A massive long table, draped in velvet from the East, stretched from the foot of the high platform to the edge of the square, resembling a white river.
And upon that river flowed a dizzying array of delicacies.
The core area near the high platform was reserved for the nobility and high-ranking clergy. Crystal-clear glasses and pure silver platters were set at their places.
A whole suckling pig, roasted to a golden crisp, held an apple in its mouth, nestled in a small mountain of fresh flowers. Rare fish from the deep sea had been sliced into sashimi as thin as a cicada's wing and were served in vessels sculpted from ice. There was even peacock meat, marinated for three whole days in spices and honey, exuding a captivatingly sweet and heady aroma.
