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Charlie said, “We have time for that.”
Ryan said, “We just need to get on with this… we won, man, we need Max to survive…” Then he added, “I’m going back to talk to the nurse.”
Charlie said, “Tell them my arm hurts.”
Aunt Claray sat down beside me. “There is food in the dining room, if ye are hungry.”
I said, “I’m famished, can you eat, Torin?”
He nodded, “Aye.”
We held hands and wandered down the halls looking for the dining room, having forgotten to ask where it was, everyone else forgetting that I was new to this place.
We eventually discovered it, and a full buffet had been laid out. Dude picked out the woman in charge of the dining room, and walked right up, rubbing on her calves, introducing himself with a meow.
She leaned down and petted him and I heard her murmur, “Milk for the kitty?” before she sent a server for a platter with food and milk fit for a palace cat.
Dude was going to love it here.
The room was a long hall of pale stone and dark wood and tall windows reflecting only the palace lights beyond the glass. Candles burned down the table in a straight line, and above them ornate chandeliers hung unlit with the crystals catching the smaller flames below. It was subdued, not flashy, which was necessary when we were eating and distracting ourselves from our vigil in the infirmary waiting room.
Quiet, solace, just a meal to load up on your plate and shovel in your mouth, but also luxurious: the castle version. The sideboard was crowded with covered silver dishes.
There was a bowl of fruit that looked so delicious I licked my lips.
As I entered all the servants bowed.
It was very awkward to nod, not really knowing what was expected of me. But I didn’t wallow in embarrassment long, my eyes settled on a big silver pot of coffee with a number of porcelain coffee cups beside it. “This is what I want, this… I really want a cup of coffee.” I was speaking to myself as I bee-lined for it. I would pour myself a cup of coffee, possibly two or three, then I would grab a plate and go buffet style down the serving dishes, but the woman in charge, who introduced herself as Madame Ward, and whose job was obviously to make ‘the princess’ behave, gestured me away from the dishes and toward a chair beside the only other person in the room, Uncle Aenghus.
He rose from his chair and bowed as I came to the table.
“My apologies for not welcomin’ ye home, Princess, I was up all night waiting on our nephew tae wake.”
“No problem, thank you, Uncle Aenghus.”
He shook hands with Torin, then hugged him, and clapped him on the back. “Och, young man, ye won the battle and got our young Maximillian the throne. I am so pleased ye are returned tae us, welcome tae yer new home.”
Torin said, “I am verra pleased tae see it, the castle is verra grand.”
As soon as my butt hit the seat, a servant, without speaking, placed a cup of coffee in front of me. We had entered from down a long confusing hallway, but at the end of the room an elevator chimed softly and the doors slid open.
Charlie entered and came and sat down with us.
“Man, Alexandria, I am so glad to see you.” He sat down. “I missed this place, did you miss it?”
“Not really, I don’t remember it at all, but it’s very nice.” I sipped from my coffee.
“You don’t even recognize it? That sucks, but Max will, I bet he will. You know… when he wakes up.”
Beside us were more places set with dishes, waiting, like in a hotel restaurant. Some of the castle inhabitants had eaten already, others hadn’t yet, and honestly I didn’t know what time it was, what meal was being served, and who was here, beyond the uncles and Aunt Claray. I knew nothing except this was my castle. It had belonged to my parents and now mostly to my brother, but also to me. I hated that it was unfamiliar.
Two older strangers, well dressed in business clothes, entered the dining room, and bowed to me after it was explained who I was. The man said, “Princess, I am very sorry about your parents and now the health of your brother.”
I said, “Thank you.”
The couple bowed again and went to sit down at the end of the long table in quiet conversation, stealing curious glances at me occasionally.
Uncle Aenghus said, “That is yer Minister of Defense and his wife. Ye will meet him later, now is not the time.” His hand tapped on a stack of letters, some folded pages, some flat, a few envelopes, all very crisp and new looking. Official kingdom correspondence, I assumed.
