.
.
"What the devil are you doing?" Gautier said, as he followed his supposed sister into the kitchen. Mebuki was going cupboard to cupboard, rummaging through the dishes and nosing her way about the pantry.
"I'm getting something to eat." Gautier watched as she stuck a loaf of bread under her arm.
"Why will you not call the maids, then? Are you afraid the food will be poisoned?" Gautier said.
"The maids are all busy - don't you have somewhere else to be?" She pulled a plate of leftover ham and a hunk of cheese, the bulk of which the nobles had picked over daintily. Gautier sighed.
"To think my dear sister was taken over by this uncouth, low-class woman. The thought of it makes my head spin," Gautier said.
"Huh," Mebuki said, and she picked up a pot of honey. "Oh well, whatever," and she drizzled it over the slice of bread. Gautier huffed.
"I'm not entirely convinced you are to be trusted." He crossed his arms and watched as Mebuki sniffed a flask of distilled spirits, then rummaged around until she found a jar of fermented liquid.
"This kinda smells like kimchi," she said to herself. Gautier raised his eyebrows as she began drizzling the liquid onto the bread.
"If you want oil, it is over there," Gautier started, then stopped surprised as she took the hunks of bread and cheese and smushed them together, pressing in-between them a few ragged pieces of ham. "What on earth are you doing?"
"I'm making a sandwich." She waved the smushed pieces of bread, showing him. "Wait, do you guys not have sandwiches?"
Gautier stared at her. "What the blazes is a 'sandwich'?"
"Oh my god - am I seriously going to invent something?! Fucking finally!"
"What?" Gautier said.
xXx
.
Gautier stared doubtfully at the cart Mebuki had ordered from the kitchen maid - a loaf of sliced bread, meats sliced thinly. A tray of cheeses and a few pots of condiments.
"See? It's called a sandwich! You can eat all of these in your hand, like this!"
"That looks haphazard," Gautier said, looking at the sandwich. Mebuki gestured.
"No look, they're portable! You can take them out on picnics-"
"Why take them out on picnics when you can have your servants pack you a proper spread?" Gautier said.
"Well, you can wrap them up and put them in your pocket-"
"...you are telling us to put rolled up meat in our jacket pockets?" Gautier said.
"Or when you go hunting, you can pack sandwiches, so if you're hungry you can just eat them."
"It's dangerous bringing food into the forest," Gautier said. "It will attract animals and make it more likely you'd be attacked."
"But the bread keeps your hands clean," Mebuki said. Gautier reached over and plucked a piece of meat.
"My hands are still quite clean," Gautier said.
"Oh my god, you are so annoying," Mebuki said.
xXx
.
The nobles at the court stared confused as the kitchen maids brought over trays of delicate finger sandwiches.
"They are little triangles of bread with stuffing in them. How positively droll," one of the nobles said.
"These are called 'sandwiches,'" Princess Audrey said. She stood with all the poise and gravitas as befitting of her royal station. "A tiny little morsel I thought up whilst tending my roses. I was in the garden, you see, and I was quite busy weeding. I thought to myself how convenient it would be if I had something bite-sized, easily portable, and something that could fit within the palm of my hand."
The nobles murmured to themselves. Princess Audrey gave them a magnanimous smile, watching them.
They took apart the bread and started picking out the pieces of cheese and meats, plucking them with their fingers.
"No no, you eat them in a single bite. Shall I demonstrate? Like this," Audrey said, holding a sandwich up in the air and biting it, exaggerated.
"Excuse me, may I have a fork and knife?" a noble said to the maid. Another noble gestured.
"I as well would like a fork and knife."
"Fucking Jesus Christ-"
"I beg your pardon, Princess Audrey?"
"Ah, Ahhh~~~ A colloquialism, dear Sir. F-fork in cheese is, chr- quite right."
"Ah, my apologies, Your Highness. I had misheard you."
xXx
.
"Here," Mebuki said, and she handed a knight a basket.
"What is this?" the knight said. He was about to go hunting with his men. Mebuki gestured.
"Open it," she said.
There were sandwiches. Wrapped sandwiches with different types of filling. "Take them so you won't get hungry," Mebuki said. "There's enough for all your men."
The knight clutched the basket, touched. "Thank you," the knight said.
xXx
.
"Princess Audrey made us 'sandwiches,'" one of the knights said.
They passed out the sandwiches. Automatically they took them apart, spreading the bread and cheese and meat out and lying them side by side on the wrapper.
xXx
.
"This seems quite convenient," Zachary said, picking up the sandwich. Mebuki jumped up, excited.
"You! You! You're the only one who gets it! You're a man of culture! No wonder you're the male protagonist!"
They were visiting the duchy again, the king taking interest in Bianca's lace business. Zachary chuckled good-naturedly while his three knight generals eagerly started eating their sandwiches.
"Wow! This is great, Princess!" Saveur said. Gaspar nodded, checking a bite of sandwich. Mebuki beamed at them.
"I'm so happy you like them!"
xXx
.
The nobles were abuzz: a nameless chef at House Arno created a portable snack called a "sandwich."
"They say his lordship created them on the field of battle."
"Indeed, they are portable and convenient."
"Have you heard of it, Princess?" her sister-in-law said. Mebuki forced a smile. Her eyebrow twitched.
The teacup shattered in her fist. The noblewomen jumped up, shocked.
"Are you okay, Princess?!"
"A moment, ladies. Lest I loose my tongue and curse a certain man of culture."