Page 22 of Mated to the Crown
“I didn’t think you knew how to cook.” She taunts, causing me to look back at her with a frown.
“Just because I am Royal, doesn’t mean I am stupid. Geez, Princess.” Her face drops and I realize I pushed too quickly. I put down the pans I was holding and walk over to her. “Kidding. I honestly love to cook. My grandmother and I cooked a lot out here. It’s been a while though, everything is covered in dust.”
“Do you want help?” She looks up at me, her eyes the softest blue. Her hair has managed to wiggle its way out of her braids and small pieces fall here and there, framing her perfect face.
“Do you want to help? I didn’t really know what you liked so I just got some random things for tonight. Tomorrow we willgo into the valley and see what we can scrounge up.” She nods and I hold out my hand, pulling her over to the counter with me. “We are making chicken and dumpling soup, but not the flat dumpling one, the nice fluffy ones.”
‘What?” She giggles and looks up at me. “You are nothing like I thought you were going to be.” She admits, her cheeks pinkening.
“What did you think? I was a stuck up asshole who didn’t do shit? I’ll have you know I can cook pretty damn well. Baking I am shit at, but that is a completely different thing.”
Her laughter rings out again and I can’t help but feel a smile on my own face. This is perfect. Us, just being here and being in the present. I want more of it.
“I guess I am not good at judging someone.” She steps closer to me so our bodies are touching and looks down at the countertop in front of me. Carrots, celery, chicken, flour, chicken broth and some spices sit out. She gives me the side eye. “Cut carrots?”
“If you want to, or you can stand here and I can stare at your ass.” I lean down and kiss her neck.
“Malik!” She giggles again, snatching up the carrots, cutting board and a knife before heading to the table. Another smirk pulls at my lips before I pull the chicken out of the package and grab a knife. We work in silence, prepping the ingredients as we go. I take a few glances back at her, admiring her from afar. She was stunningly beautiful, worth more than a servant's life.
Worth a Queen’s life.
“How are you doing?” I call over my shoulder, pulling a large cast iron dutch oven from the cabinet. I rinse out the dust, washing it quickly before placing it on the stove and pouring some oil in.
“Like mentally or with the carrots?” She quips back and I laugh.
“Um both I guess. I need the carrots soon though.” Her own laugh meets mine as she comes to stand next to me. I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her against me before kissing the top of her head. I pour the cut chicken into the pan. It sizzles and pops as it hits the hot oil and I lean down to brush my lips against her ear. “Are you really okay? I know this is a lot.”
“I am good actually.” She leans her head on my shoulder and inside my beast purrs. “I always hoped that there was more for me than being a servant. I prayed to the Goddess for a different life and now I have one. It’s still crazy to think about and I am not even ready to go to that place yet. But for the moment, yes. I am content and happy.”
“Good.” I smile, proud of my little mate. She has come so far already. I don’t know if I could say I would react the same in her situation. I stir around the chicken, pulling it out onto a plate and pouring the celery and carrots in to cook.
“Did you put in for me to read to Charlotte?” She finally questions and I shrug.
“No. I kind of wished I did. I would have met you sooner. It was actually Jeffries. I told him I needed someone to be with my grandmother to keep her company. I was being pulled away more for the family and she was lonely. My grandfather died when I was young so she was used to being alone in that sense, but she always spent time with me. She used to spend time with all of the grandchildren but overtime it just shifted into me.”
“That must have been hard.” She shoo’s me out of the way and grabs the wooden spoon, stirring the carrots and celery in the pot.
“Yes and no. I knew I didn’t want to be like my parents so choosing to spend time with her was easy. She didn’t have any expectations. She wanted me to make my own decision and if that was to be a part of everything going on, then that was what Iwould be. She was always open to letting me be who I wanted to. I miss that the most.”
“Being told what to do, when to do it is hard. I struggled with that a lot growing up too. You know my father was part of the war room? He was a general.”
I nod, briefly remembering the man. There had been a lot of close servants that had passed away. It was before my time stepping in but I could picture his face in my mind. He had a strong nose, much like Celeste’s but hers curved more. He had the same pale eyes as her but he had dark brown hair that was always cut very short. He was tall, standing with perfect posture in his uniform.
“I know of him but wasn’t active in that part when he was there. Tell me about your family, Princess. You know most of the shit about mine.” I smile down at her, watching her focus on the food. I reach over to grab the carton of chicken broth, opening it and pouring it into the pot. The smell spills out, filling the cottage with a hearty smell. I pass her the spices as she tosses them in before we put the chicken back in and slide the cover on top. She turns and looks at me before motioning to the couch.
“That’s gonna be a bit, right? Mine as well sit.” I take her hand in mine and pull her over to the couch, sitting in the corner. She nestles herself up against me and I close my eyes for a moment, trying to quell the inpatient beast inside. “I have a sister, Lyra. She and I are pretty inseparable. She’s gonna freak out when I tell her.”
“You didn’t tell her?” I ask, a small chuckle leaving me.
“No, I mean I said I was your new servant but that is about it. My mother kind of lost it after my father died and so it’s been just Lyra and me really. The family was nice enough to keep her and give her a small area nearby but she is out of everyone’s hair. My father was distant, cold almost. Probably because he was a General and busy all the time.”
“Not necessarily.” I tangle my fingers through her hair, combing it gently. “My mother is like that and she is nowhere near a General.”
“What does our future look like?” Her voice is quiet.
“That’s up to you, really.” I make a little humming noise.
“What do you mean? You are a freaking Prince.”
