Page 4 of The Promise Born
“You’ve mentioned this before, but you never give me any details.” I urged her once again to remove the enigmatic veil from her words.
“A girl has to keep a little mystery about herself.” She winked at me before shuffling over to the display case where the prepared pastries waited.
After spending more time with Mesi, and bagging up her favorite puff pastries with the yellow flecked icing, I returned to my duties of crafting delicacies that kept customers coming back. They could never understand why they loved my food so much. It was a family secret, one I was so grateful my grandmother had taught me.
My process had a secret ingredient: ice. While folding the dough and mixing the fillings, I infused my desserts with ice, binding it to the molecules. That was the secret. It gave the treats an extra pop that drove the fire dragons crazy. As far as I knew, I was the only person in the land of fire capable of creating these treats.
That day felt different. Tunes I heard my mother sing a thousand times filled my mind. I began humming them as I worked. It started out looking to be a slow day, everyone was still trying to catch sight of the prince. But once the excitement wore off, it was back to business as usual. As the end of the day neared, my shelves were nearly bare.
I whipped up a few more things for the night rush, but felt confident that everything would be gone before I closed up. I was always careful to make just the right number of delights, no leftovers. My creations had to be eaten as fresh as possible, because the crystals I infused them with would melt and disrupt the taste.
I’d just finished arranging the last of the colorful, sweet-smelling treats when the door opened with a chime, announcing a customer. With one of my mother’s melodies still in my mind, I turned, humming, to greet my new customer. The smile dropped from my face when I saw who was walking through the door.
In that instance, I heard my mother's voice in the back of my mind saying, ‘Child watch your face’. I'd fought a silent war against my own expressive face my whole life. Whatever feelings I had lurking under the surface would instantly paint themselves across my features. As Asante entered, I was sure my face matched my thoughts.Please go the hell away.
His entourage of aides followed close behind. Including the one marked with talons. The old man who looked in constant fear of losing his job. His beady eyes quickly scanned the inside of my shop as the door closed behind their crew.
Asante looked genuinely surprised to see me standing there, as if he didn't know that I was the owner of the shop, so I tucked away my annoyance and greeted him like I would any customer.
“Welcome.” I smiled politely. “How can I help you?”
“It’s you.” A soft smile lifted the corner of his mouth before it disappeared. “Is this your shop? Are you the owner?”
“Yes, owner, baker, and server.” I nodded and discounted the fact that it should have been obvious. Perhaps he thought I was just a worker there? “I opened it not too long ago. I’m new to the area.”
“Well, we’re glad you came.” He looked around me at the freshly prepped display case. “I’ve heard about your desserts all day. The elders even made me promise that I would come here before leaving. You've made quite an impression on this community. Especially the one called Mesi. She was adamant that I do not miss out.”
“Word of mouth is the best for business, as they say.” Again, I remained as polite as possible while trying to control my expression. I would need to have words with Mesi later. And I don’t know what it was about him, but my blood instantly boiled every time he spoke. All I could think about was how he referred to me as ‘that one’.
“I received a lot of recommendations about what I should try, but I’d like to know what you think. What’s your best dessert here?” the prince asked.
I looked around at the dwindling supply.
“The best thing on the menu sold out earlier in the day. It takes a long time to make, so I won’t have more until tomorrow, but,” I walked over to the case, opened it and pulled out a small pastry. Delicate layers of dough folded around a soft jellied inside. I placed it on a piece of parchment paper and handed it to him. “Let me know what you think.”
I watched carefully as the prince lifted the simple dessert to his lips. A dusting of sugar-coated his fingertips as he bit into the pastry. My smile mirrored his as I saw his lips curve into a joyful expression. Every chef anticipated this moment, the unveiling of their dish, the quiet hush before the explosion of taste and texture. Then came the shift in expression. The slight upturn of their lips, the flutter of their eyelids, the warmth in their cheeks. An expression of pure joy. Confirmation you created something that touched them deeply.
For a moment, the previous arrogance seemed to drain from the prince’s face, leaving behind only a look of vulnerability. He didn't look like someone who thought his birthright meant the world owed him whatever he wanted. There was an almost gentle and caring quality about him. A quality that briefly made me lose the desire to punch him in the face.
I was never more patient than when waiting for someone to try my food. Watching the prince, I no longer cared about the people who came in with him. All that mattered was that he savored every morsel.
“I’ve never had anything like this before.” His eyes opened, and he looked at me with something like awe.
“A delicacy taught to me by my grandmother.” I nodded and smiled. “This is one of the first things I ever learned to make. So simple, but for a long time, it was my favorite.”
“I would love to meet her.” He looked around as if my grandmother would appear out of the shadows.
“She isn’t here.” I shook my head.
“Out shopping?” He bit into the pastry again and smiled. “I don't mind waiting for her to come back.”
“No, I mean, I’m alone now. I have no family here.” The words were hard to say, but they were true.
“Ah, I’m sorry to hear that.” He glanced over at the gray-haired man and nodded. “Domin, I would like to have more of these.”
“Of course, sir.” Domin nodded and reached for a pouch, which I assumed contained the currency to pay for the prince’s order.
“Can you make more?” Asante looked back at me. “How long do you need?”
