Page 21 of The Promise Born
“And where did you hear about the trolls?”
“The walls have ears and mouths,” I said.
“Yes, well, they’re back. We thought they had gone, but once again, they landed on our shores. I just wish we knew what they wanted. You know how they like to conquer new places. It's like a sport to them.”
My heart dropped into my stomach at the thought of a war with the trolls. “They want to take over?”
“Yes, and they know our people are split, so it'll make it a lot easier for them to do so.”
“What do you mean, split?”
“I mean the ice dragons.”
I hadn’t heard anyone refer to my people as belonging with the fire side.
“If we were a united front, it would make it a lot harder for the trolls to just come over here and run us over. We're split. Our forces halved, solely because we don't want to work with each other. But better we cooperate with each other than be run out by others, right?”
All I could do was nod. To lead her down further conversation about the two dragon species would be to betray her in a way I didn't want to. I wondered if she was the only one who thought of fire and ice as being one and the same. I stared down at the bowl and acted as if I was starving.
“That smells fantastic.”
“The best our kitchen offers.” She gave another cursory glance around the room. “Eat up and rest well. Maryl Will be back in the morning to take you to your new kitchen.”
“New kitchen?” I gasped. “There’s a new kitchen?”
“Yes, special requests by the prince. If the cooks didn't hate you before, they surely will now. Should be a fun day tomorrow!” She laughed as she walked out of the door.
Chapter 8
IdevouredthefoodbecauseI was hungrier than I thought. And it really was as good as I said. Just like everything I’d eaten there, it had a spark of fire that warmed me to a state of total comfort. After bathing and hobbling back to the bed, I quickly fell asleep.
The next day, as in previous mornings, Maryl met me at the door. I expected her usual bubbly demeanor, but there was something off about her. Her smile wasn’t as bright. It didn’t take long for me to realize it was because of Asante. When I first met her, she seemed pleased that I didn’t want to be there. It was like a relief for her. But with rumors spreading about our supposed engagement, she could no longer feel the same.
“You must be happy to have your own space.” Maryl said as she opened the door to the private kitchen. “I know it must have been so uncomfortable for you yesterday, what being with the rest of us low cooks and all.”
My heart thumped at her sudden harsh attitude toward me. “Yes, thank you. It’s only because I’m not used to working while being watched.”
“Of course.” She didn’t even try to hide her disbelief. “No one has needed to be in here since they built the larger kitchen. But we worked all night to clean it up and make sure it was ready for you.”
“I really appreciate that. Thank you.”
“Let me know if you need anything.” She gave me a tight nod.
“I will. Thank you.”
“Oh, and you won’t have the wear the uniform anymore. Since you’re not in the main kitchen, the queen won’t care what you wear. She never comes in here. She’s always hated this space. Said it was too small and smelled funny.”
I wrinkled my nose at the thought, but found relief that I wouldn’t have to worry about any uncomfortable meetings with the queen. “Okay, thank you for letting me know.”
I thought about asking her about Asante. The strained, almost painful, curve of her lips stopped me in my tracks. So instead, I thanked her once again for helping me. And she left me alone.
This kitchen felt more like my bakery. Quiet, small, and much cozier than the large, overpopulated space where the others worked. I didn’t feel like I was in the way or being monitored.
I looked around, inspecting the equipment and making sure everything I needed was there. He’d even stocked it with my preferred ingredients.
My mind raced back to the thing I wanted to forget. The kiss. My face flushed with heat as I thought about how he caught me from my fall. And how he asked me not to hit him. I should have slapped him if for nothing but to keep the distance in our relationship. The problem was, I didn't want to. The more I thought about it, the moment we shared, the way he cared for me after I was hurt, even his uncle's words, the more I realized something was changing between us.
“Get over it, Kiala. The kiss wasn’t that good.” I told myself before I got to work. Eventually, he would come, and I wanted his desserts to be ready for him.
