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“Of course. I don’t know how to cook, but I’m sure there’s something simple you can eat.”
Once they cleaned up and were in sleep clothes, Rainier draped a cloak around him and took one for himself.
“Why do we need a cloak?”
Rainier smiled at him. “When you’re royalty, you don’t go walking all over the Castle in your sleep clothes like you might at home. Mum wouldn’t like me leaving my rooms at all like this, but she won’t know.”
Felix had imagined a Prince could stroll down to the kitchens in only his sleep clothes at night, and no one would care. When they opened the door to the sitting room, Inky must have been waiting in the antechamber because he immediately darted in. Seeing that they were heading somewhere, he started following.
The Castle was quiet, and the halls only had a few lit lanterns. Felix wasn’t scared of the dark, but the silent emptiness rather spooked him since it was unfamiliar. Rainier led him downstairs and into the kitchen.
Inky had slipped off at some point. The fire had been banked, and a lit crystal lantern sat on the work counter. He imagined the cook must get up quite early, and she’d need some light.
Rainier took the lantern and brought him into the pantry. “There’s fruit in the cellar if you want that, but the servants usually keep some stuff in here for themselves.” He gestured at a dish of pastries with a glass covering. “We let them eat whatever they want.”
“What’s that?” Felix pointed at a jar.
Rainier lifted the lantern. “Oh, that’s cacao nibs, so they're sweetened. Have you had that before?”
“Since I’ve lived here, yes,” said Felix. “It doesn’t grow in Gramoa, but humans do have it.”
“Here.” Rainier handed him the jar.
Felix took the lid off of the jar and nibbled on one. It was slightly sweet, and straight cacao would be quite bitter.
“Do you like it when it's melted in hot milk?” asked Felix.
“Eh, I don’t really care for it. The servants like that in winter. Do you like those?”
“Mhmm.” Felix had just popped in another piece, but guilt poked his brain because cacao was rather expensive even if it was grown there in the Glasswood Kingdom. He replaced the lid and set the jar on the shelf.
“You can eat more.”
“But cacao’s expensive.”
Rainier rubbed his back. “Felix, you can eat whatever you like. You are my pampered Kitten, remember?”
Felix hesitated before he smiled. “Maybe just a few more.”
They ended up sitting at the work counter, and Felix had a few nibs and a pastry on a plate.
“Aren’t you going to eat anything?”
Rainier shook his head. “I’m not into sweets.”
“But there’s other stuff.”
The strain lines deepened on the Prince’s face. “I’m not hungry. You eat, Kitten. Tomorrow, I’m going to the prison to sentence Lance, but I’ll show you where the library is, and in the afternoon, my Aunt and cousin are leaving, so maybe we can go out and have a ride.”
“Why doesn’t he come here?” asked Felix.
“Lance? He’s locked up.”
“I know, but I thought criminals were brought in like the petitioners except for drunks and people like that who just need a night to sober up.”
“He doesn’t deserve to step foot in here again.”
Felix nibbled on the edge of the pastry as he thought. “Can I come with you?”
