Once Bayani was finished changing, he opened the door onto the hallway, and he and Peter were met by a maid. It seemed to them that she had been waiting out there, expectant and ready to help. They look around, but saw nobody else.

“Good morning, sirs,” she said when she noticed them looking at her. “I hope that you rested well.”

“Umm…” Bayani started, not sure how he was supposed to address her. “We slept fine. So fire that now we’re really hungry.”

“I would be happy to escort you to the dining hall for breakfast, sirs,” the maid replied, bowing again.

She’s one of those types, Peter thought to himself as he tried to keep from rolling his eyes. “Actually,” her said, “Where is my sister? She was in the room right across the hall with her friend.”

“The young misses have already gone down to breakfast, sirs,” the main told him with another bow, her brown hair flowing with the motion. “I was just wondering whether I show wake you to invite you down when you came out.”

“Do you mean that everyone else is waiting for us?” Bayani asked, suddenly realizing that they might not be able to start eating until everyone was there. He had learned from the Westminster family to be patient and wait for everyone, and now it bothered him to be the one holding everyone back.

“Yes, good sirs.”

Peter did not wait for her to say anything else. Instead, he headed down the hall in the direction that he remembered the feasting hall being in. The maid rushed to catch up with him and guide him in the right direction. It took several hallways and a few staircases, but eventually they ended up on the same floor as the great hall.

The smell was the surest sign of where they were. The aromas of grilled sausages and warm oats wafted to their noses, followed by the sweet warmth of cinnamon. They follow the maid– although they could have simply let their noses take the lead– down one more hallway and through a pair of wide, open doors into the great hall. It had been cleaned the night before, and smelled of threshes just brought in from the fields.

“The gentlemen you asked for, your grace” the maid said as she and the boys stepped into the room.

Baron Lexavier nodded to the girl, and with a wave of his hand excused her. She was gone as quickly as she had come, and without another word, leaving Bayani and Peter to take in the sights of the room all on their own.