“Because I know—”
“Hey, lovebirds,” drawled a new voice. “Get out of my passageway.”
Aria gasped in surprise. Baron closed his eyes in a grimace. Had he been in possession of his cane, he would have used it to shove Leon back down the hallway into the kitchen.
“Leon,” Baron warned. “Scat.”
“It’smypassageway, I said.”
“I thought you didn’t need it, since everything is already in the serving room.”
“It was, but then I got bored and made these new meltaways. Pecan and sweet potato—learned that from the top-cut castle cook. Besides, you were supposed to bring Lady Highness to the kitchen already, so I thought you’d given up on the surprise.”
Baron pressed his fist to his mouth, an attempt to hold back anything he’d regret.
Aria, ever graceful, asked if she could try one of the coin-sized cookies.
Leon lifted the tray proudly, then waited to hear her verdict.
“These are delicious!”
“Of course they are. I made them.”
“And those lemon-chili cookies! I’ve never tasted anything like them before, where the spice seemed to enhance the sweetness. You’re so inventive.”
Leon started purring quite audibly. Aria’s eyes widened, but to her credit, it was the only reaction she gave.
“Yes, I’m a cat,” Leon said. “It’s not fair if only the crow gets to be himself.”
“Well, it won’t be much of asurprise”—Baron shot Leon a look—“but there’s something waiting for you in the kitchen.”
“Gifts?”Aria blinked, staring at the small kitchen table. “Plural?”
Baron smiled, settling with his back against the pantry cupboards, arms folded across his chest. “I’m aware yourbirthday was several months ago, but seeing as we missed it, today seemed a good occasion for reparations.”
“There’s no need to make a fuss!”
“A fuss we have made,” said Corvin.
“Open mine first,” said Leon.
Despite her protests, Aria set into things with a smile. Leon’s gift was a cake of his own invention, light and airy, topped with fresh lemons and sprinkled sugar.
“She’s probably already full from the stuff in the serving room,” Corvin said.
Leon shrugged. “You don’t have to eat it, I guess—although you’ll be missing out—but it’s the name that’s the gift. I call it ‘Highness Cake,’ because it’s the kind of highness you are. High enough to make a real impact, but no so high it’s left everybody behind.”
Aria gave him a hug, which he wriggled out of immediately.
Corvin handed her a small bundle of cloth next.
“The best crown princess,” Aria read from the attached note, “should have the best crown. May it keep you light as a feather. Happy Birthday.”
She unfolded the cloth to reveal a delicate navy hair comb decorated with a bit of black lace and crow feathers.
“Not mine,” Corvin said quickly. “That would be like giving you my hair.”
Leon said, “So you gave her some other bird’s hair. Classy.”
