Cooking/Baking

"Grah!" Corrin yelled, dropping the knife onto the table as he drew his hand back quickly. "Gods-damn it!" He muttered, sticking his finger in his mouth and sucking on the blood.

Flora was at his side in a moment. "Do you need bandaging? My staff?" She offered without hesitation.

Corrin chuckled as he glanced at the small cut in his finger. "It's hardly a scratch." He frowned at sucked at the small beads of blood again. "No problem."

Flora glanced at Corrin for a few more moments before turning back to the array of food on the long table. Normally Flora was on mess duty alone, but Corrin had finished his own tasks earlier and sought her out. Finding Flora behind on her tasks, which was rare for the perfectionist maid, Corrin offered his help.

Corrin watched his wife chop away at some vegetables for a moment longer before picking up his own knife again. He began brought it over to the large water barrel and began to clean the blood off it.

"It's funny." Corrin said. "Well, not funny, but...I cannot find the word."

"What do you mean?" Flora asked, sliding her diced food into the large boiling pot.

"Ever since Kana was born you've been more..." Corrin tapped his chin in thought. "I don't know, motherly?"

"I would hope so." Flora said with a straight face. "I wouldn't want to disappoint Kana. Speaking of..." Flora spun and marched over to Corrin. She crossed her arms and bent at the hip, leaning dangerously towards the prince.

"I don't agree with this deeprealms business."

Corrin sighed. "Neither do I." He admitted. "But it just isn't safe here. Even just last week the castle was invaded for, what, the third time?"

"What it's doing to Kana is cruel and unnatural."

"I agree." Corrin said sadly. "Gods...gods I wish there was a better way, but there's no one I trust other than the people here, and we simply cannot pull them from the front for babysitting duty."

Flora stayed silent, knowing what the outcome would be. This wasn't the first time they had spoken about the deeprealms, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Gods..." Corrin sighed. "I miss her."

"I do as well." Flora muttered sombrely.

"I'll let Xander, Ryoma, and Leo take over tomorrow." Corrin said, suddenly filled with determination. "We are going to visit Kana, and I won't let Xander, Leo, or the Dawn Dragon himself stop me."

Flora smiled and leaned her head against his chest. "I would like that."

Corrin hugged her tightly and ran hand through her hair. "Come let's finish making dinner. I'm sure Effie is going to go rabid if we take any longer."

Flora raised a hand to her mouth and giggled softly. "Corrin?"

"Yes?"

"I think we should make something for Kana. Part apology, part gift."

"What do you suggest?" Corrin asked, finally sliding his half of the chopped dishes into the pot.

Flora looked around. "We are in the mess hall..." Flora snapped her fingers and rushed to the other end of the room. She began to rifle through drawers and cupboards, eagerly looking for...something. Corrin shrugged and stirred the pot, making sure the food didn't get burned.

Flora placed a jar and a small burlap sack on the table. She sighed and sat down on a tall stool, staring at the ingredients. "We...don't have a lot of supplies, but I think I can make a single cupcake with this."

"A single cupcake?"

"Yes."

"I suppose we better make sure it's perfect then?"

()()()()

What followed was the most stressful hour that Corrin had ever experienced. Tense situations of mixing and baking just right to create the perfect cupcake...for his little cupcake. Corrin thought that Flora might collapse from stress, but in the end, they were left with what could only be described as Corrin's proudest moment. (Behind marrying Flora, becoming a father, and having the Yato blade choose him as the saviour of the world.)

Corrin let out a long breath of air as Flora carefully placed the treat inside a basket. The maid seemed giddy as she prepared to depart for Kana's deeprealm. Corrin watched her with a large smile on his face, feelings as if he could fall in love all over again.

He loved the caring, motherly side of Flora, which so rarely surfaced without Kana's presence. Corrin smiled, finally solving the riddle that had bothered him for some time.

"Flora?"

"Yes, Corrin."

"I finally remembered the word."

"Oh?"

"Endearing." Corrin said with a huge smile. His grin only grew as he watched Flora process the word and flush a bright red.