Page 4 of Dragons & Dumplings

"Yes, those. I like them. But imagine if a dragon could do the caramelised sugar on top, wouldn't that be so much easier?"

"Probably. But I doubt anyone's thought of trying it. Dragons aren't exactly common, especially in kitchens."

"Well, this one is going to have to get used to kitchens," I respond. "It's going to be here all the time."

He chuckles. "It might get a bit big for that."

I look at the egg. "It doesn't seem that big."

"That's because it's a baby."

"Hmm. Then I'm going to have to research dragons from Shengda, because I need to know what I'm getting myself in for. Or maybe ask Arthur what he knows. He likes animals. But it might not even be an issue, they said it might not hatch."

"Well, let's put it in the oven and see what happens," Nate says, gesturing for me to do the honours.

The heat from the fire hits my skin, causing a warm glow to spread over me as I carefully lean in and place the egg in the nest of rocks he made for me. It sits well there, shining green in the firelight. I have no idea if it's going to hatch, but I'm interested in finding out what will happen to it. And hopefully, if itdoeshatch, it'll be interested in baking, because that's exactly what I intend to do with it.

"So, what now?" I ask. "You've done the bread..."

He chuckles. "It's already after midnight and you want to bake?"

"I've spent the pastfivehours in a room with hundreds of people feeling like my dress was shredding my skin and that a single note was too loud. I would really like to bake now. I can do it alone if you need to sleep." I don't want him to stay up too late because of me.

"And miss out on time with my favourite royal?" he jokes.

"You shouldn't sacrifice sleep just to spend time with me," I say.

"I was going to be here anyway. Tomorrow's bread will be better with a longer prove, and my father was busy with the desserts for the banquet."

I grimace. "Didn't you help him with that?"

"Definitely not. He won't let me touch anything that important." There's a note of bitterness in his voice, and it makes my heart ache for him. He's spent years working hard to ensure he's up to his father's standards, he should be allowed to help with the baking.

"I'm sorry."

Nate flashes me a weak smile. "Don't be. He's been talking about getting me an apprenticeship now I'm nearly twenty."

"But you're already his apprentice," I point out.

He shrugs and gets some butter from the cool box, setting it on the large wooden table at the centre of the room along with some flour and sugar. "He's always telling me that he was younger than me when he was apprenticed to a cook in Gaullesse, and that it's long past time that I should do the same. It's only because of Ma that he hasn't done it already."

"Oh." I frown. "Does that mean you're not going to stay at the castle?" A weird feeling settles within me.

"I don't know," he admits. "I don't really know what's going to happen."

There's a part of me that wishes I could blurt out that I don't want him to go, but I know it isn't my place to say that. I shouldn't stop him from pursuing his career.

"Let's not talk about it," he says. "I thought we could make some shortbread, it's not going to take long, but it'll be tasty."

"Shortbread sounds good," I respond, taking an apron off the wall and putting it on. Even though I haven't started baking yet, I already feel the calmness settling in. I think it's being in the kitchen with the soothing sounds of the fires, and the smells of things cooking, that make me feel more at home than the bustle of court life.

But when I'm baking, and following a recipe with set instructions and clear steps, it makes my mind calm in a way that nothing else does. And I'm grateful for a chance to be awayfrom everything in the castle above, even if it's just for a couple of hours.

Chapter 3

The sun shines through the great window of the mountain solar, illuminating everything. It's a cheery morning, even if I did spend the first part of it being lectured on decorum and my apparent lack of it by Mama.

My brother looks up from the table as I enter, surprise on his face.

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