Page 9 of Dragons & Dumplings

"My choice," he points out.

Even though I know that's true, I still don't want him to get into trouble on my account. "I'll see you after dinner?"

He nods. "I look forward to it."

I watch him slip out of the door, already missing his presence, even if I have something to look forward to. I look down at the recipe he gave me. I should add it to my own recipe book so that he can have this one back. He always says that I can keep them, but I know he has a collection of written recipes like this, and he has every reason to want to keep this one.

I set aside the book on dragons. There'll be plenty of time to read it before the egg hatches, and pull my leatherbound journal to me. I flip to the first blank double-page spread and prepare to transcribe the recipe. Tomorrow, I'll add a drawing of what we make tonight, along with my own notes about what could be improved, and other flavours that might go along with it. I'm sure no one will ever care about my thoughts as a baker, but I enjoy looking back over the recipes I've made and seeing how I've come. I just wish I'd started the journal sooner, as I'm missing a couple of years' worth of baking exploits from before I did.

I suppose there's nothing that can be done about that, I just have to ensure that I don't miss any of them yet to come.

Chapter 5

The kitchens are busier than they were after the banquet, which makes sense considering I've been able to escape down here earlier today.

I smile at the people I pass, and most of them return the gesture, but don't stop to give any of the platitudes they would be expected to outside of the kitchens. I'm glad about that. I understand that I'm a princess and there are certain things that are expected of me, but I'm in their space when I'm in the kitchens, and I don't expect anyone to stop their work because of me.

Besides, I think most of the kitchen staff are used to me being down here, and they're used to being able to ignore me.

I head into the small kitchen where I normally meet Nate to find him already there, putting some bread into proving boxes and setting them to the side. His father comes into the room before I can say anything and I smile at him. "Good evening, Mr Matthews."

"Your Highness," he responds.

"The new pastry you served tonight was delicious," I say. "With the lemon filling." It had been so sweet and tart at the same time, the perfect combination.

He nods. "Thank you, Your Highness. I was trying it before the visitors from Someil arrive, I've heard they like lemons, but I haven't had much of a chance to cook with them, they're expensive."

"I'm sure my father will approve the budget for more of them if I tell him it's to help impress the delegation from Someil," I say.

"If you would, that would be much appreciated."

"I'll see what I can do," I promise. I'm not sure if my father particularly cares about that kind of thing, but he normally approves extra budget requests for the kitchens when I ask for them. I suspect that's why none of the cooks have ever really complained about the fact I'm here. I suppose it could also be because I'm a princess, but I don't think so. They made a big show of complaining about the time Arthur came down to the kitchens and stole some apple tarts, especially because he destroyed several other items in the process.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Nathanial, would you soak the fruit cake once you're done here?" he asks Nate.

"Of course, Father."

Mr Matthews gives his son a curt nod and leaves the room, presumably to deal with something else.

"The lemon pastry was really good. Did you come up with it?" I ask Nate.

He laughs nervously and runs and runs his hand through his curly light brown hair before realising that means he has to go wash his hands. "What makes you ask that?"

"Your father is a good baker, but he likes things to be tried and true. You're the one who thinks about new flavours." I leanagainst the work table and watch him as he kneads the final round of dough.

Nate doesn't meet my gaze. "He made them."

"But it's your recipe," I finish for him. "One day, you're going to be running this kitchen, and Falhaven will be known as the kingdom to come to for tasty pastries."

He laughs. "I'm glad you have so much faith in me."

"Of course I do. I've seen you bake. I've eaten a lot of your baking. You love trying new flavours. I would bet that you're already thinking about how you can adapt the recipe from Lady An's cook into something new."

He chuckles. "I haven't even tried to make them yet. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Then we should get started," I announce.

"Hold on, there's something we should do first." He drops the dough into one of the proving boxes and pushes it over to the side of the room where it will benefit from the heat of the fire.

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