Page 15 of Oath of Rebellion

"Heavens no. He's my godson. Oh, princess, you don't have to do that."

Olive set the bowl of gravy on the now clean table and turned back to the brick stove with a stone top and metal door on the side. The stone had perfectly circular holes bored into the top and inside the brick was a raging fire.

Olive had multiple pans on the stone top, one covering each hole. Eirwyn's brows rose at the amount of bacon, sausage, porridge, potatoes, and vegetables.

Olive sat a new pan where the gravy had been and paused. "Excuse me, dear, do you mind? I need to make the eggs. I'm not used to so much company and wasn't sure what you'd like for breakfast, so I made a little of everything."

"Can I help, Mistress Olive?" Eirwyn asked, stepping up to the hot stone top. She grabbed an egg and cracked it with a practiced flick of her wrist before the woman could answer. "I cook at the tavern in Demerel sometimes, but don't tell my brother," she whispered.

Olive beamed a smile. "Oh, how lovely. Yes, I'd love some help if you're sure you want to. But do call me Olive. Knox is the druid master warden of the forest now, so no more Mistress Olive."

Eirwyn's eyes widened in surprise. She'd surmised that they were druids, but the lumberjack was the leader of them? She opened her mouth to ask all her questions, but Olive beat her to it.

Olive asked, "Do you cook at the tavern a lot?"

Eirwyn shrugged. "Not as often as I'd like, but I've been going there for a few years now."

"Well, before you should've been sneaking out," Helga said from by the hearth.

Eirwyn tilted her head. "Is there an appropriate age to sneak out? I thought it was forbidden no matter the age. Oh well, too late to put that bird back in the cage. How does everyone take their eggs?"

Olive flipped the bacon and said, "Scrambled but three fried for Knox."

Eirwyn nodded, grabbing a wooden spoon and spices to mix them with. "He probably needs a lot of food, as big as he is."

"Oh yes, he's always been big for his age, even as a baby." Olive said quietly. "I raised him here, you see, and it was very hard. His magic was wild and uncontrollable for a long time. Scarlet came to visit a few times a month, and the two of them were thick as thieves, practically siblings."

Olive pulled the sausage off the hot stone and onto a tray.

Eirwyn bit her lip, not sure how to ask, so she just blurted out. "Siblings? They're not together?"

Scarlet popped up behind her, stealing a piece of meat and laughing. "Hells no, that's gross. Just brother and sister, thank you. The only one he likes is you, little princess."

Eirwyn blushed and put the eggs into a bowl. She took the sausage grease and poured it into her pan. "I don't know about that. I tried flirting yesterday, and it was like flirting with a brick wall."

She didn't mention the flowers, too afraid to read something into it.

Scarlet snorted, leaning against the counter beside them. "That's because he's never flirted before. Or done anything else."

Eirwyn's eyes widened as she looked up at Scarlet. Scarlet's green eyes were calculating and watchful.

"Are you serious?" Eirwyn whispered.

Scarlet nodded. "Yeah, he's not one of your tavern boys, princess."

Eirwyn blushed harder, the heat on her cheeks making her groan. She looked away, cracking the eggs to fry them for Knox as her heart raced.

No wonder he hadn't responded to her attempts to cajole him. He probably didn't get into town much anyway.

Scarlet nodded to the flowers on the table. "He left those for you?"

Eirwyn nodded, unable to stop the smile from flowing across her face.

Scarlet continued, "Ask him on the ride why those flowers."

There was a meaning behind them? She knew the nobles often sent secret messages through presents such as flowers, but she'd never taken the time to learn what meant what. Plus, no one ever sent her flowers, presents, or messages. Her brother either intercepted everything or forbid it. She was sure he'd done something, as she had no friends of her own age and station.

Bella was the tavern owner and her only real friend. As well-read as she was, she would probably know what those flowers meant immediately.

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