Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Thankfully, Felix said yes, so Rainier didn’t have to drop him off at the whorehouse and hope he was all right. He had to take Felix in the back way. He’d have to tell Mum in case she ever spotted him because she’d wonder why a strange man was inside their home.

He had the whole top floor to himself, so he could skip that for the moment. She never came up there.

In his bedroom, he dropped the bag of cat stuff on the bed. Felix was looking at himself in the looking glass on the bedroom wall. Besides the Prince’s cloak, he also had his coat underneath it, and that was it. He’d been naked when he left the whorehouse, and Tab hadn’t sent his things yet.

“I feel like a beggar,” said Felix.

“You’re not a beggar,” said Rainier. “I know you have stuff, but I was planning to bring over some nice clothes for you once your three days were up.”

He undid the clasp on the cloak, and Felix shot him a suspicious look, but he allowed it.

“You should take a bath,” said Rainier. “I can’t stay with you right now because my Auntie and cousin are here.”

“Oh, you have to go see them?”

“Yes. I wasn’t supposed to leave at all because Mum gets annoyed if I do when family comes over, but I felt bad about not seeing you for three whole days or only coming at night.”

Thank Elira he’d gone to check on Felix.

“Why did you bring me over there yesterday?”

Rainier sighed. “I’d already scheduled things with Tab at Pierced Pretties, and Mum told me last minute that they’d be coming by. They don’t live that far, and I guess she didn’t think I needed any further notice.”

Felix still seemed a little unsure of him and everything else, but Rainier had meant it when he said he hadn’t intended to find a slave to brutalize and abuse. Considering the suspicion, he’d been right to keep and bring his new Kitten here.

It wouldn’t be fair to send him back when he was so shaken up.

At the gate, Rainier had poked his head out of his carriage to tell a guard where to send someone to arrest Lance. Mum would have to know, and he wasn’t looking forward to that either.

Once Felix was naked, Rainier led him into the tiled bathing room and started to get the sunken tub ready for him. Felix seemed rather awed by the size of it since it could hold about six people, not that Rainier wanted to take a bath with that many people. Hot and cold water came from two pipes in the wall.

“What do you like for scents?” He pointed at a shelf near the tub that held colored glass bottles of oils, creams for the body, soaps, and drying sheets on the bottom.

Felix squinted at the bottles which weren’t all labeled. “Do you have orange?”

“I don’t do anything with orange. My cat doesn’t like the smell.”

“You have a real cat? Or some other naked guy with ears?”

Rainier laughed. “It’s an actual cat. Inky’s around somewhere.”

“What about wolver flower?”

Rainier squirted some of that into the tub while it filled, and once Felix got into the water, he knew he was pushing things now. Mum was probably already seated downstairs, and he could imagine her tapping her silk-slippered foot under the High Table. She was always early and expected the same of him even though there was no point.

He crouched by the edge of the tub. “I have to go downstairs. You can go through my closet room and wear whatever you want, okay? I’ll try to hurry back up, and until then, do whatever you like, but don’t leave the rooms, all right? Are you hungry?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you like to eat? I’ll tell a servant, and she’ll leave a tray in the antechamber."

“I’m not fussy,” said Felix.

“Keep the door cracked since Inky is allowed to come and go as he pleases for the most part.”

"I will. Thanks, Prince Rainier.”

“Remember, it’s just Rainier now.”

“Okay.”

He hated leaving Felix all by himself so soon, but he was likely already going to hear it. He rang a bell in the sitting room so a servant would know to come, and he told her he’d have a guest who would need regular meals.

Inky had probably found a nice nook somewhere to nap. He’d come around at some point. Rainier hurried downstairs and entered the Hall at a sedate pace like he hadn’t been rushing. Mum was at her usual space at the High Table.

“You’re late,” she snapped.

“I had something to do,” he said.

“More important than your family?”

“Where’s Aunt Betty and Natalie?” He assumed they were doing something in their rooms.

“They’re coming.”

Of course, they wouldn’t get squawked at. The Hall they usually ate in wasn’t the primary one since Mum said using the big one was a waste. She hadn’t allowed a court in three years, so the smaller one was better.

Rainier sat and tried to take a deep breath without being noticeable about it. He hated eating in front of others, but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

“I hope the salad is better than last night," she said. "The vegetables weren’t so crisp.”

Dear Elira, he was so sick of salad.

“Where’s Lance?” asked Mum. "I haven’t seen him."

“I had him arrested,” said Rainier.

“For what?!”

“He beat up someone from the whorehouse last night.”

“Why on Ymir’s dirt would he do that?” Her dangly silver earrings quivered with indignation. "He didn’t seem like the violent sort."

“I don’t know, Mum. Why does anyone do sick stuff like that?” He hadn’t suspected anything either. "Some people are good at hiding a foul streak."

“They’re not dead, right?”

“No, but he was hurt.”

“Why didn’t you tell me last night?”

“Did you really want me to wake you up for that?”

She brushed back a strand of her black hair. One of her feather tattoos shifted to slide up from under the neckline of her dress and cover her jutting collarbone. “I never would have taken him for that sort. He’ll certainly be locked up for a long time. Do you know the details?”

“Yes.”

“You can sentence him yourself and deal with that. He doesn’t need to be coming back in here.”

“Very well.” He could feel her eyes boring into him while he pretended to be interested in the glass flower arrangement on the High Table.

“You know I don’t like you going to those places,” she added.

“We’re men,” he said, trying to keep his voice level.

“As long as you’re not satisfying those needs with sick practices, I don’t care who you go to bed with, but all of the places around here do cater to such…things.”

“That doesn’t mean a whore has to do anything kinky.”

Anything beyond the most basic, plainest of sex was probably sick to her. The glass flowers straightened up a little in the vase as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds to shine through the skylight over the High Table. They’d probably rather still be in the garden, and Rainier wished he could be upstairs with his new Kitten to make sure he was all right.

Thankfully, Mum said nothing else as Aunt Betty and Natalie bustled in. They could be late, and Mum wouldn’t say a peep. Even though he’d already seen her earlier before he left, Aunt Betty came around to kiss him. Natalie, thin and elegant as ever in a sky blue dress of silk and velvet, settled in her chair across from Rainier as she said hi.

A servant poured wine while the ladies talked. Others brought the plates of dry salad, and left a bottle of oil in the center of the table along with herb bread. Mum ignored the bottle and the basket as she picked up her fork with her bony fingers.

Aunt Betty took the oil with her plump fingers and drizzled it on her plate before she passed it to her daughter. Rainier forced in a bite of the same, boring salad he’d been eating before every lunch and dinner in this room for the past years because Mum liked it. Or she said she did. When Natalie set the glass bottle down, the herbs soaking inside drifted around.

The salad would be much better if it wasn’t dry. He was tempted even though Mum would give him a look, and he could practically imagine her thoughts. The comments would come later. When they didn’t have guests, oil and bread were never brought out.

He listened enough to make sure nobody asked him anything as he inserted each bite like it was his job. Natalie had practically drenched her salad, but she was perfect no matter what she ate. She ate two pieces of bread with more oil drizzled on top.

Rainier wasn’t that lucky. All of that oil would make him fatter.

When the main course came, the sauce for the chicken was served on the side in a bowl. Their two guests poured the creamy white mixture on the seasoned chicken, added it onto their mash and spinach, and Aunty even poured some on her beans.

Mum didn’t touch it, and Rainier didn’t either.

“Aunty Eliza, we might have to sack our cook and steal yours instead,” Natalie told the Queen.

Mum chuckled as she scooped up a few beans. “After twenty years, mine will never leave. Even if I sacked her, she’d still be there tomorrow morning.”

Aunt Betty let out a laugh that sounded slightly fake. “Ours isn’t bad, Natalie.”

Rainier cut miniscule bites of chicken and chewed each one slowly. Beans were eaten one at a time. If he ate too fast, Mum would later complain and tell him to show some control.

Some of the typical hollowness in his gut lessened. To slow himself down, he pushed around the food a bit between bites and cut it into smaller pieces.

He was pretty sure vegetables were safe, although he didn’t fully understand how foods made a person fat. Natalie could eat all damn day, and she’d never gain an ounce. Her collarbones poked out as much as Mum’s, her wrists were even skinnier, and she could probably count her ribs.

Rainier could count his too, but he’d never be like her.

The trick to avoid awkwardly sitting there and doing nothing was to eat as slowly as possible, talk when appropriate, move around the food on his plate, and pause to take sips of his water or the heavily diluted wine. The pinfruit wine that Mum liked was disgusting in his opinion, so he mostly focused on the water. Aunt Betty downed her wine and had a second glass.

Rainier chewed a bite of chicken that had long since turned to paste in his mouth. Elira, how he wished he could taste the sauce. It was probably delicious. Mum was nearly done, and he kept chewing as he imagined Felix upstairs, lost and awkward in this new place. Mum would be so annoyed when she found out.

He could already imagine the lecture.

Mum pushed away her plate. She’d left a few bites since she said a person shouldn’t scrape their plate clean. Only peasants and poor people did that. Or those with no self-control.

“Oh, that was delicious. I’m so full.” Aunty pushed hers back while Natalie chased a last bean around her plate.

Rainier pretended to be done too. As usual, no one said a word or asked why he ate less than any of them. The servants didn’t say a word either since their job was to clean up and not comment on the eating habits of royalty.

They brought a platter of little cookies with cacao syrup drizzled on top. They had smaller plates to set them on, and Natalie immediately took four. Rainier tried not to stare at her glowing complexion and rosy cheeks which seemed to brighten with delight when she tasted the cacao. Where did the food go? How did she eat more than Aunty and stay so skinny? She didn’t have the puffy cheeks and neck like Addy.

He forced away thoughts of Addy as Betty’s hand hovered over the plate. “Oh, I really shouldn’t, but they look so good.” Natalie rolled her eyes.

Rainier desperately wanted one, but he didn’t dare let his eyes linger in case Mum noticed.

“Don’t look at the food like that. It’s like watching a dog salivate over something.”

He sipped on his water to give his hands something to do. Mum kept hers folded in her lap as if thoughts of cookies or anything with sugar never crossed her mind. She had perfect self-control. She was also lucky to stay skinny.

“They’re so good, it should be against the law,” said Betty.

Mum never said a word about her sister being plump or that she lacked self-control. She brought up the price of silk and said she might have to find a new provider because the current guy hadn’t had a good selection in a while, and his prices were ridiculous. Betty hummed along in agreement as she ate another cookie.

“There’s a guy on the coast with cheaper prices, and he always has the best colors,” said Betty. “I’ll get you in contact with him. He’ll probably even give you a discount if you buy enough. Rainier, last time I bought from him, he had gold. You should get a gold coat to match your eyes.”

“Maybe I will.” He didn’t care about having a coat to match his eyes or silk colors in general. The tailor who made his clothes picked those and took care of everything because Rainier had no patience for it.

“Rainier, you should come riding with me,” said Natalie.

She’d talk his ear off and try to get him to go to the sweet shop with her.

“I already went earlier,” he fibbed. He’d taken a carriage to see Felix and bring him back. "I’m good."

“I’m going to have a quick lie-down,” said Mum. “At three, we can all go.”

Rainier would have to go then. Damn it. “Me too.”

“Mother, let’s go walk in the gardens,” said Natalie.

“I just ate all of that food,” said Betty. "The last thing I feel like doing is a bunch of walking."

“Fine. I’ll go by myself.” Natalie shoved in another cookie. “I’ll see you later, Aunty.”

“Try not to fall in a glass rose bush."

“That was one time!”

Rainier finally managed to escape his family and the tempting cookies. The misery in his never-full gut lessened a bit as he headed upstairs. He liked living on the top floor because even though the stairs were tiring, plenty of physical activity was supposed to keep a person from getting chubby. He passed the floor where he used to run through the halls with Addy at night when everyone else was in bed.

If she were still alive, he could probably run faster than her since he was tall now. He didn’t bother running at night since it wasn’t enjoyable, and he’d only done it then because Addy didn’t want to be alone.

She shouldn’t have died alone.

When he entered his sitting room, he saw Felix had left the tray on the table in front of the couch, and he’d eaten nearly everything on it. That was good since no Kitten of his was ever going to go hungry.

He heard a laugh from his bedroom as he entered the short hall. When he peeked in, he saw Felix toss a bell ball across the floor. Its tinkling grew louder when Inky batted it with his paws and chased it across the beige cloth carpet.

Cats could sense stuff that people couldn’t. If Inky liked Felix, that was a good sign, not that Rainier had been suspicious of his new pet.

“Bring it back, Inky.”

Inky sat by the ball and gave him a lofty look as his two tails flicked with impatience.

Felix got up from the floor and jumped a little as Rainier stepped in.

“I see you’ve met Inky.”

“Oh, yeah. He’s really cute.”

Inky had a bounce in his step as he hurried to his favorite fairy, and Rainier picked him up.

“Are you still hungry?” Inky purred in his arms.

“No, I had enough.” Felix stood there awkwardly like he didn’t know what to do since their agreement had been changed and disrupted thanks to this morning.

“Come out in the sitting room,” said Rainier. “Everyone else is occupied, and nobody bothers me in my rooms, so you’ll always be safe in here. The only one who comes in some mornings is a servant, but she’s quick with cleaning and isn’t the sort to talk.”

“Do I have to stay in here for six whole months?” asked Felix.

“No, of course not. Remember I said you’d have more freedom at the house? You can’t look at the same walls all day. That’s not healthy. I want us to go out and do things together.”

“But your Mother…” Felix trailed off as he paused by the couch.

Rainier handed him the cat to hold. “Support his back legs.” Inky continued purring as he accepted the human’s affection, and he squinted his orange eyes. “Mum is…prudish, but she can’t really stop me from doing what I want. I’m twenty-five, and if I want a Kitten, I’ll have one. She won’t come in here or say anything to you, and it’s not like you have any reason to see her. Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay. What’s that giant cushion for? Am I supposed to sleep on that?”

“You’ll sleep in the bed with me and Inky.”

Rainier put a hand on the small of his back to lead him to the enormous cushion in the corner. Mum thought the thing was stupid, but he liked it. A bed was comfortable, and so was an armchair, but the cushion seemed to caress every part of his body. He flopped on it and made it sink under his weight in the center before he gestured to Felix.

Felix’s blue eyes lit up as he set down the cat and crawled on it. “It’s much bigger than the other one at the house. It makes me want to jump up and down on it.”

Rainier pulled him in so their bodies were together, and Felix tensed slightly.

“We can’t jump on it, but it’s good for cuddling. Try to relax if you can, okay? You’re here to be treated like a spoiled Kitten. No one’s going to hurt you again.”

He stroked his Kitten’s brown hair, and a little sliver of elation went through him as Felix’s body relaxed against him. Not all of his trust had been destroyed.

“I’m sorry about what he did,” said Rainier. “Nobody should be yanked around and mistreated like that.”

“I’m not mad at you,” said Felix.

“I just want you to know you’re safe here.”

“He’s never been like that before?”

“No, and I don’t know what changed.” Rainier sighed and cast for something to distract him. “What are you going to do with the money? Save up? Is there something you want?”

Felix hesitated. “I want to save it for my Mother and Grandma.”

Rainier rubbed his shoulder. “If they need it, I could send them money right now.”

“They’re not struggling,” said Felix. “I want it just in case something happens. Grandma can’t work now, and Mother’s getting older too so I’m going to make sure everything is set.”

“Where’s your Father? If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”

“He died when I was five.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I just want to make sure we’re all okay.”

Inky seemed to want to remind them who was most important since he jumped up and settled on Felix’s hip.

“Hi, kitty,” Felix mumbled in a sleepy tone.

He fell asleep after a few more minutes. Rainier stopped rubbing his shoulder and settled his arm around him. As long as Mum didn’t nag him too much, the next six months would be fun. Even though he decided to borrow that lord’s unused home this time, he preferred for his pets to live with him. It was much easier to spend time with them.

Mum would have to get over it.

When he awoke after a bit, he didn’t remember falling asleep. Inky was gone, and Felix was fiddling with a strand of his long hair. He dropped it and cast Rainier a guilty look.

“I don’t mind if you play with my hair. That’s exactly what a Kitten might do.”

Felix sat up. “Do I have to be a Kitten now?”

“No. Tell me what the human realm is like. I’ve never spoken to a human before you."

That brought a smile to Felix’s face. “I guess I’m a novelty to you, huh? It’s funny because fairies all seemed like novelties to me at first.”

“I guess you sort of are,” said Rainier. “But clearly, humans aren’t all that different.”

“Some act like I am once they find out,” said Felix. “I came from Ranet which is a hub city for wheat and corn.”

Rainier listened and tried to picture it while Felix told him about the city. Humans only had a few colors for hair, no one had wings, horns, tails, or moving tattoos. There were no cat or bird types.

“I’m guessing there are no fox or bunny types?” Rainier asked with a smile.

“That’s a type?” asked Felix.

Rainier nodded. “There aren’t very many.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. Two bunny or fox types might not have a bunny or fox child, and we don’t know why they’re like that. They’re rare, and we think Elira must have designated them as special, but we don’t know the reasoning.”

“We definitely don’t have those either,” said Felix.

They had tribes back home on the Gramoan Continent, and they were called Native Gramoans in general. Each tribe had its own name, and they had varying practices and cultures. They roamed around in groups because they liked to allow the land to replenish. Felix knew that because he had talked to some in Ranet as a child.

They didn’t build big cities like the white man, and because they had different ways of dressing and living, some white people treated them like trash.

“I’d prefer to live in a city, but their way sounds reasonable,” said Rainier.

“Yeah, but some humans tend to prefer everyone to be like them. Mother says it makes them feel safer because they don’t want to make an effort to understand stuff.”

“But your Mother was okay with some fairy that she liked?”

“Yeah. They were planning to get married at first, but it didn’t work out because they wanted different things, so they parted on friendly terms. She liked it here, so we stayed.”

Rainier decided he wasn’t going for a ride with the family. Listening to Felix was much more fun even though he’d hear it later.