"Oh." I glow at hearing him say those words. I'm not sure what brings them out of him, but they make me feel so much more capable than anything else anyone has said in a long time. "Is your day off tomorrow again?" I ask, knowing that we need to have a moment where we can talk to one another away from any distractions. Or worse, people who keep coming to break through our peace. First Camille, then his father. It's like the kitchen staff don't want me to tell Nate that I love him.
He shakes his head. "The delegation is arriving the day after tomorrow, I'm needed for preparing for the feast, especially if the King says no to the lemons, then I'm going to have to come up with a replacement dessert."
I let out a small curse, getting a laugh from him in response.
"That's a new one," he says.
"Don't tell my father I said it."
"Believe it or not, I'm only planning on speaking to the King if he asks me a question, I don't intend to tell him about his daughter's use of foul language."
"It was one curse word. It's hardly bad."
"I'm just surprised that my not having a rest day is what caused it," he teases.
"It's also that I forgot the delegation arrived in a couple of days and I'm still filling in for Kathryn. But I'm also disappointed that you're not free. I was thinking we could do something." And I'm not sure how much longer I can keep my feelings to myself.
"We'll have plenty of time after they've gone," he promises. "I'm not going anywhere this time."
"Something I'm forever grateful for." I reach out to touch his arm. It's a little bit riskier when we're out in the castle and not in the kitchens, but it's not as if it isn't common knowledge that we spend a lot of time together.
"Are we not supposed to be going in to see the King?" he asks.
"Right. I forgot."
He raises an eyebrow. "I'm surprised."
"As am I. But you're right, we should head inside." I turn towards the door and take a deep breath. I don't know why I'm so nervous about this. It's the first time anyone in the kitchens has flagged a potential issue with one of my ideas. Or maybe it's the first time I've actually listened.
My gaze slips to Nate. Or maybe it's because I'm taking him to see my father, which is definitely not something I've done before. Maybe I should have insisted that he didn't have to come, but it's too late for that now.
I push open the door and lead Nate into the meeting room, where my father and Artie are already waiting. I dip into a curtsy to my father, while my brother dips his head to me as I outrank him slightly in the succession.
"Daughter," Father says with a nod of his head.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness," Nate says, bowing to each of them in turn.
"Chef Matthews," my father responds. "Welcome back to the castle."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, it is an honour to be back in Falhaven."
"I am certain it is," Father responds, while Artie gives me a look but I'm not sure what it means. "Please, take a seat, and we can discuss what Princess Evelyn believes we need to." He waves to two empty seats at the table, and I find myself relieved to realise that a full place has been set for Nate to have tea with us, rather than him standing oddly to the side.
He hesitates for a moment and looks at me, but sits down when I nod at him.
Father helps himself to one of the vanilla slices that are artfully presented on a plate in the middle of the table. "These look delicious. I suspect we have you to thank for them, Chef Matthews?"
"I had help from Princess Evelyn," Nate says in response.
"But it's N-Chef Matthews' recipe and guidance that made them come out so well," I say. "He was trained in Gaullesse, which I think makes him uniquely suited to be working with us on the menu for the feast." I take one of the vanilla slices myself, before picking up the teapot and pouring myself some tea. Without even thinking about it, I pour some into Nate's cup too.
Artie looks over the table and raises an eyebrow at me, but I ignore him and set the teapot back down. I'm so used to it being the two of us when we drink tea, and I didn't think twice about pouring him a cup.
"Is that why you requested the meeting today?" Father asks as he pushes his fork through the vanilla slice.
I pick up my own, eager to try what we made last night. "We actually had a more specific question than that." I take a deep breath. "It's about lemons."
"Lemons?" Father asks.
