Caelan blinked, his mouth opening and closing once without any noise coming out. Those wide blue eyes darted to Rayne, and he struggled not to chuckle at him. It wasn’t often that Caelan had to deal with people who were “fans.”
“Thank you, Andy,” Rayne said.
“I swear I didn’t tell anyone in the diner who you were. I just mentioned that we’ve got four boys in town who are a bit shaken up over the news about the Empire and Erya. Old Henry was happy to help out.”
“We appreciate your discretion—”
“Whoa! She brought enough food for an army!” Drayce shouted as he pulled out container after container of food. There were even a few with soup. Rayne had a weakness for a good hearty soup.
“Yeah, Old Henry’s got a lot of experience feeding men with big appetites, thanks to the military base that’s just down the road. Well, that was until the Empire moved in.”
“The Empire is here?” Eno demanded. He stopped in the middle of reaching for one of the containers.
Rayne threw him a quelling look before placing a gentle hand on Andy’s shoulder. Here was someone who seemed willing to talk and could supply them with some interesting information. “Andy, why don’t you join us for dinner? You’ve brought us more than enough to share.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. We’d be honored if you’d join us.” Caelan flashed his most welcoming smile. “You’ve helped us out so much already.”
The woman looked like she was going to melt into a puddle right there. It was hard to see Caelan’s charm most days, and it was more than a little amusing when Caelan decided to turn it on, so to speak. But then Rayne had known Caelan for years, had experienced his grumpiness and stubbornness on a regular basis. He saw Caelan as a person first and a crown second.
“Why, thank you! I will join you!”
Rayne ushered her over to one of the armchairs while the others raided the kitchen for plates, utensils, and drinks. Rayne hesitated over the food. His stomach growled again in protest. This would be such an easy way to poison or even drug them all, but Andy didn’t hesitate to take an enormous bite out of her sandwich. It would be okay.
He’d selected a beef vegetable soup and was not disappointed. Judging by the happy hums and moans, everyone was pleased with what they’d claimed. Rayne had elected to sit on the floor, while Eno settled in the armchair opposite Andy. Naturally, Drayce and Caelan sat beside each other on the couch. While they’d chosen completely different things, they had no problem stealing food off each other’s plates. They’d been like that for almost as long as Rayne could remember, and he didn’t think much of it until Andy made a comment.
“I just have to admit that I have always shipped Prince Caelan with Prince Shey, but I think you both are pretty darn cute together too.”
Rayne’s eyes went wide at the thought. Caelan with Shey? That was…well, that was just ridiculous. Shey was a horrible match for Caelan. They were far too different.
Except…were they?
Rayne was shaken out of his thoughts when Drayce made a choking noise as if he’d sucked a fry down the wrong pipe, and Caelan smirked at his friend.
“We’re just childhood friends,” he said easily.
Andy’s face twisted up a little and she nodded, but the woman did not look convinced, which only left Rayne wondering what she saw that he did not. Of course, he couldn’t put much stock in it. Caelan and Drayce were friends.
Caelan and Shey? Other than the fact that they were both royal sons, there was nothing to match them. Nope. It was an insane idea.
“You mentioned something about the Empire being in town,” Eno interjected, finally directing the conversation in a potentially productive direction.
Andy’s happy expression collapsed a bit, and she stared at her half-eaten sandwich. “Yeah, they moved in not too long ago. The fighting didn’t last long, but they essentially took over a small base that we’ve got just outside of town. They’ve left us alone, but that’s kind of the problem.”
Rayne felt his brow furrow, matching the expressions of his companions. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
“Well, you see, Shallow Edge formed when the government started putting in a line of small military bases along the border with the Ordas. Just to keep an eye on the creatures in there, ya know. Make sure they stay on their side of the border. The men stationed at the bases were rotated in and out every couple of years, so lots of them brought their families.”
“Which explains why your store is so well stocked,” Eno murmured.
Andy grinned at him. “We want to make sure those families have access to all the things they’re used to in the bigger cities. We also get some travelers moving north and south through Caspagir. They like to travel near the border because it means they know the roads are protected by the military. Nice and regulated.” Her smile dimmed.