full and a cup of coffee to warm her hands. Ariel wasn't the only one pleased at the arrival of food. Beside her, Leroy filled his plate with enough for three people, earning him a disgusted look from Taylor as he swiped a dumpling she was reaching for.

"Don't you love all this sharing? A bit romantic, isn't it?" Mr. Warner remarked a few moments later, happily offering Mandy the last rice ball, which she promptly declined.

"Oh, very," Taylor murmured dryly, watching the monk down the table from her shovel in bite after bite.

"Well, I hope you all enjoy," Noah said, seeing everyone with plates filled. "I must be getting ready for the festival, but I'll... join you later," he announced, speaking the last part toward Ariel with a slight, hopeful smile.

Ariel, currently mid-sip, looked up at him and nodded. Expecting a departing wave, his next words nearly caused her to choke on her coffee.

"Oh, I was going to ask you—" he took a step closer to her chair, his voice somewhat lowered.

Ariel swallowed her coffee in a gulp. The pink rising in Noah's cheeks as he drew near didn't bode well. Tensing—she could almost read the words will you marry me? in his eyes—Ariel's hand reached for Leroy's arm. The sharp grating sound of a chair being slid across wood was heard in the next moment. Ariel was temporarily released from her panic, her attention suddenly absorbed in the fact that Jasper was now standing.

"Mr. Williams, could I have a word with you alone."

This was not a question; it was a command, and the low tone it was spoken in sent a shiver down Ariel's back. What is Jasper doing?

Beside her, Leroy was attempting to extract his arm from Ariel's grip, her nails digging into his sleeve, the monk's expression displaying his amusement. Noah blinked calmly. "Sure," he answered, "just a moment."

He looked at Ariel once more and leaned in even closer, his voice coming almost to a whisper. "I was wondering, I mean, I'm not sure how severe it is—" he began, his words faltering slightly as his cheeks grew more and more flushed.

Ariel reassumed her grip on Leroy's unfortunate arm, feeling confused as she tried to understand what she was being asked over the pounding in her ears.

"I guess, I just wanted to know if it was okay to give you a magnolia tonight?"

Ariel blinked. She opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Clearly, her confusion was showing as Noah hastily went on. "You know, with your terrible allergy to them. I wouldn't want to cause you harm. Should I give you a rose instead?"

Ariel felt the tension that had built up in her release. No proposal, at least not yet. Ariel could feel the weight of everyone's stares as their confusion grew and hers left.

"I'll be okay; magnolias will be fine," she finally answered, her voice coming out a bit weakly.

Noah looked down at her, concerned. "Are you sure? You were so affected last time."

"An allergy? I was not aware you had any," Mandy spoke up.

Ariel shot her rival a sharp look. That Mandy.