Page 33 of Love Letters & Lemon Drops

"I'm glad you like it." And I can tell he does. I might only have been around him in person for a short while, but I can already tell when he's being genuine, which is most of the time.

"I do." He folds it carefully and slips it into his breast pocket, patting it while smiling so broadly, I think his face might break. "Would you like some tea?"

I nod. "Is that something else you're trying to trade with Rajaad for?"

"Yes, but this is actually from Shengda, we made a trade treaty with them shortly before we met. Though when I say we, I didn't have anything to do with it. No one has actually said as much, but I think the delegation were impressed that Evie managed to hatch the dragon egg they gave her, and that helped us secure the deal." He guides me over to the table.

"There are four settings," I say as I sit down at the table.

"My sisters sometimes come here in the afternoons," Artie says. "I assume that the servants have set places for us every day too, in case we wanted to join."

"Oh."

He picks up the teapot and pours me a cup. The sweet scent of grass fills my nose, unlike anything I've had before. As far as I know, Someil and Shengda don't currently have a trade treaty, which means that we haven't had a lot of their goods in our kingdom.

Arthur sits down next to me, his knee bumping against mine. Unable to resist, I slip my hand under the table and touch his leg. It's the height of bad manners, but with only the two of us here, I don't see the harm in it.

"Would you like some cake?" he asks.

"Did Evie make it?" I ask.

"I don't imagine so, she'd be here to tell us if she did."

As if talking about her summoned the princess, the door to the solar opens and she enters even as Artie cuts the cake.

"Good afternoon," I say.

"Afternoon," she responds. "I brought your lemon drops." She puts a small box down in front of Arthur. There's a second one that has a letter on top that I look at curiously.

"Thank you," Arthur says with a smile. "I appreciate it, Evie."

"You'd better," she mutters as she takes a seat. "You should find yourself a confectioner to make them for you. I'm never making those again."

Artie laughs. "I thought you liked baking."

"This wasn't baking. Do you have any idea how sticky hot sugar is?" She shakes her head. "So yes, I'm never making them again. Enjoy these while you can."

"I think that's us told," Artie says to me.

I smother a laugh. "Thank you, Evie," I say, genuinely grateful.

"You're welcome," she says, already a little preoccupied with her slice of cake. I'm not sure if she's looking at it like that because she's interested in how it was made, or if it's because she's disappointed in it, but eventually, she decides that it's acceptable to eat and cuts into it with a pastry fork.

"What's the other box for?" I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Oh, they're for Nate," she says, a slight smile lifting at her lips as she says his name.

"Nate's the pastry chef's son, right?" I check with Arthur.

He nods. "He's studying to be a pastry chef in Gaullesse."

"He's actually in Wafeland at the moment," Evie responds. "He's training under all of the best chefs." It's strange to work out what the tone of her voice means.

"And he's your friend?" I ask.

"Mmhmm. We met when we were children," Evie says. "We used to bake together until he went away."

"Will he come back?" I ask.

---