For crying out loud… I end up sharing the gift Sieg gives me with others, but when I tell him the good news, he doesn't let me finish the whole thing and ends up shutting me out, thinking that I used him. Hey, I'm not like that!
"Miss Carly, it's Hans," I hear Hans over the phone. "I'm calling with a message from Sieg."
Speak of the devil… I guess?
"From Sieg?" I inquire.
"There's something he wants to give you. He'd like you to come to the castle." Hans said.
That gets me a little curious. What could Sieg want to give me? It's unusual, especially because I can be so sassy towards him.
I don't give it much more thought; knowing how impatient that guy can be, I decide to make a run for it to the castle. I try to be as discreet as possible to make sure I don't cause a scandal. Sieg hates it enough as it is that most people only see him for his title, so for him to get to into a scandal due to me being careless would make him lose his temper like a volcano that ate at least three whole Habanero chili peppers.
Once I make it to the castle, I decide not to dawdle and I make a beeline for Sieg's office. I knock a few times and then open the door before walking in.
"Miss Carly, good to see you." Hans greets me.
"She's here?" Sieg says, and then I look in his direction.
I see that piles of documents surround him; heavy documents at that, as well. I see him give me a glance before looking back down and going back to working. Thinking that, in spite of him calling me here, he's a really busy bee, I decide to make this quick and not waste time.
I walk over to his desk and I see him signing documents faster than a Peregrine falcon about to stoop.
I look over his shoulder and see him signing his name, and I think about how he does it. It's very formal and impressive. So that's how his name is signed…
He looks up, and starts staring at me for some reason.
"Carly…" He says.
"What's the matter?" I ask.
I don't know why, but the way he says it causes my heart to accelerate. What's going on?!
"You… have absolutely no sense of style, as usual." Sieg says to me.
I literally feel like an anvil dropped on my head with the word "poor fashion sense" on it, and this only gets my blood boiling.
"Wha…?" I begin.
"But I guess there's no point in saying that now." Sieg says to me.
"Hey, you're the one who was an idiot and called me at the last minute! Don't blame me for poor timing!" I bark back.
"Whatever. Come closer." He says to me.
I reluctantly comply. Ugh, I get all anxious and excited, and then he goes and bursts my bubble and flattens my soufflé! I should have known better than to believe Sieg would have fallen in love with me at first sight.
I go closer to the desk and then something sweet catches my nose.
"This smell…" I say, trying to pinpoint the name of the dessert.
"It's madeleines." Sieg says, as he holds out a basket to me; it was a basket that was on the desk.
"What's this for?" I ask him; I'm not sure what he's getting at.
"My skills have improved. I thought it was time to try making something of my own." Sieg explains to me.
"Wow! You made those? That's great!" I say, feeling really proud. "I guess when Hans said you had something to give me, these madeleines were what he was talking about."
"Don't get the wrong idea! It's not like I made them especially for you," Sieg says, a bit flustered. "I just wanted you to taste-test them."
Where'd he get that idea? No one said anything about him making the madeleines for me specifically.
"A-Anyway, go ahead and try one." Sieg tells me.
I shrug a bit and then take a madeleine out of the basket; I undo the wrapping and then I look at it. I see specks of black in the yellow batter, and that only means one thing: vanilla bean. I take a bite and I can clearly taste the vanilla bean in the cake.
"Mm…! Delicious! The texture of the madeleines are just right and the taste of the vanilla bean really comes through, too!"
"I know you like vanilla, so I tried adding a bit extra." Sieg tells me.
I then give him a look at that statement. Didn't he say that he didn't make them for me? If that's the case, then…?
"Because he likes you!"
I remember what May had told me some time after the boat party but then I shake it off.
"What is it?" Sieg asks; nuts, he caught me in thought.
"It's nothing. The shape is also perfect; they could be sold in the store. They're that good." I say with a smile.
"Well, of course. I made them, after all." Sieg says, with a big smile.
I feel my chest get warm at this sight, but then I shake it off again as I can't seem to get the thought of Sieg having feelings for me out of my mind.
Some time later, I've already left the castle. However, I intend on going back to Patisserie Brown to help set up for tomorrow. I'm carrying Sieg's madeleine basket on my arm and I'm humming happily.
I don't know why I've become so comfortable around Sieg lately. I've seen so many sides to him, as well. But the one thing about him that's sticking out in my mind is the conversation the other princes had that I overheard some time back.
I do believe in love at first sight, but it's unwise to just take the plunge as soon as it happens. This isn't some sort of fairytale, like Cinderella or the like. Then again, a commoner like me being friendly with a prince like Sieg, sort of counts as a Cinderella story. The only thing is that it's not so much a love story as it is some sort of friendship… I think. I honestly don't know where I stand with Sieg, but it's not as if I love him… Do I? But the one thing I know is that I'm happy to see how passionate Sieg is about baking.
My thoughts are interrupted when I hear the sound of a child crying. I see a little boy sitting on the ground in front of the store.
"Oh, gosh! Are you okay?!" I say, as I make a dash over to the child. I set the basket down at my feet and help the little boy up.
Another group of boys came up to me afterwards, and they all surround us.
"Hey, it's the cake lady!" One of the boys says to me.
"Hello." I say with a big smile.
"Why is he crying?" Another one of the boys asked me.
"Oh, he fell over. Oops, looks like there's some blood over there." I say, and I take out a tissue from my bag and wipe the blood off.
Good thing I carry a first-aid kit with me.
"What's in here?" The first of the boys asks me.
They're all looking into the madeleine basket.
"They're a type of cake called madeleines," I say with a gentle smile. "Wanna try one? They're excellent."
"Can I?" "I want one!" The boys cheerfully ask, and I giggle.
"Here you go," I say as I hand them a madeleine each. I also hand one to the one with the wounds. "How about you?"
"Thanks." The sniveling boy said, as he took the madeleine.
As he nibbled on it, his eyes brightened up and his tears stopped.
"Mm… Yummy!" He says, as he smiles.
"Aren't they?" I ask, with a smile, and I start laughing a bit.
This is great! Sieg's cakes can actually stop a child from crying.
The next day, I'm working at the store; I've put up a sign out in the shop window when…
"It's the cake lady from yesterday!" I hear someone say.
I turn around and I see the group of boys from the day before, accompanied by a few women, most likely their mothers.
"Mommy, she's the nice lady from yesterday!" The boy that had fallen down the other day said, pointing to me.
"Oh, thank you very much for looking after my son." The boy's mother said.
"And for giving my boy those cakes." The second mother said.
"You're very welcome. I happened to have a lot; it's no problem." I say with a laugh.
"He won't stop asking for another one." The second mother said.
This catches my attention.
"I had a bite myself, and they really are delicious. Can I buy them here?" The third mother inquired to me.
Uh-oh… This is a problem. I start wondering what to do or how to answer.
"About that…" I begin, but then Yosef comes in on the conversation.
"Carly, what's going on?" Yosef says, poking his head out of the shop.
The mother of the boy who was injured speaks up and says, "We just came to say thank you for the madeleines we got yesterday."
"Madeleines?" Yosef asks.
"I'm sorry, but we don't have them in the store. A friend of mine made them." I say.
For obvious reasons, I refrain from mentioning Sieg's name. He hates being seen for nothing more than his position; no way I would put him through that again.
"Oh, I see. That's a shame…" The second mother said, her eyes looking down.
"Aww, but I want another!" Her son complained, upset.
"If you did sell them, we'd come buy them every day." The third mother said.
"Really…?" I say.
This is starting to turn out a little strange. It's so nice that they want more and I want to give them more, too, but…
"Carly, could you recreate those madeleines?" Yosef asks me.
Looks like he and I are thinking the same thing. The saying goes 'Great minds think alike'. I wonder… Would Sieg be happy that a lot of people are eating them and that we had them in stock? My brain is telling me that Sieg would be happy, but in the back of my mind and in my gut, I'm a little reluctant for some reason.
"I'm on it." I say with a nod.
As the days go on, I keep trying and failing to recreate the madeleines, but it takes me about five to eight tries to get it right. The first batch was too dense, the second one was too sweet, the third was lacking in vanilla, and the fourth one I ended up not baking enough. The fifth try, I forgot the butter, and on try number six, I added too much vanilla.
After the seventh try, I finally get it right, or at least, close enough.
"Perfect!" I say, with a smile and a nod.
Once I stock the shelves with the madeleines, they begin selling like hotcakes, which, technically, they could be… Maybe?
"Carly, they're a hit!" Yosef says to me.
"I certainly didn't see that coming." I admit.
"By the way, Carly, you stamped this 'S' on top of them… What does it stand for?" Yosef asks me.
"Er… Well…" I begin. As if I can tell him that it's for 'Sieg'! Sieg hates being taken advantage of like that, so while the intention is that I want to give Sieg credit, I want it to be kept secret.
"It's for 'Special Madeleine'." I say, covering my tracks.
"Hm? Really?" Yosef asks, with a smile.
"Right. Because they're so popular and unique." I say.
A few days later, I'm humming happily as I'm once again at the castle for a lesson with Sieg. I'm really happy and I'm eager to tell Sieg about the madeleines. Once he learns that they're selling like nuts and the fact that his involvement in the whole thing is only between us, he'll be thrilled!
Wait… Why am I suddenly so happy about that guy's opinion? I shake it off and I try to make sure to focus.
"Miss Carly, you seem to be in good spirits." Hans says, as he comes out to greet me.
"I have no reason not to be," I say with a big smile. "I have something to tell Sieg."
"Something to tell Sieg? What is it?" Hans asks me.
"All I'm saying is that it's about sweets." I say with a wink.
"I see. He's been busy every day with preparations for the Expo, so your lessons are a really good break for Sieg." Hans informs me.
"That's great to hear!" I say, and this gets me even more excited to tell him the news.
I make it to the kitchen, and Sieg is already there. He seems annoyed.
"Late. You really do have no sense of propriety." Sieg says to me.
"Hey, Sieg." I say with a smile. His arrogance rolls off my back like water on a duck.
I hand over the box of madeleines I brought him and I'm just brimming with excitement.
"Took a lot of tries, but here's some of the madeleines you gave me. I recreated the formula." I say with a smile.
"Oh, yeah…?" Sieg asks me.
"Give one a try." I say.
He stuffs one in his mouth; I giggle at the sight of his cheeks puffed out.
"They're good! You nailed the flavor like a true pro." Sieg tells me.
"Really? That's a relief," I say. "When I was heading home yesterday, I gave one to a little boy was crying. Once he took a bite, he stopped crying. He wanted another."
"Great to hear." Sieg says.
"His mother said she really wanted them to be sold at the store, so I recreated your formula!" I say with a big smile.
Sieg seems speechless, but I continue.
"Your Madeleines are a bigger hit than Idina Menzel in her "Wicked" performance! They're that good!" I say. "I wanted to thank you for this."
"This 'S' printed on the top…" Sieg says, but I notice that he's a little upset.
"Well… about that. While yes, it is your initial, but…" I begin, but…
"I see how it is…" Sieg says, a little coldly.
"Excuse me?" I ask.
This isn't what I was expecting. His mouth is in a grim line and I thought he'd be happy, but… Now I'm not too sure.
"Sieg? Are you okay?" I inquire.
"I really thought you were different…" He says to me. "I was so wrong."
"I beg your pardon?" I inquire.
"Your shop is profiting off my name. Lucky you," Sieg says. "Don't worry, this is the last time we'll be in touch."
"Now hold it…" I being; he didn't let me finish the whole thing!
Sieg then leaves the kitchen, and an icy trail is hanging in his wake. As soon as our eyes meet, I can read his message.
"Don't ever talk to me again."
My heart pangs; I should have seen this coming… What was I thinking?!
It's been a few days, and I'm back at the store; a cloud is hanging over my head.
"Carly, you seem depressed lately. Is everything all right?" Yosef asks me.
Heck no!
"Yes…" I say, trying to hide things.
I really want to make amends with Prince Sieg, but he hasn't contacted me. Why do I feel so gross at the thought he's cut ties with me.
I guess it's safe to assume baking lessons are out of the question now. He was having fun, too. His smile from when I gave him praise floats into my mind.
I decided to stop selling the madeleines at the store.
"Hey, Cake Lady." A voice says, and I look up to see the young boy from earlier.
"Hi. Running errands for your mom?" I inquire.
"Yep! She told me to buy some madeleines." He tells me.
"Oh… We're not selling them anymore." I say, sadly.
"Huh? Really? Why not?" He asks.
"It's a long story… But all I can say is that the reasons are quite important." I say.
His shoulder slump and he's quite sad.
"Forgive me…" I say.
"I love them. They taste so warm and fluffy." He says to me.
"I concur." I say, feeling really down.
This whole thing makes me want to puke.
Later at the castle, I try to get Hans to let me talk to Sieg, but it's like hitting a brick wall.
"Please, I need to talk to Prince Sieg!" I say; I had forced my way in…
Hans shoots me a look of guilt, and he says, "Sieg's orders are to turn you away."
I don't reply.
"He's unavailable. Meetings and whatnot…" Hans says.
I know what he's really saying.
"Really? Fine, I'll go home for today." I say.
"I'm truly sorry. All I can do is relay his orders." Hans says to me.
"Just… Could you tell him something for me?" I request.
"Yes, what is it?" Hans asks me.
"There's something he has to see. I need him to come by the store tomorrow once he has time." I say, getting an idea.
"There's something you want to show him…?" Hans asks.
"Yes, it's something important… for both of us." I say, as I try to appeal to Hans.
The following night, I bake up a large amount of the madeleines to sell the next day. I have this idea coming up and I think it just might be the thing to clear things up. Everyone was catching wind of the secret sale and the line began going out the door.
"Welcome!" I say, as the doors open.
A customer comes in and she says, "Oh goody! You're selling the madeleine cakes again?"
"It's a special, one-day sale!" I say with a big smile.
"Ooh, lucky! I'll take some!" The customer said, and I gave him a large amount of the madeleines, just like he wanted.
"Thank you!" I say with a large smile.
"My family loves these! We've been craving these! They have that special something the other shops can't beat!" He says.
I feel deep satisfaction watching everyone buy the batches of the madeleine cakes, and I'm feeling somewhat better. The thing is, something is still weighing on my mind: will Sieg come?
As soon as I let out a dejected sigh, I see an expensive, black car pull up a short distance away.
"Ah! Yosef, mind if I take off for a moment?" I ask.
"Uh, sure…" Yosef begins, and I immediately make a beeline for the door.
I hurry outside and I see Prince Sieg. I call out to him as he gets out of the car.
"Sieg! You're here!" I say.
"What did you want to show me?" Sieg asks me.
I see his icy stare, but I let it slide because he's here.
"Take a look: the customers. I wanted you to see for yourself the smiles your cakes are bringing." I say.
"That's all?" Sieg asks; he's not convinced…
"Not convinced?" I inquire.
"Like I said. It's not my skill that brings these people, it's my name. If they weren't 'the prince's madeleines', people wouldn't give a crap. You used me for free publicity because you knew that." Sieg says.
Now I get it.
"You know me better than that." I say.
"Don't play coy. You even branded them with an 'S' for 'Sieg'. You're just like all the other harpies that surround me." Sieg says, angrily.
I then snap and bonk him on the head.
"Hey! Ouch! What was that?" Sieg asks me.
"Idiot… I know that you hate being seen for nothing more than your title. That's why I kept the fact that they're your recipe between the two of us and that alone! No one knows; not Yosef, not my coworkers, heck, none of the patrons know!" I say.
"What…?" Sieg asks me.
"They're popular because people genuinely love them! They're addicted to them! They can't get enough of them!" I say.
Sieg silently looks at everyone lining up to buy his madeleines. They're standing around eating them, smiling, and unwrapping their purchases.
"Miss Cake Lady!" I hear someone say.
I turn around and see the little boy walking with his mother, and holding a madeleine in his hand, eating it with a smile.
"You bought some more! Thanks!" I say, delighted.
"Yep, they're so yummy!" He says to me.
"We'd love it you could sell them again, for his sake!" His mother said.
"Thanks, Miss Cake Lady!" Her son says, as he and his mom walk away with big smiles.
"See? You're the cause of their smiles. Don't think that the fact you're a prince has anything to do with it." I say.
"Carly…" He tells me.
"Thanks to you, I learned something as small as a cake is capable of spreading happiness around. To the patrons and me, you're important as a human being, not a royal." I say.
Sieg seems to be in shock and his coldness melts.
~Sieg's POV~
I can't believe I ever doubted her! Hans was right; she'd never betray me.
"Sorry for jumping to conclusions." I say, apologizing.
"No… I was the idiot who put the 'S' on the madeleines," She tells me. "You deserve credit; they were your idea, secret or no secret."
"Didn't people ask you why you put an 'S'?" I ask her.
"It stood for 'Special'." She admits.
"Special Madeleines…?" I say. What a simplistic name!
I smile and turn away before laughing, "Hahaha! Special Madeleines…!"
"Not funny, Sieg…" She tells me.
"No, I thought it was kind of… simplistic, but that's so you! Pfft." I laugh.
Carly merely shakes her head in annoyance.
I want to sweep her in my arms right now…
She and I lock eyes before smiling.
"Thanks, Carly…" I say to her.
"Sieg…" She says to me.
"You really are a cut above the rest…" I say to her, and then caress her cheek.
I want to spend forever with her.
"Can we… talk?" I ask her. "There's something I want to ask you…"
~End of Sieg's POV~
I'm relieved that Sieg and I are at an understanding, and I feel a lot better. When he asked me if we could chat, I knew it wasn't the right time.
"Can it wait? My shift isn't over." I say.
"Okay. I'll be waiting in the car." Sieg says to me.
"Sure… I should get back." I say.
"Yeah." Sieg says.
That's out of character; no impatience? Protesting? I feel where his hand was on my cheek, and I get back to work.
Once all is said and done, I get in the car with Sieg and then Hans drives us to the lakeshore looking out over the castle. The castle itself makes a beautiful backdrop across the twilight sky.
"Wow… This is quite the place." I say, in awe of the scene.
"Isn't it?" Sieg asks me. "All the castle residents know about it."
"It's new to me." I state.
"You like it?" He asks me.
"It's very calming. Hey, I could get some great inspiration for decorations for cake." I say, looking at the scene and getting out my sketchbook.
"I love coming here when I need thinking time." Sieg says, suddenly growing somber, and staring off into the sunset.
I guess he came here to cool off after that little misunderstanding started.
"What's the issue you want to vent about?" I inquire to him; I'm worried.
"Oh, that," Sieg says, and then gets started. "Remember you said I matter more as a person than a prince?"
"Yes, I do." I say with a nod.
"To be honest, that really made me happy. Because sometimes I feel that all people see is my title." Sieg tells me, blushing.
He did say that during the concert.
"Doesn't that come with the birthright?" I inquire. "But why do you think that?"
"I…" Sieg says, but then sighs. "Recently, a man called Ulrich embedded himself at my father, The King's, side. The King… threw me aside in favor of consulting him."
"Ulrich…" I begin, running that name through.
"All of my father's decisions about the country now pass through this man," Sieg admits. "All he's left to me lately is carousing at galas and the like… I'm pretty much a cardboard stand-in for when they need a royal appearance."
Now I get it. This 'Ulrich' guy has managed to earn the King's trust to the point where he won't even trust his own son. That's pretty pathetic.
"I've been trained to the strictest of royal standards since I can remember. I'm here to support the King and take his place when the time comes… I feel discarded." Sieg admits.
"Sieg…" I say, putting my hand on his shoulder; it must be breaking his heart knowing his own father has lost faith in him somehow.
"I've heard the rumors of strange happenings in DresVan. It all started when Ulrich attached himself as aide to my father. What the hell is he thinking, relying on someone as shady as that…?" Sieg says.
He's gazing at the castle, but I can tell his mind is somewhere else, but in the situation he's in, I can't really blame him.
"I'm with you," I say in agreement. "He's your father; why wouldn't he have any faith in you? That makes about as much sense as chocolate chip cookies without any chocolate."
"I have no idea. The commemoration of the founding of DresVan is creeping up," Sieg began. "I expected an invitation, but…"
"Let me guess: you haven't gotten anything?" I say to him.
"No, I haven't…" Sieg says to me.
"What the heck?! That makes about as much sense as lemon cake without any lemons!" I say, ticked off. "You're invaluable to the DresVanese! The very fact that you're not invited to the commemoration ceremony is unthinkable!"
"What got you in a tizzy?" Sieg asks me.
"I couldn't help it," I say, crossing my arms. "I just got quite upset."
"Actually, the day we first met, I had planned to rush back to my country. I received some information from a contact back in DresVan about a political upset. On the way to the airport, I got a call from my father that my presence wasn't needed. He told me to attend the party and that Ulrich was taking care of it," Sieg explained to me. "I was on my way back when I picked you up."
"That explains a few things." I say.
"Pfft…" Sieg chuckles, and I see his gloominess dissolves with a happy smile. "I can't help laughing when I remember you back then. Standing in front of the car covered in flour. You were pretty desperate!"
"Hey, can't you forget that even happened?" I inquire.
"Never! You're the first woman that ever left a lasting impression on me!" He says to me.
Okay, Sieg chose me as a marriage candidate for the fun of it and just to amuse himself. As if he'd take it seriously…
"When I'm with you, I'm distracted from my obligations." Sieg tells me.
"Hey, I'm a nuisance, is that it?!" I shout, getting a little upset.
Besides, he brought me here, anyway!
"Coming from me, that's a high compliment." Sieg tells me.
I blush and I give him a bit of a smile; I shouldn't have snapped.
"Really?" I inquire.
I see him smiling at me, but there's another emotion I can't read in his eyes.
That's a relief. Now I'm more aware of Sieg's own troubles. Then again, troubles are around for royals no matter what. Next time, Sieg goes out of his way to help me in my time of need… If that's a good way of putting it…
