“That is a giant cake,” Spirito breathed as he looked up at an extremely wide three-tier cake, the colorful icing with reds, greens, and blues causing his eyes to fixate upward, his short stature of only five years not helping at all.  His ears barely topped the edge of the table holding the cake.  An animated Canid was repeatedly leaning closer to an equally large giant candle, the number six, his little plastic tail poking outward, as he simulated blowing out its unlit wick, which told everyone attending the party, the cake was not being served yet.  Spirito licked his lips and wished the party was done.  He could see silver-wrapped tokens on the cake and he wondered if they were mint chocolate flavored.  Those were his favorites.  

“Impressive right?” Another boy moved up beside him, his eyes gleaming at the cake as well.  The stranger, who was a scant inch taller than Spirito, was wearing formal attire, as well.   His rich red shirt and black necktie were very festive.  His dark eyes and fuzzy head of spiked hair showed a difference between them.

Spirito tugged at his own silk shirt and necktie.  It was too tight, and he rarely wore his formals. Still, he had more muscles than the thinner boy.

“I’m getting hungrier by the minute,” the young cub said, still looking upward. Let’s go behind it and sneak some icing?”  His cake-loving new friend gestured to the long tablecloth hanging below.

Spirito looked around for his family and didn’t see them.  It was a very large cake.  If they just took a little nobody will see it.”

“Okay, let’s do it,” he agreed when the boy also tugged at his collar.  Spirito grinned and bowed.  “After you.”

The boy laughed a high-pitched cackle and bowed. “No, after you.”

Spirito quickly ducked beneath the dangling cloth with a fast “Can’t wait.”

He crawled under the large table and moved further inward as the boy lifted the cloth and crawled in too.

They moved to the back of the table and found themselves pressed up against a wall.  

They tried with all their might to move the table further away from the wall but only managed to have enough space to stick a hand up in the air between the heavy table and the wall.

“Why don’t we pull the tablecloth down and the cake will slide toward us,” Spirito conspired in a low voice as he heard people walking by.

“Great idea.  Get it closed enough and we can just reach up and get some.”

They both grabbed the material and pulled it slowly down.  The contents of the table began to move.

“Slow and easy.”  The boy suggested.

They pulled some more and heard a slight bump.

“Is it there?”  Spirito asked as the other boy reached up and stuck his paw through the gap.

He grinned and pulled his hand down.  It was covered in icing.  He licked his claws and his eyes danced.

Spirito grinned and stuck his paw up as well. He hummed an approval as he clawed into the cake layer and took a clump to bring down to eat.

The boy reached up again and grabbed a pretty good chuck.

“Do you think they will notice?”  Spirito wondered.

“I have no idea.”

“I hope the prince doesn’t notice.  He might get mad.”  Spirito reached up and grabbed another handful.

“I don’t think so.  He loves cake just as much as we do.”

The boy thrust his hand up and grabbed some more of his muzzle fairly coated with icing as he nodded his head.  Some music began to play outside their hidden area, and he froze, his eyes widening.

“We need to get out of here.”

“But we probably won’t get any cake for another hour.  Let’s just stay for a few more minutes.”

“They are coming…” He paused as a masculine foot stuck itself under the table and with a quick kick to one of the table legs released a lock.  The table wheels released, and the table was set free from its fixed position.  A couple of people stood around the table and a woman’s voice was heard.  

“Light the candle and we will roll it out.  How did it get pushed back?  Slide it forward.”

The tablecloth Spirito leaned against was tugged upward and straightened.  The two men that were helping the woman began to roll the table and Spirito and his new friend dove to roll out from under it before they were run over.  He heard a gasp and a growl.

“What are you two doing…oh no.  Tanue Fremont Santik Dristus Horment, I cannot believe you have done this.  Hours were spent on that cake.  And look at you.  You’re a mess.  Who is your friend?  Well, his mother is going to fix him too.”

Spirito looked up at a very large Canid woman who was now holding her claws around the arm of the boy.  His eyes widened at the names she used.  That boy was Prince Tanue.  And if he was Prince Tanue she would be his mother, Queen Horment.  He felt the icing of the cake squeeze out between his fingers as he curled his hands.

“Mama! I was just test-tasting.  You wouldn’t want to serve this to the entire political party, and it tastes horrible.  Me and…” he looked over at Spirito and raised his eyebrows.

“Spirito Deshik, ma’am.”

At that, the boy perked up an ear.

“I was test-tasting it for Prince Tanue.” Spirito gestured to the prince.  “I have been told he will have me as a protector one day.  I’m not certain he should be eating cake before it is tested.”  Spirito held his breath at the fire in the woman’s eyes.  But there was something else too.  A spark of laughter that was growing.  “Nice to meet you, Queen Horment.”  He pressed his arm across his chest and then reached out to give a formal offer to her.  She let her son go to take him.  He forgot until their paws met he was covered in cake and icing.

She rolled her eyes and reached past him for a towel from one of the waiters.

“You two will be dealt with later.”  Her eyes warned them both.  She pointed to her son and then to the kitchen.  “Clean yourself up now.  I’ll bring out the cake in 15 minutes.  You’d better be presentable.”

Prince Tanue and Spirito stood watching her head toward the filled entertainment area for her son’s sixth birthday.  Tanue turned back to Spirito and lifted his paw up high.  Spirito lifted him and they slapped his paws.  Cake and icing flew everywhere.

“Good to meet you, my friend.”

“You too, Prince Tanue.”