Chapter 30: Candies.

“Waaah! Mama—Master, there’s so much food!”

Lior popped out of bed the moment Ezra stepped aside and let Fizzy wheel the cart in. He nearly bounced on his feet, eyes wide as he stared at the spread.

“Indeed, Lior,” Fizzy said cheerfully, stopping the cart in front of him. “This tray is filled with Captain Ezra’s favorite breakfast foods. A good balance of sweet and savory.”

Lior went up on his tiptoes, peering over the edge as if the cart might disappear if he blinked. His eyes practically sparkled.

“What are those?” he asked, pointing eagerly.

“These are sunhoney loaves,” Fizzy began, gesturing one by one. “And this is Dawnmilk porridge. Of course, we can’t forget the gilded egg custard.”

He continued pointing as he spoke, clearly enjoying himself. “Oh, and this one here was actually named after Captain Ezra. It’s called knight’s morning stew, served with sun-cured ham slices.”

Ezra’s stomach growled in agreement.

“Oh, Aurethys, I’ve missed this stew,” Ezra muttered without shame. He immediately took the bowl, grabbed a spoon, and sampled the broth with a quiet sigh of relief.

’Still perfect,’ he thought.

Fizzy turned to Lior. “How about you? Which would you like to try?”

Lior studied the cart with exaggerated seriousness, brows furrowed in deep thought.

After a moment, he pointed decisively.

“The Dawik Porrish!”

Fizzy laughed. “Dawnmilk porridge. But you know what? Dawik Porrish does sound cute.” He reached beneath the cart, pulled out a small bowl, and ladled a portion before handing it carefully to Lior.

Lior sniffed it, then squealed. “Smells yum!”

He glanced up at Ezra, eyes shining, silently asking for permission.

Ezra nodded.

“Spoon please!” Lior immediately added.

“One spoon coming up!” Fizzy replied, already searching the cart.

Ezra watched the exchange quietly, his grip tightening slightly around his own bowl.

’Lior warmed up to Fizzy pretty quickly,’ he noted with a small sense of relief. That was good.

Especially since there would be times Ezra would have to leave Lior in Fizzy’s care whenever Helios needed him.

And really, he shouldn’t have been surprised.

Fizzy was easy to like. Kind. Energetic. The sort of person children trusted without thinking twice.

Ezra exhaled softly.

’At least that’s one thing I don’t have to worry about.’

“What else do you want to try?” Fizzy asked warmly. “Maybe something you haven’t had much before?”

“Mhm…” Lior hummed, falling silent as he thought again. His brows scrunched up, spoon tapping lightly against the bowl as if it might help him decide.

Then his eyes widened.

“Oh, oh!” he said suddenly. “Candy!”

“Candy?” Fizzy repeated, blinking.

“Yes! Candy!” Lior nodded eagerly. “I heard about it in a story! There was a house made of candy!”

Ezra’s spoon stilled midair.

For a brief moment, the room felt quieter.

Fizzy glanced at Ezra, confusion flickering across his face.

In Luxaelis, candy was everywhere. Sugared fruits, hard sweets, honeyed treats. Most children had tried it before they could even remember.

Lior had only heard of it.

Not because Ezra didn’t want to give him some. Never that.

But there had been times when food had to be chosen carefully. Bread over sweets. Meals over treats. Necessities first.

Candy came later.

If there was anything left.

And most of the time, there wasn’t.

Ezra didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to.

Something in his silence must have clicked, because Fizzy’s expression softened. He nodded subtly, his smile returning, gentler this time.

“Candy?” Fizzy said brightly. “Oh, we have plenty of that here. Different kinds too. I can bring you lots!”

Lior’s eyes widened impossibly. “Lots?”

“Fizzy,” Ezra said gently, meeting his eyes. “Not too much. His teeth will hurt.”

Lior froze.

His spoon stopped halfway to his mouth.

“My teeth… can hurt?”

Ezra nodded solemnly. “They can. And if they do, you won’t be able to eat anything sweet for a while.”

Lior gasped softly, utterly horrified. He stared down at his bowl, clearly rethinking his entire approach to life.

“…Just a little candy,” he said after a long moment.

Fizzy laughed. “That sounds like a good compromise.”

Ezra relaxed, tension easing from his shoulders as he took another sip of stew.

’I had so many worries about coming back here with Lior,’ he thought quietly. ’But at least here… he can be more of a child.’

A real child.

Without Ezra having to count coins in his head first.

Lior turned back to Fizzy, excitement returning. “Do you have blue candy?”

“Blue candy?” Fizzy echoed, thoughtful. “I think we do.”

“I want the blue one,” Lior declared firmly, nodding to himself as if the matter were settled.

Ezra watched them talk, something warm settling in his chest. Lior spoke freely, eyes bright, no trace of hesitation or fear.

Just curiosity.

Just excitement.

’I’m glad he trusts Fizzy,’ Ezra thought softly. ’At least I can go out without worrying about Lior having a massive breakdown.’

After a while, when most of the food had been cleared and the table was dotted with empty bowls, Lior sat contentedly in his chair, focused entirely on licking the last bit of porridge from his spoon with intense concentration.

Ezra watched him with a faint smile, the earlier tension in his chest easing just a little.

Then Fizzy suddenly straightened.

“Oh!” he said, blinking. “I almost forgot.”

Ezra looked up at once. “Forgot what?”

Fizzy’s smile turned apologetic, as if he’d just remembered something important he should have said sooner. “His Highness asked me to let you know he’ll be meeting with you first today.”

Ezra felt his shoulders tense before he could stop himself.

“Helios?” he asked, though he already knew the answer.

“Yes,” Fizzy nodded. “He’ll be the one introducing you directly to the new Sunward Sentinels. It should be in about an hour.”

An hour.

Ezra let out a slow, measured breath, careful not to let anything show on his face.

’An hour,’ he repeated to himself. ’I can handle that.’

Still, the familiar weight of responsibility settled onto his shoulders, heavy and inescapable. Captain first. Always captain first.

He glanced toward Lior, who had lifted his empty bowl triumphantly into the air.

“All done!” Lior announced proudly.

Ezra’s expression softened instantly. He reached out and brushed his thumb along the rim of the bowl. “Good job,” he said gently.

Lior beamed.

Ezra almost reached out.

Almost.

Lior’s smile was too bright, too proud, and every instinct in Ezra screamed to pull him close, to hug him tight and tell him how well he’d done. His fingers even twitched at his side.

But Fizzy was still there.

So Ezra swallowed the urge and settled for smiling back instead, warm and quiet.

Then Fizzy spoke again.

“Oh, and another thing before I forget.”

The shift in his tone was subtle, but Ezra caught it immediately.

It was rare for Fizzy to sound serious. When he did, it usually meant something important. Or troublesome.

Ezra’s smile faded as he turned to him. “What is it?”

“It’s about the new Sentinels.”

Ezra felt a familiar weight settle in his chest.

’That doesn’t sound good,’ he thought grimly.

Not that he had expected good news. The past few years had made things painfully clear. The new Sunward Sentinels hadn’t distinguished themselves. No great feats. No standout victories.

Meanwhile, Kaelis’s and Aurien’s knights had apparently been steadily gaining recognition, their names spoken more often, their accomplishments praised more loudly.

The imbalance had been obvious.

This was just confirmation.

“Well,” Fizzy continued, scratching the back of his head, “more specifically… I need to tell you about a certain guy.”

Ezra raised an eyebrow slightly.

’A certain guy?’

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