The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 127
To Bake a Cake
Ben shifted as his eyes slowly blinked open. Another morning in Ylisse. It still surprised him to wake up every day in this place; with a log cabin roof over his head, a soft, wool filled pillow beneath his head, and a slender arm snaked lazily over his chest as a beautiful dark mage snoozed peacefully beside him.
If someone had told him that he would be in this place when Order 66 happened, he would not have believed it. He would have laughed, or scoffed, or just remained silent and believed that person was on a deathstick trip. He was a Jedi Master, a member of the Jedi High Council… lone survivor now.
That was a sobering thought that lingered in the back of his mind daily. As far as Ben knew, he was alone. He was the last of the old Jedi Order. Everyone else died during those fateful days at the end of the Clone Wars. A part of him still wanted to believe that some Jedi survived, but Sidious's masterstroke had been so decisive, so swift and surprising, it seemed impossible for there to be any more survivors. He had been, for lack of a better term, lucky. And while he still believed there was no such thing as luck, it was hard to see his survival as anything else.
He shifted where he lay, turning onto his side so he could look at Tharja. He smiled a little a soft sound slipped from her lips, the only sign that she knew he was awake and moving.
Always the heavy sleeper. Ben thought with a small smile.
He slipped Tharja's arm off of him and sat up, letting his feet fall to the floor. Sunlight filtered through the curtains he had recently put up in front of his bedroom's one window. As the warm sun hit him, he smiled again. The morbid thoughts of Order 66 started to fade. Technically, he was supposed to be dead. But… call it luck, call it fate, or destiny, call it the Will of the Force; he was alive now. The Jedi Order was not.
Live in the moment.
A reminder he told himself daily, and one he struggled to follow. There were moments where he felt sorrow for what had happened. But then… that sorrow contrasted with the moments where he was with Tharja and Noire, being their own version of a strange family. Contrasted by his moments with Lucina, who constantly asked him questions about the Force, and he was happy to answer them. With those stark contrasts, came a quick end to any sudden melancholy, and he felt something he had not felt since the days he was training under Qui Gon Jinn.
He felt at peace.
There was no war to fight anymore. No dire threat to worry about. The closest Sith Lord had become, in his own words, "An antagonistic friend", rather than an enemy. It helped that Dooku also lived several days away in Themis, rather than nearby. Distance was good for both of them, but Ben no longer feared Dooku running about sowing discord and violence. The Count had taken to his role as chief advisor to Duchess Maribelle Themis, which kept his darker inclinations buried and instead focused his time and energy on running Ylisse's second largest city. A task he was doing a marvelous job at, according to both Maribelle and Chrom.
The only worry Ben had anymore resided in the deserts and wastelands beyond Ylisse's western border. Plegia, despite their vital assistance in the war against Valm, caused extreme worry in Ben whenever he heard news from that place. Tiki's revelations regarding Robin, along with both Validar and the Hierophant's keen interest in Robin, made Ben wary of everything regarding the desert kingdom.
Plegia put on a strong facade of friendship and goodwill towards Ylisse. Thankfully, Chrom was wise enough to exercise the same amount of caution as Ben. While he did not directly advise the Prince, preferring instead to remain out of politics in general, whenever Chrom came by to visit, or vice versa, Ben would give his opinion when asked.
All in all, this entire feeling he had now, peace and quiet, felt strange. Once again, just like at the end of the war with Plegia, he did not know what to do. Warfare was such a massive part of his life that Ben felt somewhat lost without it.
As his thoughts lingered on this, he felt slender fingers rub his back.
"Awake already?" Tharja mumbled sleepily.
Ben smiled back at her, "It's probably past nine o'clock."
"Too early." Tharja muttered. She groaned as she stretched her arms out, "Dark Mages like the night." Ben chuckled quietly as her dark eyes cracked open and she gave him a small smile, "What are your plans for today?"
"I'm not sure. You?"
"Class." She answered, "The urchins are going to learn how to brew their first poison today."
Ben raised his brow, "Should I alert Libra?"
Tharja let out a quiet laugh, "He already knows. Byron made sure to tell him as soon as he read my latest lesson plan." She sat up, black hair tousled on top of her head. Another loud yawn left her lips, "It'll be a mild poison."
"How is a poison mild?" Ben asked with a laugh as he got to his feet and moved over to the curtains.
"Well… some poisons-"
Ben threw the curtains open, revealing a curious thief peeking inside.
Gaius's eyes flicked up to Ben as Ben glowered down at him through the window. The thief gulped, then paled as Tharja's voice fell to a low mutter.
"This isn't what it looks like." Gaius said quickly, raising a hand in an attempt to make Tharja hesitate when casting her hex, as Ben pushed the window open.
"Oh really?" Ben leaned against the windowsill, head resting in his right hand while he allowed Tharja to continue her incantation, "Seems to me like you were up to no good again."
"Depends on what you define as no good, Benny." Gaius laughed nervously. He attempted to creep his way away from the window, but one sharp glance from Tharja made him freeze, "D-didn't see ya there, Sunshine. I thought you were," He swallowed hard, "already gone."
"So you weren't peeping?" Tharja growled low, her incantation momentarily paused as she waited for Gaius's fear filled response.
Gaius gave Tharja an exasperated look, "You really think I'm stupid enough to do that?"
"Yes." Both Ben and Tharja answered as one.
"Give me some more credit than that, you two. I may not be the sweetest candy in the shop, but I'm pretty sweet."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Ben asked, brow raised.
"It means exactly what you think it does, Benny." Gaius said, exhaling as he watched Tharja rise and step to the side of the window in order to throw on her outfit for the day. He leaned up against the cabin's wall and glanced at Ben as the Jedi Master took a deep breath of the morning air, "So… you going anywhere to-"
"There are no sweets in here Gaius, so don't try it." Ben remarked, keeping one eye on the thief.
"Damn." Gaius spat, hanging his head briefly, "Whiskers has got me on this health kick ever since we got back. Y'know, a guy gets winded while chasing her one time and all of a sudden she's got me eating roots and plants and all that garbage."
"Ah, so you are actually eating something of substance."
"It's gross." Gaius frowned.
"It's good for you."
"If it was good for me it'd taste good." He leaned close, "Don't repeat this to Whiskers, but her radishes make me gag. And she can't eat potatoes. Did you know that!? Potatoes are the one vegetable I actually like."
"Potatoes are a starch." Ben deadpanned.
"No wonder I like them so much!" Gaius cried.
Tharja briefly tapped Ben on the shoulder and gave him a light kiss, "I'll be back for another later."
She smiled at Ben, glared at Gaius, then turned to leave the cabin. Both Gaius and Ben heard the door to Ben's room click shut as Tharja left.
"Why's she out to get me?" Gaius abruptly asked.
"Maybe it's because you can be a pest." Ben sighed as he stepped away from the window.
Before the Jedi could stop him, Gaius clambered up into the cabin through the open window. Ben opened his mouth to complain, but only managed a weary sigh. He ran a hand over his eyes.
"My point exactly." He muttered as he used the force to call a shirt over to his open palm. He snagged it and threw it on over his torso before moving to exit his room, "Vegetable soup?" He asked Gaius.
"Did you not hear my rant?" Gaius snarked back as he sauntered at Ben, eyes flicking from corner to corner of the cabin as he sought out any secret hiding spots where he might be able to pilfer some goodies.
Ben snorted at that, "Fair enough." Ben went over to the fireplace, reaching into a nearby cupboard, and pulled out a small pot. Next to the pot was a sealed jar filled with soup. Gaius gasped.
"It's not yours!?"
"Anna jarred some earlier." Ben remarked as he popped the lid off, "It's handy when I'm not in the mood for cooking."
"You're not in the mood for cooking?"
"Not when I'm being pestered." Ben sighed as he poured the jar's contents into the pot.
He strode over to a small water basin on the other side of the room and scooped up some water into the jar. After that, he poured the water into the pot, and used a flint to spark a small fire in the fireplace. Ben used the force to place the pot over the flames, then he took a seat in his chair next to the fire.
Gaius flopped onto the sofa next to him, kicking his feet up on the armrest. Ben gave the thief a withering look.
"What?" Gaius asked, "I've decided to stop pestering you."
"Talking is not the only way to pester someone."
"I'm aware." Gaius shrugged as he picked at his teeth with his finger. He sniffed and stared up at the ceiling, "So… what are we doing today then? That is, if you aren't leaving and-"
"I'm not leaving until you do, Gaius." Ben remarked.
Gaius jolted upright, "You are hiding something in here!"
"I am not hiding anything. Where would I hide any sweets?" Ben asked as he eyed the pot of soup bubbling in the fireplace.
Gaius rubbed his chin as he laid back down on the soft, head sinking into the fur covering over the cushions. He snapped his fingers, "Sunshine's stuff!"
"Oh yes. Because mixing candy with her poisonous ingredients is a wonderful idea." Ben replied.
He used the force to call a wooden spoon over from the cupboard, then he stirred the soup as he sat in his chair. His finger spun small circles in the air as he controlled the spoon, making Gaius's mouth fall open.
"Oh Naga…" Gaius glanced at Ben, "That's genius, Benny."
"You want to know another genius thing?" Ben asked, glancing over at the thief.
"Enlighten me, Mad Swordsman." Gaius grinned, lacing his fingers behind his head.
"Get out and get a hobby."
"My hobby is-"
"Stealing from me does not count as a hobby." Ben quickly interrupted as the spoon floated out of the pot towards his lips, a small serving of soup in it. He took a quick sip and nodded, "Couple more minutes."
"Well, you gotta be doing something, Benny." Gaius said, staring up at the ceiling again, "I mean, maybe my hobby ends up being your hobby."
"I'm recording Jedi knowledge."
Gaius quirked an eyebrow, "Writing stuff?"
"Yes." Ben nodded, "Care to join?"
"I'm out." Gaius sighed, swinging his legs off of the sofa and rising to his feet, "That sounds like a really boring hobby, Benny."
"Boring, but necessary. I honestly enjoy it. If the order remained intact, I might have eventually found my way into Master Nu's position." Ben smiled sadly as he mentioned the old Jedi Master that absolutely loved the library she watched over, "The archives were always a peaceful place."
"Well have fun with that- er… stuff." Gaius replied, stepping towards the door. He paused as he reached for the doorknob, "Does-"
"Stealing from other people does not count as a hobby either, Gaius."
"Damn!"
The door to his cabin opened and shut, and Gaius finally left. Ben inhaled deep, the delicious scent of soup filling his nose. It had easily become one of his favorite dishes from this world. Easy to cook, easy to eat. A simple dish, very much like the type of food he was familiar with at the Jedi Temple and on Star Destroyers. Unlike war rations though, this food tasted good.
He used the force to raise the pot out of the fireplace and floated it over to the small countertop he had on the other side of the room, near a small window looking out towards the road to Ylisse. Ben smiled a little bit as he watched Gaius stroll up the road to the white walls beyond the forest he lived in. As much as the thief annoyed him, Ben had to admit he was good company. If nothing else, Gaius kept his wits sharp.
The pot settled down onto the countertop. Ben quietly ladled some soup into a wooden bowl, then pulled up a stool and sat down at the counter. As he quietly ate, he pondered what he said in order to get Gaius to get the hell out of his house. It was something he considered doing even before Valm invaded. If he really was the last Jedi, then someone had to record the Order's teachings. Even if he no longer believed in all of them, they were still valuable pieces of knowledge.
His thoughts wandered to Lucina and Noire. His daughter was an early riser, and was probably out gathering berries with Panne, which was why Ben hadn't seen her yet this morning. Her wounds from Valm were still fresh in his mind, and he did worry about her wandering. But he also trusted Panne, who regarded Ben, Tharja, Gaius, and now Noire, as part of her new Warren. From what he learned, Taguel were fiercely protective of their families, especially of their young. It was a little amusing to see Panne guard Noire so closely as they both wandered the nearby woods in the early morning hours.
Lucina and Noire. Ben took a deep breath, Those two are the future.
He took a deep breath, and rose from his seat, leaving his steaming bowl of soup on the counter. A quick stroll into his room, and a swift look through some of Tharja's things, and he found an empty tome. The spine was not cracked, and the pages were crisp. Probably bought only a few weeks ago. Something for Tharja to record her experiments in once her other tomes she had at the Academy were full.
I'll buy her another. Ben thought as he carried the book, a quill, and some ink back out to the main living space.
He set the book down to his left, and stirred the soup n in his bowl to his right. He gulped down another mouthful of the hot broth, let out a content sigh, then cracked the pages to the empty book open. He dabbed the quill into the ink and scratched some words down on the first page. A simple heading in order to convey what was in the book. Once he finished writing that down, he paused, leaned back, and pinched the edge of his mustache between his fingers.
"Where to begin?"
Gaius let out a long sigh as he strolled through Ylisstol's broad streets. His hands were jammed tight into his pant pockets. Fingers grasping for lollipop sticks that were not there. The lack of sweets made him feel antsy. All he wanted was a nice, cherry lollipop to stick between his teeth. He shuddered just thinking about it.
Why'd Whiskers have to go to such extreme measures? He wondered as he strolled through the market crowds and started to wander near the Academy. According to her, I'm still thin as a reed. He huffed and kicked at a loose pebble lying in the cobblestone road, Now she's got me off candy cold turkey. He paused in his stroll alongside the white walls surrounding the Academy, I mean… I could easily snatch some candy, but she would know. He sighed despondently, head hanging from his shoulders as he looked at the pebble near his toe, She always knows. He furrowed his brow, Does she smell it or something?
He shook his head. A heavy huff left his lips, making his shoulders sag as he leaned up against the walls surrounding the Academy. He kept his hands shoved in his pockets, but he already knew he would be disappointed in what was there. Lint, more lint, maybe some sugar crystals?
If only I was so lucky. He thought with a snort, Usually I am.
He withdrew a hand from his pocket, sniffled, then brought it to his nose, hoping to detect even the faintest hint of sugar on his fingertips. When none came, he sagged further into the wall, a despondent sigh slipping from his lips.
"I need sugar."
Or… a distraction… that eventually leads to some sugar!
He perked up and brought a hand to his chin, brow furrowed.
"Benny says I need a hobby." He muttered, thinking hard, "But what would be-"
The gates to the Academy opened. Gaius glanced over and saw two friends quietly walking out from the academic grounds. Laurent was hard to miss with his massive hat and spectacles. That, and Gaius thought he was one gangly looking fellow. His companion, Henry, was even harder to miss. Not everyday you see Grimleal robes flaunted openly in Naga's Capital.
Of course, no one has the courage to tell him or Sunshine 'no'. Gaius laughed to himself, Not even Benny.
"How's it going Specs!" He focused on Henry, "And… hm… I don't think I have a nickname for you yet?"
"Greetings, Gaius." Laurent nodded as he and Henry stopped beside him.
Henry grinned at Gaius. Somehow, that smile made his skin crawl. But he couldn't let the mage see him shiver. Gaius knew full well that once someone became a Grimleal mage, they were always a Grimleal mage. They thrived on sowing fear and chaos with both their magic and their very demeanor. Sunshine did so by being abrasive to anyone she did not fully trust, or consider a close friend. Henry… he managed to unsettle everyone with an unnerving smile and foreknowledge that he would not hesitate to kill anyone and everyone. In fact, he'd probably laugh if he had to do that grisly task.
"What are you doing out here?" Laurent asked, "Is Miss Panne occupied at the moment?"
Gaius arched an eyebrow, "I'm not always hanging around Whiskers, ya know."
Henry snickered, "Could've fooled us." Laurent's cheeks blushed a little bit.
Gaius folded his arms, "Says the guy who won't leave Red alone. How many times have you visited her place in the past few weeks, eh, Junior?" Eh, a bit sloppy, but it works for a nickname. "You gonna meet the parents at some point?"
That knocked the usually smiling mage off balance. A nervous chuckle slipped from Henry's lips.
"I believe they are on their way to visit her from their home near the Eastern Palace. Messages travel slowly through the mountains, what with it being the tail end of winter and all now."
"Mmmm… you're probably praying that Mommy and Daddy Red take their sweet time getting here." Gaius snickered, "Oh, when they meet you, I would not be surprised if they grant you your greatest wish, pal."
"That being?" Laurent asked, puzzled.
"A long, drawn out, bloody death." Henry muttered, though not with his usual gusto. He cackled under his breath, "Not entirely sure I want that happening at the hands of the Wing Commander's family."
Gaius's jaw fell open, "Oh Naga, you are head over heels, aren't you?"
"I fail to comprehend how he can be head over heels when he is clearly standing on the grou-"
"Figure of speech, Specs." Gaius said with a roll of his eyes, "Geez, it means he's… he's… well he's head over heels for Red."
Laurent narrowed his eyes, "Puzzling." He cracked open the tome nestled in the crook of his right arm. A piece of charcoal sat in the binding, "I'll have to take note. Conduct further research and…" He blinked, a scarlet tint rushed over his cheeks as he pushed his glasses further up his nose, "D-do you perhaps mean that Professor Henry wishes to… mate with the Knight Commander?"
Gaius could not contain his laughter when Henry turned bright red. He doubled over, guffawing loudly while Laurent grew even more puzzled.
"I-I fail to see how this is a laughing m-matter." Laurent sputtered.
Gaius shook his head and waved off Laurent's concern, "Wh-whatever…" He sniffled and laughed some more, hands resting on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, "So, what are you two up to?"
"We just finished assisting Professor Tharja in investigating the enigmatic reeking box." Laurent answered.
Anymore laughter died in Gaius's throat, "Oh… that thing, eh?" Gaius leaned back against the wall again, "You working on that too, Junior?"
The mild embarrassment Henry felt earlier evaporated as the scarlet blush Gaius put on his cheeks faded. Instead, that same, mad gleam returned to his blue eyes. His lips parted into an almost manic smile.
"Absolutely. It is as if we are studying a piece of Grima himself. Of course, we haven't gleaned much yet but-"
"Yeah, yeah, fancy words and stuff." Gaius interrupted as he gestured at Henry, "Did ya figure out how to blow the damn thing up?"
Henry blinked and glanced over at Laurent, "We have to blow it up?"
"I was not aware?" Laurent whispered back.
"Tharja didn't say anything about-" Henry glanced over at Gaius again. He cleared his throat, "Not yet. Right now, Tharja is working on it on her own. I have been asked to deal with her Urchins while she conducts experiments. She has deemed the box too dangerous for the students to be around."
"Indeed." Laurent nodded.
Gaius worked his jaw back and forth, "So, you all are supposed to be with the brats, aren't you?"
"Our classes are done." Henry replied, "Now, Laurent and I were heading back to the barracks to conduct our own experiments."
"On?" Gaius asked, curious.
"Well, Laurent is curious about Plegian culture. Specifically, Grimleal customs and rituals. One of them involves a cake and-"
Gaius's hand snapped out and snagged Henry by the collar of his shirt. An already incredibly dangerous thing to do, but at this point, he felt so starved for his sugar that he did not care about his own survival. He yanked Henry close and glared into Henry's surprised, but still disturbingly cheerful eyes.
"Did you say cake?"
The oven inside of the palace kitchens burned hot, heating the entire room to a balmy temperature that reminded Gaius of a hot, summer day back in Plegia. Usually, the heat would cause complaints to come streaming from his lips. Plegia was a life he did not want to relive, or go back to. If he were to be honest with himself, he quite enjoyed the quieter (if he could even call it that) lifestyle of being a Shepherd. He enjoyed having a home, well… tent… to come back to at the end of the day. Enjoyed Whisker's company with him, even if she was a tyrant when it came to both sugar and stealing.
But you're letting her do that to ya, and you're sticking around. Gaius thought as he greedily eyed the cake baking inside of the oven, What does that say about you?
The thief drew back, eyes wide.
I might be head over heels for a bunny.
Laurent tapped his finger against the pages of his spellbook as he sat at a table near the oven. He removed his hat, letting his head breath in the hot room. One of his hands ran through his slicked back, blond hair as he stared down at some notes he scribbled in his spellbook. Off to the side, near a set of cupboards filled with various cooking ingredients, Henry looked busy. The Dark Mage opened a cabinet, investigated a set of spices by taking a sharp sniff of them, smirked, then quickly stuffed the entire jar into his robes.
There's a bit of a thief in him, eh? Gaius chuckled before glancing over at Laurent as the young mage let out an uncomfortable sound.
Laurent glanced over at Gaius.
"So… head over heels. Um…" He cleared his throat, a blush coming over his cheeks again, "I recall my father and Miss Sully discussing this topic with me in the future, but they never mentioned such an expression. Do you perhaps mean when the woman is on top of the man, with her face in-"
Gaius fell into uncontrollable laughter before Laurent could finish. Henry snickered off to the side as he shoved a large jar of cayenne pepper into his robes.
"Oh Naga… Muscles and Teach told ya that!?" Gaius howled where he stood, arms wrapped around his stomach, "But they didn't- they didn't, oh Naga, I can't. This is too-" He glanced over at Henry, "Please tell me you know what we're talking about?"
"I'm a Grimleal mage." Henry shrugged, "Perfectly aware."
An embarrassed expression flashed over Laurent's face. Henry lightly snickered some more as he pulled up a chair and joined Laurent and Gaius near the table.
Gaius nodded at Henry, "So, the Wing-Commander won't be your first, eh?"
Henry shook his head, "Actually, she would be my fir-" He caught himself, pale cheeks turning dark red. Gaius laughed some more.
"Oh I really wish Teach and Muscles were here now. They'd be having a field day with you two." He chuckled some more, "You both think I'm relentless, just be glad you're baking a cake with me." He whipped his gaze back to the oven, "Speaking of the cake, who is it for? What is it made of? And does that person actually need it?"
"Yes, she does actually need it." Henry finished with a mutter, scratching the back of his neck.
Gaius's eyes widened and he whipped his head back around to the Dark Mage.
"Oh…. ohohohohoho." Gaius nodded, "Yup, head over heels."
Laurent gasped, "Ooooh, that's what it means."
"He's finally caught on." Gaius said, gesturing the mage as he scribbled notes into his tome.
Henry snickered, "I was wondering when he was going to catch on."
Laurent furrowed his brow, "Are you two calling me slow?"
Gaius pursed his lips and shook his head, "No… not at all." He returned his attention to the cake, "So, flavor?"
Henry put a finger to his lips, "How to describe the flavor of this cake?"
"Is it vanilla?" Gaius asked, "Strawberry?" His excitement grew, "Chocolate? Oh Naga, if it's chocolate, I'm gonna steal it."
"How starved has Panne made you?" Laurent asked, slightly concerned.
"Very." Gaius whined. He then muttered under his breath, "Dumb vegetable diet. Guy loses his breath one time and…" He trailed off to where both Laurent and Henry could not hear him, "Can we try it?"
Henry nodded, "Of course. We have to taste test it to make sure it is cooked correctly." He looked past Gaius and into the oven, "And it should be ready."
"Yes!" Gaius cheered as Henry scooted past him, grabbed a pair of oven mitts, reached into the oven, and gently pulled the cake pan out.
It was a jet black cake. To Gaius, it looked like a burnt stone. Judging by the hard sound it made when Henry heaved it, and the pan, up onto the table, it weighed about as much as a large stone too. Gaius furrowed his brow and gave the circular cake a suspicious look.
"Um…" He drew back, putting a finger to his chin, "Is uh…" He gestured at the cake, "Is it supposed to look like uh… that?"
"Yup!" Henry beamed while Laurent watched, matching Gaius's apprehension.
Gaius raised his brow, "It's supposed to look like a piece of charcoal?"
"Absolutely!" Henry moved to a drawer in the cupboards nearby. Gaius expected him to grab a knife, or a fork, maybe a spoon? He did not expect the guy to grab a meat mallet and a butter knife, "I'll have to chisel off a piece."
Gaius looked incredulously at Henry, "Chisel?"
He flicked a nervous glance at the now intimidating slab of… something, sitting on the table beside him. Henry reached for the cake and lined up the butterknife with one of the round edges. He aimed the meat mallet, one eye closed.
"Gotta be careful now," Henry muttered, tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth, "Or I'll smash the cake… and possibly my hand." He cackled, "That'd be a fun visit to Libra."
"Very." Gaius muttered, still anxious about the strange cake.
With one sharp swing, Henry knocked several chunks off of the edge. All three hit the table with light taps, like pebbles falling down onto a wood floor. Gaius's apprehension grew as he noticed a black sludge coming from the cake, where Henry chipped off several pieces.
"Oh darn." Henry sighed, "Took a little too much off the top."
"What is that?" Gaius nodded at the sludge.
Henry beamed and slapped a piece of the cake into Gaius's palm.
It even feels like a rock! Gaius gulped.
"Just try it already." Henry turned and flicked a piece over to Laurent, which landed on his spellbook. Not a single crumb broke off of the piece, making Laurent's eyes widen with both worry and fascination, "It took me forever to find the right ingredients."
Gaius glanced over at Henry. This was the first time a sweet made him feel nervous like this in his entire life. But this… this did not feel like a normal sweet. He brought the piece close to his nose and sniffed.
Oh Naga! He recoiled as the scent of brimstone hit his nose.
"Hurry up! I need to know if I need to bake another for her." Henry snapped, a dangerous look entering his eyes.
Gaius swallowed hard and nodded over at Laurent, who gave him a stiff nod.
"Down the hatch, Specs."
They both popped their pieces of cake into their mouths. Gaius winced as the rock hard piece hit his tongue. Immediately, he tasted burnt dough. Chasing after that burnt taste, was the taste of… of…
Did this maniac put peppers in cake!?
As quickly as he could, Gaius spat it out. But that was not enough. The spice, the burning, the horrendous scent of charred dough and the taste of death lingered in the back of his mouth. As fast as his feet could carry him, Gaius scrambled over to a nearby water basin and dunked his entire head into it, gulping in water like a fish as he nearly drowned himself.
When he came up for air again, he found Henry staring absently at him. Meanwhile, through the water that dripped down the red hair plastered to his forehead, Gaius saw Laurent sitting deathly still, completely pale, one hand clenched into a tight fist as the chunk of cake he had been given rested inside of his cheek.
"Help." The young mage finally managed to squeak out.
"Spit or swallow already!" Gaius cried.
Laurent furrowed his brow as sweat built up on his brow, "Is that another euphemism for-"
Henry smacked Laurent's back hard, forcing him to cough up the piece of cake up onto the table. Laurent hacked several more times, wincing as Henry's hard slap reverberated through his lanky body.
"Ouch." Laurent gasped.
A despondent sigh left Henry's lips, "It's a traditional recipe."
He frowned over at Gaius. A very, very dangerous thing for anyone to see. Henry never frowned. He always smiled, even at the most dastardly, sickening, stomach churning things, he grinned. A frown meant one, terrible thing.
Someone had to die, and in a most painful manner.
Gaius quickly reacted, "It didn't taste bad per se. It was just-" Henry narrowed his eyes dangerously at the thief, "Different, right Specs."
"My mouth burns." Laurent replied bluntly.
"There's the Vaike in him." Gaius muttered, a defeated sigh on his lips. He took a deep breath and clapped his hands together, "I'm sure for a traditional recipe, Junior, you made it perfectly. It is just not… sweet. It is very, very, veeeery spicy."
"Extremely burnt too."
"Specs." Gaius stated.
"Yes?"
"Shut up!" He hissed.
Laurent gulped and ducked his head as Henry turned his dangerous glare over to him. The Dark Mage's lips twitched, and slowly, the corners of his mouth curled up once more.
"Well… what do you think she will like then?" Henry asked, folding his hands in front of him, "And can we make it look like that?" Henry pointed a finger at the abomination of a cake, "Because I already told her what it looks like."
Gaius held his breath for a moment. Was Henry serious? Did he… did he really just forgive them that easily?
I really am that lucky.
Gaius cleared his throat, "Y-yes, well um… Laurent, I recall a recipe that I liked quite a lot."
"It needs the ooze." Henry pointed out.
"Of course it does." Gaius grumbled under his breath. He thought hard for a moment. How to make the cake- "Fudge…"
"Pardon?" Laurent asked, "Did you say-"
"Fudge!" Gaius declared, "Specs, I need a bunch of fudge squares. Junior, get me some flour, eggs, milk, and sugar, now! When is this cake supposed to be done?"
"I was bringing it to her tonight, before dinner."
"The best time to eat cake!" Gaius declared, making Henry's grin broaden, "Excellent thinking, Junior." He slung an arm around the mages' shoulders, "A man after my own heart in that regard."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you for disliking the cake." Henry snickered as Gaius sucked in a sharp breath, "We used it to torture Ylisseans for a reason."
Gaius gulped, "Good to know." He squeaked before clearing his throat again, "Flour, eggs, milk, sugar, go!"
"On it!" Henry declared, sprinting off to the kitchen pantry.
Gaius clapped his hands together and rubbed them, anticipation mounting in him.
"I'm about to make the best damn cake this kitchen has ever seen, and that Red has ever tasted." He reached up and tightened his red headband. It was time to get to work.
"Gawds, mom." Severa drawled. She rolled her eyes as she carefully brushed Cordelia's long, red hair, "Why do I have to do this again? Your hands aren't paralyzed."
Cordelia laughed lightly at that even as Severa cringed in the wake of those harsh words.
"This is just a way I thought we could spend some time together, Severa." Cordelia said softly as she rested back against soft pillows.
When the Shepherds returned to Ylisstol, one of the first things both Chrom and Sumia did was grant Cordelia her own personal suite within the palace. She could stay as long as she wanted to, which Cordelia was grateful for. She also hoped she would not have to stay much longer. Part of her wanted to have her own house, now that Severa was in her life.
For now, her future daughter resided in the Shepherd's barracks. While cozy, Cordelia also knew Severa had a taste for the finer things in life. She learned that during her first attempt to spend time with the younger girl. The bill for that shopping spree ended up being enormous. While fun, Cordelia also knew it ate into the income she made during the war… significantly.
But there were some very pretty dresses involved. She thought to herself.
"We could spend time together by, y'know," Severa shrugged, pulling the hair brush away from Cordelia's head, "Shopping and-"
"As much fun as that would be," Cordelia chided, "Now that I can no longer do my job, we're not going to be able to afford such extravagant sprees anymore."
Severa furrowed her brow, puzzled, "But… you're still Wing Commander. Prince Chrom hasn't taken the rank from you and-"
"And eventually, the Pegasus Knights will need a commander that can actually fly with them."
Saying that out loud caused a pang to hit Cordelia's heart. It still hurt to think about. She will never be able to straddle a Pegasus again. She will never feel the wind blowing through her hair at thrilling speed, never feel her loyal steed's heart hammering beneath her as she guided it through the currents in the air, never hear the beat of angelic wings hammering on either side of her head. Her entire life, the one she knew, had been upended, and now… now it was not just herself she had to worry about.
"You alright?" Severa asked, in her usual gruff tone. She didn't add anything to it. Meaning she was genuinely concerned.
Cordelia put on a small smile even as the pain in her heart lingered. She brushed her hand along Severa's, "I'll be fine." She uttered a shuddering breath, "I um… I'm going to have to start finding my replacement probably. Sumia and Chrom will want my input."
"A little harsh, don't you think?" Severa asked, brow furrowed as she pulled the brush gently through Cordelia's hair again.
Cordelia swallowed, "Maybe, but it needs to happen. The Knights cannot wait for me to be ready, neither can the crown. Sumia and Chrom have a Halidom to rule, and the Knights protect the Halidom."
"Can't Sumia take command?" Severa asked, "I mean, she did a good job while you were gone. Not as good as you, but uh-" Severa winced as Cordelia turned to look at her, "G-gawds, why are you looking at me like that? I'm not good at this, okay!?"
Cordelia just smiled back, "I can tell, but it is still appreciated." She felt the brush run through her hair again, "It's not a bad idea either. Sumia was… well, if I read the reports right, she was incredible. Then again, I expected nothing less out of her. She's been training with a Pegasus nearly as long as me. I just happened to be knighted quicker." She took a deep breath, "If I can't find a suitable replacement, then Sumia will probably take over, temporarily. But she is also the Queen, Severa. She has-"
"Queen stuff? Yeah, yeah, I get it." Severa sighed, sagging in her chair beside her mother, "I just figured having her take over would, I dunno, hurt less?"
Cordelia nodded a little, "It would, I'll admit. I'd at least know the Knights will be in very capable hands." She took a deep breath, "It's just-"
"You want to stay?"
Cordelia nodded, swallowing down a shaky breath as she bowed her head.
"I'm sure Libra is trying his best, ya know." Severa said, doing her best to be reassuring, "I mean, he better be, or I'll kick his ass."
That managed to elicit a small laugh from Cordelia, "I'm sure you will." She turned and gently pushed Severa's hand down from her hair, "I'm um… feeling a little tired now, Severa. Do you mind if-"
The door to the suite burst open. Severa surged to her feet, drawing a dagger she always kept on her person. Cordelia whipped her gaze over as two flour covered men entered the room.
When Severa saw Gaius and Laurent, covered in flour, faces smeared with chocolate frosting, her eyes bugged out of her skull.
"Wh-wh-" She started to giggle, "What did you-"
"Lady Cordelia!" Gaius suddenly declared, making Cordelia jump in her bed, "We have spent the past few hours laboring hard and… and…" He leaned close to Laurent, "What was the word again?"
Laurent leaned into his ear and whispered. A flustered look came over Gaius's face.
"You mean I said it wrong from the start and-" He shook his head, "Aw, to hell with it. Junior! Get in here already!"
Cordelia furrowed her brow as she remained puzzled. Her confusion turned to pleasant surprise as Henry strode in, a small, round cake covered in chocolate frosting, sitting on a tray in his hands. Next to the cake were three small forks. A bright smile rested on the dark mage's face as he glided over the marble floor and set the tray down in front of Cordelia.
"Surprise!" He beamed.
Cordelia's eyes remained wide, "I-I-" She laughed a little, "Henry, I figured you would stop by at some point but to-" She sniffled, "Thank you."
"Thank me when I get ya fixed up!" Henry replied, "Now, wipe those tears away." He said with a wave of his hand, "Eat the cake."
Gaius and Laurent leaned forward as Cordelia picked up a fork. Time seemed to slow down as she dug into the chocolate mass. Hot fudge oozed from the center and over the small bit Cordelia cut out. Gaius gulped hard. Sweat beaded on his brow as he watched her bring the bit to her lips.
She chewed for a moment, then froze.
Uh oh… Gaius thought.
She swallowed and stared blankly forward for a moment.
"Henry…" Cordelia breathed.
A nervous smile replaced Henry's previously confident one, "Y-yeah?"
"That…" She glanced down at the cake in her lap, "Is perhaps the best cake I have ever had in my life." She ravenously took one more bite. Then another, and another. Severa's eyes widened as soon, half of the cake was missing. Chocolate fudge leaked out over the tray, but neither Cordelia or Henry cared.
"It is!?" Henry smiled.
"Absolutely!" Cordelia said with her mouth full.
"Oh Naga, she's forgotten her manners now." Severa nodded, "Yup, she's happy." She patted Henry's shoulder, "I'll leave ya two alone before I start gagging."
"Bye bye sweetheart!" Henry waved to her.
"Never call me that again." Severa grumbled as she neared the door. She paused beside a dumbfounded Laurent and Gaius, "Good job guys." He muttered before finally exiting the room.
Gaius stared stunned as Henry took a seat alongside Cordelia, picked up a fork, and joined her for dessert. Laurent rubbed at one of his eyes, before removing his glasses, polishing them with his robes, and replacing them on the bridge of his nose.
"We actually did it?"
Laurent nodded, "It appears we did."
"I was winging it the entire time." Gaius breathed.
"I knew that." Laurent muttered, "Who puts hot fudge in a cake?"
"Apparently we do." Gaius said with a slight smile, "And it's apparently delicious."
"Oh!" Cordelia cried, "I need to tell Sumia and Chrom about this. They're gonna want to have this at the ball they have planned soon." She looked over at Gaius and Laurent, "I'm sure they'll pay for them too."
Gaius froze, "Pay?"
"Payment is not neces-"
Gaius clapped a hand over Laurent's mouth, "Great idea, Red! C'mon Laurent, let's go get this recipe figured out a little more."
They both quickly exited, leaving Cordelia and Henry alone to enjoy the cake. As they strode through the corridor, Laurent wrenched Gaius's hand from his face.
"Gaius! What was that? We don't require payment from our friends."
"And what does Anna do?" Gaius countered.
Laurent frowned, "I think that is different. Her occupation is a merchant, after all."
"And ours is now," Gaius wrapped an arm around Laurent's shoulders, pulling the tall mage down to his height, "Sweet makers extraordinaires! We're gonna be rich, Specs!"
Gaius whooped and rushed down the hall. As he ran, his grin widened.
I've found my hobby! He turned the corner and ran down the stairs. Who knew I could take people's money and enjoy sweets at the same time? He paused on a landing, Why the hell did I not think of this sooner!? He laughed to himself and rushed out of the palace back towards home.
As he rushed, he made sure to mentally recite the recipe he came up with over and over in his head. He stopped in front of Ylisstol's gates and spun around, a wide grin on his lips. The ball would be soon. He heard about it from the other Shepherds a few days ago, but discounted it entirely at first. Balls weren't his thing, and Panne never let him go after any of the shiny stuff during them. But now, he was looking forward to it. Especially since his sweets were going to hopefully be the main dessert!
He stared back at the city gates and put his hands on his hips.
"I'm gonna cook the greatest sweets this city has ever seen!"
And chapter! This was very, very fun. Nothing like doing a nice, sweet (ha!) chapter for a change. This all does eventually lead into the rest of the ongoing story. Chrom and Sumia would not call a ball without something important coming up. It's going to be fun! Next chapter we'll probably jump across the pond to Valm. We've got a few characters to check in on there.
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!
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