Cameron was shaking his head repetitively before Baldewin could even finish. “Yeah, no. No way. Not the impression I want to leave on the man, him finding me wandering around like a mindless zombie in his castle. Hard pass on that.”
Baldewin looked satisfied for some reason, and was that a smirk playing around the corners of his mouth? “You’re attracted to him, then.”
“Uh, duh? The man’s sex on legs, what is not to like?”
That bright smile was back as Baldewin chuckled. “Ah, Cameron. I’m glad you think of him that way. And that you’re frank about it.”
“I’m firmly of the opinion that we, as human beings, don’t compliment each other enough. And it doesn’t lead to good things. Take you, for instance. You’re fucking yummy, but when’s the last time you heard that?”
Baldewin stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Cameron with wide grey-green eyes. “I am?”
“See?” Cameron threw his hands out, vindicated. “No one should be uncertain about their own appeal. Especially you, man, that’s just sad. Every single dragon I’ve met so far has been really attractive in their own ways, and I bet half of you aren’t really aware of that. And if you think I’m vocal about this stuff, you should try my sister. When she gets here, you’re going to be loaded with compliments.”
Baldewin stared at him for a moment, perplexed. “Thank you. For the compliment. And I love how you think, young mage. We indeed don’t tell others often enough that they’re beautiful. We don’t compliment each other at all.”
“It’s not healthy.” Cameron shook his head and got them back in motion. “When Cassie was about thirteen, and puberty started, she hit this stage where her stomach pooched out a bit. All the hormones and changes, y’know? But she was getting flack about it from everyone, and it really hit her hard. I started telling her she was beautiful on a near daily basis. And because I did, I started to notice no one else really complimented friends and family. And I thought, there’s no way that’s a good thing. So I did it with everyone. And y’know, it made people really happy.”
“I see why he’s drawn so much,” Baldewin murmured in a rhetorical sort of tone.
“Sorry?”
“I hope you compliment Alric especially. He doesn’t think of himself as an attractive person.”
It was Cameron’s turn to stop dead. “Excuse me, what?! Okay, that’s just wrong. That’s a fucking crime against humanity. Alric’s so hot that my sister, who’s very gay, volunteered to call him Daddy.”
Baldewin snorted a laugh, eyes twinkling. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m so not kidding. I will compliment that man until words pour out of his ears.”
“Do it,” Baldewin encouraged. “And next time you’re lost, call him. I’ll of course come to your rescue too, but he likes to help you.”
Cameron really didn’t like the idea of making a bad impression but…well, it was true that an easy way to connect to someone was by either helping them or accepting help. Maybe Baldewin had a good point there. “Yeah…yeah, okay. In the meantime, lunch?”
“Certainly.” Baldewin led him through a doorway, into a hallway showcasing more wood carvings than white walls, and pointed to a doorway at the far end. “Dining hall is through that door. See? I told you, you were close.”
“Okay, that’s just embarrassing.” Cameron growled in disgust. “I was literally two hallways away.”
“While we eat, I’ll try to draw up a quick map for you,” Baldewin promised as he led the way.
“I’ll take it.” Cameron wasn’t too proud to ignore a map when offered.
He shook the melancholic thought off and went to a more immediate concern—namely his stomach. The food was good here. Cameron recognized only some of it, but the smells were always enticing. As he queued up at the buffet table, he glimpsed through the open door leading into the massive kitchen and saw a familiar face. “Oh hey, Gisa, I didn’t know you were back there.”
“My day to cook,” she called back to him as she carried a tray of freshly baked rolls out. “We all take turns here. Well, almost all. Gunter is absolutely not to be trusted in the kitchen.”
“Bad cook?” Cameron guessed.
“No, he’s excellent when he’s paying attention. But he’ll often get an idea mid-process and abandon everything on the stove. After he set off the fire alarms for the third time, we let him buy us dinner.” Gisa pushed short blond hair out of her face, tucking it behind an ear and smiling at him. “How’re the magic lessons going?”
Gisa was one of his practice partners when Lisette taught him a spell. She was one of the youngest mages in the castle (not including Cameron) although he hadn’t dared ask her age yet. Much older than him, regardless. He answered her as he loaded up a plate with anything that looked delectable. Which was pretty much everything. “Going good. You up for practicing more tonight?”