"Maybe Father should have put you in charge of the ship manifests," Veronica responds. "I'd never remember that."
"I only know because of the fresh ingredients in the kitchen right now," I point out. "If you ask me how much cinnamon we have from Shengda, then I can tell you. But if you ask me how many bolts of silk we have from Gaullesse, then I wouldn't be able to tell."
"That's because most of our silk comes from Shengda too," Kathryn says from my right, surprising me. I didn't realise she was paying any attention to us.
"See," I say to Veronica. "I don't know any of that."
"Though the silk does come through Gaullesse, so it's an easy mistake to make," Kathryn says. "It's the quickest route between Shengda and Falhaven, and Shengda has treaties with both of our kingdoms."
"How do you even know that?" Veronica asks our older sister.
"You think Father lets me do my duties based on my charm alone?" she asks, flicking her long brown hair over her shoulder. "I've had to study all of this."
"I don't envy you," I say, sitting back in my seat. "I'd make a terrible Crown Princess. I don't even have any charm to be able to work with."
"You have charm," Veronica assures me. "It's a unique kind of charm, and it mostly comes out when you're talking about cake, but you're not totally useless."
"Thanks," I murmur.
Our conversation is cut into by the arrival of the servants with our dessert.
"I have to admit, you know what you're talking about," Veronica says as she looks down at her plate of cheesecake with several blackberries dotted around it artfully, alongside a drizzle of purée.
"If there's one thing I know, it's food," I respond. "And the kitchen staff know how to make the most of seasonal ingredients."
"What about you?" Veronica asks curiously.
"It's a challenge to be limited to what's in season, but I also like it when there are new ingredients from other kingdoms that I can use."
"No doubt that's what you're looking forward to the most with our cousins' visit." She pushes her spoon through her cheesecake, making a satisfied hum when she eats it. "Other than your baker returning."
"He's still not my baker," I mutter. "But yes, I'm looking forward to seeing what gifts our cousins bring. I hope they have some of the sweet syrup they brought a couple of years back."
"What would you even do with it?" she asks.
"I think it's part of the filling in the middle of the stroopwafels you like," I say. "But that's part of the fun. Finding new things to do with it."
She gives me a strange look. "You're full of contradictions."
"I don't believe so."
"Well, you wouldn't," she responds. "But you like things to be the same all the time, except when it comes to baking, then you'll try anything."
I shrug. "Baking comes with instructions and rules." I take a bite of the cheesecake, nodding in response to the creamy taste that goes perfectly with the blackberries. "And I don't have to like what I make in order to enjoy the process of making it."
"You don't eat everything you bake?" There's surprise in her voice.
"I normally try it," I respond. "But I don't eat most of it."
"What does happen to it?"
I shrug. "The kitchen staff eat it. Or in some cases, we eat it for breakfast."
"Mmm, I do like those days," Veronica responds. "Maybe I'll even get some of the croissants you make tonight. I did like them when I went on the state visit to Gaullesse with Father a few years back."
"I'll tell Nate you want them," I respond.
"Thanks." She smiles and turns back to her cheesecake.
