The mid morning sun was just breaking through the last windows of the palace, lighting up the few rooms that were at the wrong angle to take advantage of dawn. The sun lit up the dull brown stones, and also lit up Cavendish's unruly mess of blond curls. Rebecca peeked around the edge of the door, and sighed at his snoring even as she noted how picturesque he was in the sunlight. She had been cautiously checking in on him for the last two hours to see if he was awake and, while she was getting impatient, she didn't want the surprise to be spoiled by him being in a snit over interrupted beauty sleep.
A hitch in his breathing caused her to duck back behind the doorjamb, and after a long moment she heard him yawn. Grinning, she grabbed his surprise.
"Happy Birthday!" Rebecca sang out cheerfully, opening the door with her hip as she balanced a precariously loaded tray.
Cavendish was sitting up in his bed, finger combing the worst tangles from his hair and for moment she thought he looked pleasantly surprised. He covered for it quickly with a perfectly theatrical groan, complete with putting his hand over his eyes.
"I don't recall telling you when my birthday was."
"Well, you did."
Rebecca smiled, and plunked the large tray down onto his lap. She had gotten her father to add legs to it so it rested on the bed without danger of toppling over, and she was pleased that it worked precisely as intended. She sat on the edge of bed, and took the cover off of his breakfast. There were a dozen red roses carefully wrapped in silk and tied with a large bow beside it, and a slightly misshapen cake topped with slightly misshapen marzipan roses beside them.
Moving the roses to the bedside table Cavendish neatly ate his breakfast, though he declined a piece of cake so early in the morning, moving it the table as well. But he relented and did eat one of the pink-tinged marzipan roses when Rebecca pouted, and she laughed at his mischievous observation that they were better than the real thing.
After moving the tray out of the way, Rebecca got Cavendish's hairbrush and sat behind him, smoothing out the tangles he had missed. Cavendish started winding his hair into its usual style as she worked, and Rebecca smoothed down the few flyaways he had with a dab of water.
"Thank you," he said, reaching back and patting her knee. "For breakfast, too. Did you prepare it all yourself?"
"No," she replied, and grinned. "Luffy helped."
And she leaped off the bed as Luffy, who had been bribed with a giant breakfast into waiting for that cue, tackled Cavendish from the doorway.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CABBAGE!"
"REBECCA! GET HIM OFF ME DAMMIT!"