Ame looked up at her, excitement on his face.
Zoe sighed. “It’s full of sugar, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely,” Govannon confirmed.
“Is there any fruit?”
He grinned. “It’s Éire Danu. There’s always fruit and vegetables.”
She looked down at the eager faces of the boys. “You can have that gods awful cereal, but you have to promise to try and eat a bit of eggs and fruit to balance out the sugar.”
They both nodded.
“And for you?” Govannon asked.
“Scrambled eggs with cheese and toast would be lovely.”
“Coming right up,” he said, before disappearing into the kitchen.
She looked around until she spotted Aeson. “I thought you were the cook.”
He laughed. “I tend to pull kitchen duty more than most because I despise laundry, bathrooms, and yard work.”
“So, you all rotate chores?”
He nodded.
“What can we do to help?” she asked.
Aeson sat back with his coffee. “I’m pretty sure Nerius and Balder are arranging for an obstacle course slash playground to be built in the back for the boys. If the boys can help maintain that, it’d be appreciated, as we don’t have that on the chore list yet.”
“Count on us,” Yuki said.
“I-I want to cook,” Ame declared quietly.
Aeson set his coffee down. “I heard that the queen’s own squire offered you cooking lessons. Whenever you’re ready, we’ll add you to kitchen duties. I think we’ll all be excited to try your cooking.”
Ame’s pale cheeks tinted. “I will do my best.”
“And me?” Zoe asked, pointing to her own chest.
“Help maintain the lights and keep Gage happy,” Aeson answered.
“I was going to do that anyway.”
Aeson winked at Yuki, causing him to giggle for the first time.
She reached over and rubbed his cheek. “You have a wonderful laugh. I wish I could hear it all the time.”
Blushing, he looked down into his lap.
“Speaking of Gage, where is he?” Ari asked. “We have drills to do later.”
She smirked. “He sleeps like the dead. The boys and I left him in bed.”
Ari nodded. “It’s probably because he’s been able to sleep without nightmares. I’ll cut him some slack.”
Zoe turned to Gage’s unit leader. “What nightmares?”