Chapter 13: Operation Feed Basil

Darius did not even need to use his newly reclaimed royal authority to secure a room close to Basil. The suite prepared for him was already on the same floor as Basil’s. As a matter of fact, the two suites were the only occupied chambers on the second floor.

From what one of the servants had told him earlier, King William and Queen Jane had originally commissioned the floor with the expectation of having another child shortly after their first, prompting them to design two grand adjacent suites for their future children. Unfortunately, after Darius’s birth, the Queen had never been able to conceive again.

"Well, at least your wish got granted in the end," Darius muttered as he threw himself face-first onto the enormous bed.

The mattress swallowed him whole. For several moments, he simply lay there, breathing in the faint scent of fresh linen. Then he rolled onto his back with a lazy groan and stretched out like a starfish, staring up at the intricately painted ceiling. The room was absurdly huge, practically the size of the entire apartment he used to share with three other guys in the lower blocks.

The sheer luxury of the silk sheets beneath his calloused skin felt entirely wrong. The furniture looked expensive enough to feed an entire orphanage for a year. Tall windows overlooked the gardens, sunlight spilling through sheer curtains that swayed gently in the afternoon breeze.

Darius let out a low whistle.

He had never imagined he would one day get to sleep somewhere like this. Even if he worked for a hundred years, his former waiter salary would never have allowed him to afford even a fraction of this lifestyle.

"Well, I better start getting used to it," he said to himself, folding his hands behind his head.

A nearby door opened quietly, and a young maid emerged from the adjacent walk-in closet, smoothing down her apron.

"Your Highness, everything has been unpacked and arranged. Your lunch will be served shortly."

Darius waved a hand lazily, a small smile playing on his lips. "It better be something delicious. I’m starving."

The maid smiled politely.

"I assure you, Your Highness, the royal kitchen takes great pride in its work."

"Good. I would hate for my first official royal meal to be disappointing."

The maid laughed softly and bowed once more. "I’ll take my leave, Your Highness."

Darius hummed in acknowledgment as the door clicked shut behind her.

He let out a long, heavy exhale.

Finally. After eleven years of wondering, imagining, and hoping, he was inside the palace, and more importantly, he was right next door to his prince. A grin spread across his face. This called for a celebration.

First, however, he needed to figure out how to win Basil over. He really did not like how they had clashed earlier. It had gone horribly. That was not the reunion he had envisioned.

Still, desperate times called for desperate measures. There was no way he was going to spend eleven grueling years dreaming of meeting Basil again only to have him disappear the moment they were finally under one roof. That was simply not happening.

To fix this, he would start with the basics, making sure Basil did not miss another meal.

From everything he had gathered from the servants, his prince had barely been eating for the past three weeks. Apparently, he had spent most days locked inside his room, ignoring meals or picking at them before sending the trays away untouched.

No wonder he looked so miserable. Who in their right mind rejected food? Even if the world was ending, you ate first so you had the energy to deal with it.

"That changes now that I’m here," Darius declared confidently as he sat upright.

Swinging his legs off the bed, he stood and stretched.

"Now then, let’s explore this suite of mine—"

A sharp, hesitant knock sounded at the door.

Darius groaned, tossing his head back.

"Who is it now?"

"Your Highness, it’s your lunch," a timid voice called from outside. Right on cue, Darius’s stomach gave a loud, demanding growl.

He chuckled to himself. "Come in."

Exploring could wait, but eating could not. Besides, he would need plenty of energy before familiarizing himself with the palace. Knowing the layout would be important. A man could not properly keep track of his prince if he started getting lost in this huge maze of corridors and rooms.

The doors opened and two maids entered, pushing a gleaming silver serving cart into the room. Darius let out a low whistle, rubbing his palms together enthusiastically as he walked over to the portable dining table near the window.

"Now this is what I call being treated like royalty."

The maids let out quiet giggles, quickly covering their mouths.

"That’s because you are royalty, Your Highness," one of them replied.

"Ah, now why do I keep forgetting that?" he said with a cheeky smile as he pulled out a chair and took a seat. "I think I’ll need, like, three months to get that fact drilled into my skull."

The maids exchanged amused glances as they began serving dish after dish. The aroma alone was enough to make his stomach growl in anticipation. Once the meals were perfectly arranged, the maids stepped back, clasped their hands in front of their aprons, and stood respectfully near the wall.

Darius raised an eyebrow. "Are you two just going to stand there and watch me eat?"

"It is our duty, Your Highness."

"To stare at me while I chew?"

"It is protocol, Your Highness," one replied smoothly. "We remain until you are finished in case you require anything else."

Darius looked between them.

"I’m not sure I’m ever going to get used to this royal life. Can you at least sit down while I’m at it?" he asked, gesturing toward the furniture across the room.

"Oh, no, Your Highness," the first maid answered quickly, her eyes widening in panic. "We aren’t allowed to sit in the presence of the royal family. It’s strictly against palace rules."

"Well, you standing there like statues makes me incredibly uncomfortable," Darius insisted, leaning back in his chair and giving them a pointed look. "Does my comfort not matter?"

The maids exchanged a tense, worried glance. "Of course your comfort is the most important thing, Your Highness," the second one managed to say.

"Well then, take a seat for me, okay? Consider it a royal decree."

Defeated by his logic, the two maids murmured their thanks and carefully walked over to a plush velvet loveseat against the far wall, sitting on the very edge of the cushions.

"There. Much better."

Darius nodded approvingly and immediately dug into his lunch. The food was incredible. Everything tasted so good it should probably have been illegal. But as he ate, his gaze naturally drifted toward the wall shared with the neighboring suite. He wondered if Basil had even touched his own food today.

"Hey," Darius called out, speaking around a mouthful of rice. "Has Prince Basil been served lunch?"

Both maids nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Good." Darius grunted and continued eating.

I’ll still go check whether he actually touched his food after I’m finished here.