Author's Note: This is what happens when the news repeats the words "engagement chicken" so often, you could have a successful drinking game.
Jack checked the note and map once more as he entered the grove of trees, looking for the specific one that Ashi was supposed to meet him under. They hadn't been able to spend as much time together as he would have liked the past month, what with reconstruction of the capital and surrounding area being nearly complete. Now he had to learn how to rule his kingdom, and learn quickly. His parents had aged considerably in the 17 years he was away for training. Though they both insisted they had many years ahead of them, now that they were reunited with their beloved son, his advisors acted like the two could die at any second, and wanted their lone prince to be the strong, capable Emperor he was destined to be, discouraging any from attempting to take the throne for themselves. He was thrilled when he woke up that morning and discovered a note next to his bed, asking him to join him for a picnic lunch that afternoon.
"Jack, over here!" Ashi called out, waving her hand to grab his attention. She had a lovely blanket spread out before her, covered in an assortment of food and a steaming tea kettle waiting for him.
He smiled and ran over, forgetting all of his anxiety and fears. "Good afternoon, Ashi," he greeted with a kiss and sat down beside her. "So much food. Are you sure you don't want me to eat myself into a coma and sleep for the rest of the day?"
"You, me, dozing in the warm sun together? Sounds heavenly," she smiled. "Call it a secondary plan. In the meantime, please, eat up. I made everything myself."
"Looks delicious," he complimented. Rice, oden noodles, sushi, and… his voracious appetite almost disappeared as he saw the main dish, a bird browned to perfection, smelling of lemon juice and herbs.
Chicken.
He was fond of telling people, especially Ashi, stories about his adventures. Which adventures he told depended on present company. He found it difficult to accurately describe certain aspects of Aku's future, and so important details could be lost on the listener, but having seen it for herself, it was easy to tell Ashi everything, and she never tired of hearing them, even the stranger tales of traversing a dragon's internal organs or the chaotic world hidden down a rabbit hole. The one tale he never told anyone was when the wizard turned him into a chicken. After living as one for a week, too focused on survival to try and devise a way to become human again, he couldn't bring himself to eat the domestic fowl ever again, not when he could have easily ended up in a pot or over a spit and ingested by humans. He was embarrassed to tell the tale, to admit how decades later, he still couldn't eat chicken. There is so much food here. I can fill myself with the other dishes and not have to eat the chicken at all.
His plan worked well, at first. It was quite easy to eat the other dishes, he almost forgot what a good cook she was, and distract himself with easy conversation. She followed his example, eating everything but the chicken, until only the bird was left. He realized too late that she had always intended for chicken to be the main dish, and did not bring enough of everything else to overwhelm their stomachs.
She was beaming with pride as she made the first cut, and Jack involuntarily flinched as the knife easily sliced open the skin, exposing the white meat beneath. Pretend it's something else: songbird, crow, duck, turkey, anything! She placed the first slice onto his plate, clearly anxious for his opinion.
He grimaced as he picked it up with his chopsticks, studying it as he tried to prepare himself. It looked perfect, smelled delicious, he had to admit it. If it was any other form of poultry, he would have happily devoured it and sucked the bones dry, thanking her for the privilege of eating so well. But chicken…
He reluctantly opened his mouth.
Repeatedly smacked in the beak by an octopod's spinning legs.
The chopsticks moved closer.
Almost crushed to death by the metal serpent's hug.
The offending meat hovering just before his lips.
Pecking at a tiny pile of stale chicken feed while his captor feasted on many fine dishes, all thanks to the money he brought in from just trying to survive.
"I cannot eat this," Jack painfully admitted, unable to look at her, the tightness in his chest disappearing as he lowered the meat back to his plate. "I am sorry, Ashi."
"Jack, what did I do wrong?"
His heart broke when he heard desperation in her voice, saw her struggling to keep it together as tears welled in her eyes. He had never seen her get so emotional over something like food. What was going on?
Her body shook as she gripped the blanket below as tightly as she could. "I thought you loved me."
He panicked and leaned over to cup her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "Ashi, you are everything to me! My light, my hope, my world! It is nothing against you, I swear!"
She smiled slightly, and Jack returned it, feeling better about the whole debacle. "The women in the kitchen called this engagement chicken."
"What?"
"Something about this dish, when you feed it to the man you love, it makes him propose to you. When I heard about it, I had to make it for you. I put everything I feel for you into it."
"And it shows, trust me."
"Then why?" She looked like she was about to cry again.
"Ashi," he rested his forehead against hers. "I do not eat chicken. I have had a… bad experience."
"Food poisoning?"
I wish. "I had an unfortunate encounter with a wizard, and… he turned me into a chicken."
"Are you serious?"
"Quite, I'm afraid. I was stuck in that form for a week."
"You have to tell me," she said as she moved into his lap. "Please."
He smiled and held her close, stroking her hair as he told her everything. To his surprise, it was much easier to tell her then some of his other adventures. As always, she was enthralled by his tales of battle, his fights against his many robot foes, and hated his captor almost as much as he did. "I do not know if he or anyone else was turned back into their original form, but the idea of them, or me, ending up as someone's meal, it has turned me off of chicken forever."
"He deserved it," Ashi said with certainty. "Exploiting you, starving you, he wouldn't last a minute in his own arena."
"That is a rather dark way of looking at it." Then again, she was not known to have any kind of empathy for her foes. "Any other dish of poultry, I promise you I would have devoured it and begged for more."
"I wish you told me earlier."
"I was embarrassed by the tale."
"More so then running around a small village naked?" She teased with a grin.
"Well you are the only person who knows that story, and I would like to keep it that way," he shyly replied.
"They don't know how lucky they are, getting to see such a wonderful work of art." She kissed his cheek, and then tucked her head under his chin. "I'll keep your secret."
They sat in companionable silence for a while, enjoying the quiet of nature after being stuck in the hustle and bustle of the castle for so long. Jack wished he could spend the whole day like this, but Ashi was practical, or perhaps worried about her reputation. She felt pressure from being so close to Jack, yet not being born of noble blood like everyone expected the prince's consort to be.
"We should be getting back, before anyone worries I made off with you," she said as she stood up, offering him her hand. He took it, but moved into a kneeling position instead of standing.
"Wait," he asked. "Ashi, I am sorry today did not go quite as you had planned, but believe me, I love you more than anything. I cannot imagine my life without you." He swallowed nervously, not knowing why nerves were threatening to consume him when she already stated that she wanted this. "Will you marr-?" His words were stolen by a passionate kiss, one that he happily reciprocated. Ashi slid back onto his lap, arms wrapped around him tightly. "Marry me?" He finished as she broke for air.
"Of course I will," she agreed, her smile engulfing her entire face.
Chicken is definitely good for something, he thought before she distracted him with another soul-searing kiss.