Ari looked up to see Leo, his parents' squire, breeze into the room carrying a steaming carafe of coffee. He immediately came to his side and poured him a cup.
"Good morning, Leo. Do we have any eggs today?"
The squire shook his head. "No, a cold breakfast was prepared. We have a selection of fae fruits, bread, and cheeses available in addition to yogurt and granola." He looked him over. "You've been training more than usual, haven't you?"
He grimaced. "Yes. Our commander has Lorcan running us through blind man bluff drills."
Leo set down the carafe next to his cup. "Give me a few minutes, and I'll whip up some eggs. You need the extra protein."
Ari sighed in relief. "Thank you, Leo."
He simply inclined his head and returned to the kitchen.
"Yeah, you're not spoiled at all," Rex taunted good-naturedly.
Catherine turned to her eldest son. "And who was it that complained that they hadn't had in fresh fae fruit in years?"
Rex blushed. "I wasn't angling for special treatment."
Ari was about to tease his brother mercilessly when a familiar chime echoed through the house.
Catherine frowned. "Who on earth could that be? We don't have any appointments scheduled until this afternoon."
Ari shook his head as a male voice reached them. "Baby, I told you that we shouldn't just drop in."
Ari rose as his commander and Meryn, with Ryuu and Pierce were escorted into their small dining room. His father and Rex rose as Meryn entered the room.
"Rex!" Meryn hurried over to his older brother. "Do the arm thing," she entreated, ignoring everyone.
Grinning from ear to ear, Rex brought his arm up and flexed his bicep. Ari watched in amazement as Meryn hopped up and swung from his arm. "So hot," she said, laughing.
Grumbling under his breath, Aiden walked over and plucked his mate off of Rex's arm. "What did I tell you about using the Elder as a jungle gym?"
Leo had to turn his head to hide his laughter. He coughed once into his fist and faced them, his mouth twitching. "Commander, would either you or your lovely mate like to join us for breakfast?"
Meryn turned to him, her interest piqued. "Breakfast?"
Leo nodded. "We have a selection of fruits, breads, and cheeses available."
Meryn sighed. "Oh. Fruit. Again."
Aiden covered his face with his other hand, his ears turning pink. He dropped his hand and looked out over the room. "Meryn is still getting used to fae cuisine that is rich with fruits and vegetables."
Meryn shrugged. "It's okay for a day or two, but not all the time. I swear I'm going back to the goblin village for more boar."
Jedrek leaned forward. "Boar?"
Meryn nodded slowly. "Oh, yeah. Roasted on a spit and everything. They cut huge chunks off with, like, a machete and hand you whole body parts. It was awesome."
Jedrek leaned back. "Well, well."
Rex was licking his lips. "Maybe we should arrange a visit."
Leo placed his hand over his heart and gave a short bow. "I'll see what else I can whip up."
Meryn looked surprised, then she frowned. "You don't have to make anything special for me."
Ryuu ruffled her curls. "I will assist him, so don't feel bad."