It was not nearly as crowded as it had been the night before. That morning, the baron and his son sat at the head table, and the only other people in the room beside the servants were Cerys and Himeko. The table was laden with a wide variety of food, all of which seemed like a bit too much for six people to eat.

“Please join us,” Baron Lexavier invited them, rising from his seat to gesture to a few open ones for the young men to take.

“Thank you, your grace,” Bayani said, although Peter seemed a little more reluctant to let his guard down. He noticed it right away, and took his hand, leading him over to the wide table. He pulled out a chair for him, and then took the one beside him.

“Good morrow to your both,” Lexavier said as he sat back down. “Please, eat your fill. I think you quite like what we have set out this morning.”

Peter looked it over. There was a plate of what looked like Summerlay’s equivalent of cinnamon rolls, two loaves of bread (one dark and one light), platters of freshly cut fruit, boiled– or so he presumed– eggs in individual ceramic cups, grilled ham, plump roasted sausages, roasted fish with butter and herbs, samplings of cheese and fruit preserves, chopped potatoes roasted with vegetables, and even a bowl of rice porridge. His place setting had one large plate and two small ones, a teacup, and a hefty tankard. He looked up at the baron.

“Are we expect anyone else for breakfast?” he asked, his words slow and deliberate, showing clearly that he thought it strange that there was so much to eat.

“Not at all, lad,” Lexavier replied. “Please, feat away. It is only my pleasure to have you as my guest.”

And with that, he stuck his form into the platter of ham and pulled a plump steak, the first item of many that he piled onto his plate. See his shyness, on of the servants stepped up and offered Peter the platter of cheese first, and then several others. He took from them sparingly, but did not start to eat right away. Bayani took a plate of fish, as well as several other dishes, but his favorite seemed to be the cinnamon rolls.

“Your sweet tooth is going to get you into trouble,” Peter reminded him.

Bayani only smiled at him. “With you, or is some other way?”

Peter just shook his head and looked away, uninterested in being toyed with.

“Please, don’t feel as though you need to hold back,” Baron Lexavier said when he noticed that Peter was only picking at his food. “There is plenty here, and I am happy to share it.”

“He knows, your grace,” Cerys chimed in. “Peter hardly eats much at all. I usually have to simply say not to take it personally.”

“You’re as thin as a rain, lad,” the baron told him. “If you’re going to be riding out today, you need some good food in you.”

Peter nodded, but did not go back to eating right away. Instead, he stared at the baron for a long moment, drew in a shaky breath, and said, “Actually, I have a few questions to ask you before we go anywhere.”