Page 82 of Oath of Rebellion

She took off her cloak and set it on the table, careful not to let any berries fall. Then she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. A few hours passed, and then Knox walked in with a handful of flowers.

He handed them to her, his cheeks tinging with color. "I brought you flowers."

She inhaled the beautiful scent and looked up at him. "What do these mean?" she asked softly.

He raked a hand on the side of his head and looked away. "I've been thinking about how my parents died, and I understand why my mother didn't want to live without my father. The red carnations are for my devotion to you. The pink roses are to show how grateful I am to be in your life right now. And the white peonies–"

"I remember that one! They're for admiration, right? What about these blue ones?" she asked, sniffing in the intoxicating aromas.

He lowered his hand and swallowed hard. He frowned and looked around, his brows rising. "What in the world? Did you do all this?"

She beamed at him and nodded. "Not too bad for a princess, eh?" The floor was now swept and mopped, the table and counter wiped down. She'd found a curtain and turned it into a cleaning rag. The broom she'd used to clean out the chimney, what she could reach of it anyway.

It was enough to get a fire started in the fireplace. She'd filled a few pots from the spigot off the back door and had fish from the birds in a skillet with the vegetables.

She put the flowers in a cup of water, then went back to cooking. She leaned over the skillet and tested it with a fork she'd cleaned to a shine.

"There are no spices other than the rosemary and basil I found outside. There's no oil, so I'm afraid it's sticking to the bottom of the pan a bit. But it should be edible."

Knox sat with a dumbfounded look and laid a leather bound book on the table. "I had no idea you were so industrious. I know you made eggs at Olive's but when you said you cooked at the tavern occasionally, I–"

His cheeks tinged pink and he shrugged. "I didn't really believe you."

She shrugged. "I don't blame you. Helga doesn't believe I can do any of it, either. But that's one thing I loved about vising Bella at the tavern. She didn't treat me like a princess. She put me to work right alongside the rest of the bar maids. I learned every job in that place, from changing the beds and cleaning to cooking. I even helped in the stables for a few months."

He smiled, crossing his arms and a look of pride shining in his eyes. "I had no idea. Why though?"

She flipped the potatoes and looked at him from the stool beside the fire. "Why what?"

"Why learn all of it?"

She shrugged again, letting the scent fill her. "It's peaceful for starters. But since I was such a sickly child, I didn't have the chance to do a lot of things other kids did. I was in a protective cage, unable to do anything that might make me run a fever or vomit."

She stared into the flames. She'd need to find some better wood. This had been a broken table in another room that she'd pried apart with her dagger.

"I'm glad you're not sick anymore," Knox said softly.

She sighed. "Me too, although it bothers me to realize that it was my brother this entire time."

She shook her head. "When I ran away for the first time, I was worried about how he'd react. I was lost, hungry, tired, and dirty. Somehow I found myself at the square. Lailant took me in and cleaned me up. She said that I was stronger than I knew and to start acting like it instead of a shrinking violet."

Eirwyn smiled, poking at the food. "She took me across the street to the tavern. Bella welcomed me with open arms, and we've been friends ever since."

She wrapped the rags around the pan and carried it to the table. She set it in the center and handed him a fork.

"I couldn't find any plates, so we'll have to eat out of the pan. Would you like some water? I checked on Ryder and unloaded the saddlebags for the night."

She handed him the canteen, and he took a drink. Then she turned back to the brick stove and pulled another pan closer to the flames before turning to sit across from him at the table. It was an ancient stove but leaked about the same amount of heat as those she'd used at the tavern.

He stabbed the fork into the food and took a bite. She bit her lip and waited.

His brows rose, and he moaned. "This is delicious, Eirwyn. Thank you."

She sat taller, beaming as she picked up her own fork. They made short work of the meal, both of them too hungry for conversation. When it was almost picked clean, she turned back to the fire and brought another pan to the table.

"What's this?" he asked. "It smells delicious. Are those blackberries?"

She nodded. "With honey and some seeds and nuts. I hope you like it." She took a bite, not waiting for him this time. The sweet burst of flavor made her sigh.

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