Chapter 2
A Breakfast Bombardment
T here was screaming, there was crying, there was maniacal laughter…
Gods… I didn’t know Kat was going to bring the boys over. Tam groaned as he plunged his head under his pillow.
He could tell by the brightness of his room that he had slept in, but he didn’t care all that much. He had acquiesced to his mother’s insistence on hiring an assistant after all.
Determined to partake in a leisurely morning, Tam made a very conscious decision to try and wait for his nephews to settle down before he would join them all in the dining hall.
His efforts were thwarted before they could even commence by the sound of their pounding fists at his door.
“UNCLE TAM! UNCLE TAM! MY TOOTH IS GOING TO FALL OUT SOON! YOU HAVE TO SEE!”
Well, there’s Charles…
“UNCLE TAM! WE NEED TO GO LOOK FOR STARFISH! YOU SAID LAST TIME YOU FOUND SOME!”
Aah… Antony…
“COME DOWN FOR brEAKFAST I’M HUUUUNGRY!”
And of course dear, dear Asher.
Tam rose from his bed, not bothering to make himself more presentable. His long hair hung around his face as was his norm, and he wore only relaxed trousers and a loose sleep shirt. He made sure the pendant on a gold chain around his neck was hidden before he opened his door and stared down into the three eager faces of his sister’s sons.
Antony, the oldest, was growing out his red hair and already had a small ponytail tied off at the back of his neck, much to his mother’s displeasure. His bright-blue eyes looked identical to those of his grandfather Finlay Ashowan, but the shape of his nose and mouth were entirely Prince Eric’s.
Charles, or Charlie as he was occasionally called, had a mop of wavy dirty-blond hair and could have passed for a small clone of his father were it not for his golden eyes, like his mother’s.
Then there was Asher. Asher’s red hair was already touching his shoulders, and his eyes were hazel like Prince Eric’s. They currently stared up impatiently at Tam, Asher’s head already fallen back from impatience.
“Is breaking down your uncle’s door really the proper way to greet him?” Tam asked with a raised eyebrow as he sleepily leaned his left arm against the doorframe.
“FOOD!” Asher moaned while seizing Tam’s hand nearest to him and tugging it.
“After breakfast, we see the starfish, right?” Antony was very obviously trying to conduct himself with some measure of self-control and not bounce up and down.
Mum must’ve chastised him downstairs, Tam thought with a smile.
“LOOK!” Charles bared his teeth and stuck out his jaw, revealing a lopsided loose tooth.
Tam slowly crouched and squinted at the little pearl. “Huh. Should we tie it to Harold and see if he’ll yank that out for you?”
The boys broke out in giggles at the mention of their mother’s pet donkey, who still lived at the keep where she had grown up with Tam.
“OY!”
Tam looked toward the newcomer who was adding a shout to his morning.
Katarina Reyes—future queen of Daxaria, mother to three royal hellions, daughter of the famous house witch, hero in the foreign kingdom of Troivack—stood at the end of the hall wearing a pair of brown trousers and a white tunic with the sleeves rolled up. Her long red hair was unbound, and a sword rested on her hip as she stared at her brother sardonically, her golden eyes glinting.
“Come on. I’m hungry,” she said tersely with a jerk of her head.
“ME TOO!” Asher wailed before flinging down Tam’s hand and bolting to his mother. The young boy wrapped his arms around her left leg and pressed his face into her thigh.
Raising a judgmental eyebrow, Kat watched her brother as he straightened and yawned. “Gods, you sure took some time to get your beauty sleep. Why aren’t you better looking?”
“Your spawn interrupted the process,” Tam retorted as Antony latched himself onto his uncle’s right leg. “Is your husband here with you for breakfast?”
“Eric’s downstairs with your new assistant, yes.”
“Grandpa made eggsin toast!” Charles informed his uncle excitedly before seizing Tam’s other leg.
Tam attempted to waddle into the hallway with his nephews attached to his limbs, but found he was really only succeeding in having his pants pulled down.
“Eggsin toast, eh?” he retorted as the boys giggled.
Eggsin toast was a breakfast delight that Finlay Ashowan, in his infinite kitchen wisdom, had crafted ages ago. Cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, and cream were whisked together, and then thick slices of crusty bread were soaked in the mixture before being pan-fried in pools of melted golden butter.
He served it with thick whipping cream, and it often had his grandsons running laps around the keep shortly thereafter.
“I might be convinced to have a slice or two of your grandfather’s eggsin toast. Though, mind if I get dressed?” Tam added as the boys continued to cling to his legs.
“I’m surprised Mum finally wore you down, by the way. You agreeing to a stranger as your assistant? Did she ask you when you were drunk?” Kat scoffed as Tam stopped a short way in front of her.
“Close. Middle of the night, and she prefaced it by asking me when I’m getting married.”
“Pfft.” Kat grinned and put her hands on her slim hips. “Makes perfect sense now. Well, come on down and meet Eli. He’s a lot like you, so it’s going to be interesting to see which one of you is able to make eye contact first. I might even place bets with Eric.”
Tam briefly glanced at his sister, unimpressed, and then tried unsuccessfully to get his nephews to release him—though Asher, who was grasping his mother’s pant leg, was starting to look a mite enticed at the prospect of clinging to his uncle and making him drop his pants in the hall…
“Alright. Take these… monsters… downstairs and let me get dressed, will you?” Tam put a heartfelt effort into prying Antony’s arms from his leg.
Kat sighed while patting Asher on the head.
“You heard your uncle, kids… he needs help getting changed.”
“THAT IS NOT—”
Tam didn’t get a chance to finish shouting as Asher took a flying leap, seized the front of Tam’s pants, and dragged them down so that he stood in only his underwear.
Kat turned around and started to whistle while striding away.
Tam, watching her go, crouched down and drew his nephews closer. “New plan. I take you all down to look at starfish, and maybe a few sea snails end up in your mother’s bed later, hm?”
The boys cackled and released their uncle at this proposed compromise. Taking advantage of the moment of liberation, Tam yanked his sleeping trousers back up and gave them a nod. “I’ll be down for breakfast soon.”
The boys were about to bolt off toward the stairs when Tam called out, “Oh, how does Eli seem?”
The three of them turned back around. Instead of their usual rambunctious energy, they seemed pensive, and all wore identical expressions.
“Who’s Eli?” Antony asked at last.
Tam pressed his lips together.
Alright. Apparently, the young man is very quiet.
◆◆◆
By the time Tam was dressed in his usual black pants, vest, and white tunic, and was making his way down the staircase, he could already hear the great commotion in the dining hall. Kat was shouting at one of her sons, Annika was trying to console Asher about something, and any other voices that could belong to his father Fin, or to the prince, were drowned out.
Tam paused outside the dining room doors. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, readying himself for the chaotic onslaught of a meal with his family…
He stepped into the brightly lit stone dining hall, which was taken up mostly by a long wooden table. Tam didn’t bother announcing his arrival or even venturing into the thick of whatever new disaster was unfolding at the far end of the table. Instead, he slipped into the seat nearest the door and waited for one of the serving maids to discreetly pass him some food.
He had already completely forgotten about the fact that his new assistant was supposed to be there, and was tucking in to enjoy his father’s eggsin toast when the room suddenly fell quiet.
Tam stopped eating.
The maid to his left finished pouring his cup of coffee and returned to the kitchen.
Slowly, Tam looked down toward the end of the table where his parents sat with his sister, brother-in-law, and nephews. They were all staring at him wearing looks of mixed amusement, surprise, and confusion.
Unsure what could make them gape at him in such a way—and half concerned his nephews had pulled some new prank he hadn’t noticed yet—Tam frowned and turned to see if anyone was behind him…
But was instead taken aback to find that there was another person sitting across from him at his lonely end of the table.
A Zinferan who perhaps had a Daxarian parent, based on the softness of his slanted eyes and pale complexion.
Though oddly, this person was staring at Tam, utterly transfixed.
They had both chosen the seats at the far end of the table away from the others, and upon locking eyes with the young man, Tam felt his heart drop to his stomach.
There was something familiar about this person… as though they had at one point spent a summer together as children. He felt like he could call out his name much in the same way he could call out Likon’s, with the same assured knowingness… Only he didn’t know it.
Distracted by this peculiar sensation, Tam tilted his head thoughtfully.
The young man gulped, as though nervous to be scrutinized in turn.
“Godsdammit. Fine. Eric, you win the bet,” Kat grumbled from the other end of the table. “Eli made eye contact first.”
“Katarina, language,” Annika warned. However, she was sadly too late as her youngest grandson, Asher, perked up.
“GODSDAMMIT!” he roared as though about to charge into battle.
Kat winced and ran her tongue over her teeth as she sensed her husband, Prince Eric Reyes, slowly turning to stare at her with a very dry expression.
“Tam, that there is Eli. The assistant Likon and Eric recommend,” Fin called out as Antony clambered out of his seat and tugged on his grandfather’s sweater.
Tam didn’t bother trying to discern what the lad was asking his grandfather. He returned his attention to Eli, who had averted his gaze to his breakfast plate and laid down his fork before picking up the napkin in his lap and wiping his mouth.
He looked like he wanted to flee, and Tam couldn’t have felt any more sympathy if he tried.
“Great to meet you. I’m Tam. Feel free to go find your chamber with the help of one of our maids if you’re finished.” Tam pretended to sound flippant as he braced his forearms on the table and focused on cutting up his eggsin toast.
“If you are certain you don’t mind, my lord, I shall retire for now.” Eli rose, bowed, and took his leave, his footfalls remarkably silent on the stone floors.
Tam hated how he felt the burning eyes of everyone around him.
Godsdammit… I would’ve loved a leisurely breakfast…
Tam turned to a skill he had learned out of necessity; shoveling the rest of his eggsin toast in his mouth, downing his black, scalding coffee, and abandoning his seat in less time than most people would’ve taken to cut up their own food. “I’ll go take a look at the revisions submitted to us by our merchants with regards to their profit shares with the new ship.”
“Er… Tam, don’t you want to know about your new assistant…?” Fin wondered aloud, his eldest grandson on his lap.
“I’ll learn about him as we work together. Excuse me.”
“You said we’d look for snail—I mean, starfish!” Antony burst out, betrayal bright in his blue eyes as he stared earnestly at his uncle.
Tam paused at the door and smiled at him. “It’ll only take me a little while. Besides, you aren’t finished eating, and your grandmother wants to wash your face after. By then, I’ll be ready to go. Alright?”
Antony looked reluctant to agree, but a quick tickling from his grandfather had him forgetting any possible negative thoughts and reaching for his abandoned plate so that he might finish his meal from his new spot at the table.
Tam retreated from the dining hall, already feeling indigestion clogging his chest.
But he was used to it.
As much as he loved his family, he served them best from afar. Or in one-on-one exchanges.
He knew he was a constant source of worry for them with his withdrawn, introverted tendencies. Despite his efforts to combat his family’s worry by being highly productive and working harder than any noble son in the kingdom, they still thought and spoke at length about how he could improve himself. Regardless, even though Tam refused to embrace his magic, and as a result held everyone at arm’s length, he still wanted to be worthy of being a part of the famous, heroic family.
The future duke had just begun climbing the stairs to the upper floors when a voice called out behind him. “Tam, mind if we talk alone?”
His hands curled into fists in his pockets as he turned back around and gradually lifted his gaze from his feet to his brother-in-law, Eric Reyes. A flicker of anxiety and magic tugged at his chest, but he battled it back as best he could in order to maintain eye contact.
Eric surveyed Tam in his usual manner when no one else was around.
Calculatingly, emotionlessly, and distantly.
Tam knew why his brother-in-law behaved that way, but that didn’t make their interactions any less awkward.
“Of course, Your Highness. Though if we could be quick, that’d be appreciated. I’d hate to upset Antony.”
Eric bobbed his head, then gestured to the front doors that towered over them.
Apparently, it was to be a very discreet discussion if it warranted leaving the keep altogether.
Tam wordlessly descended the stairs toward the doors, distantly wondering if this had anything to do with his recent espionage work with his mother off in the city of Xava, or if the prince was going to want to talk about the new assistant, Eli.
Either way, Tam wasn’t particularly excited about the conversation ahead.