~Arika's POV~
"Beka asked me 'why are you here?' Which probably means Beka was trying to stall me from getting here." Sin-Vira spoke before he hastily swallowed his bite of bread before downing the water. He held his tray up to Suni who begrudgingly took it.
"Gosh! I knew that slimy jerk was up to no good. Ugh! That cocky little prick is getting it next time I see him!" Arika swore. " Even if you used what happened as a valid reason for being late, the residence would likely see you as the villain for trying to shift the blame."
Suni slammed another tray of rolls down. "Yeah! Instead, he's scaring away my customers. I hope you can pay for all this!"
Sin-Vira winced and sheepishly laughed. "How much exactly?"
"That's about two hundred jade shards."
"Two… two hundred!?"
"You not only ate two batches, but you also are scaring off customers who can pay."
Arika stifled a laugh as she waved her hand dismissively. "It's not his fault they're all scared. The king practically painted all Snapdragons as dangerous ruffians with no self-control. In Vira's case, he just lacks self-control when it comes to food!"
Suni pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I'm still at a loss in payment."
"Then I'll pay. Vira's my guest anyways. So I take full responsibility for him."
Sin-Vira was quick to stand up from his seat. "I rather you did not pay for me."
"Awe! Because you're just a sweet gentleman?" Arika joked.
"No. It's because I much rather work to pay it off than ever owe you a thing." He glared at her.
Suni's eyes lit up as she clasped her hands together. "Actually! I do need extra hands for a bit! Prince Sin-Vira can help me to pay back what he owes!"
Arika glanced over at Vira before shrugging. "If you're willing to put up with him. He's a pain every now and then." The bell rang and she groaned. "And I have to attend some lame meeting with some noblemen I can't put up with. I'll be here around the evening bell. I'm praying for your sanity! You also have my full permission to whip him into shape!"
Suni waved. "Try not to die of boredom, Ari- Sibylla!" She corrected herself before clearing her throat. Arika didn't even falter at the mistake as she continued walking away. So long as she didn't react to her mistakes, it was on Suni to correct herself.
~Sin-Vira's POV~
Vira watched Sibylla leave before he over to Suni who seemed troubled. He felt less uneasy with Sibylla now gone, but he wouldn't let the slip-up go so easily.
"You were about to say 'Arika'. Wasn't she Sibylla's little sister?" he questioned.
Suni grasped onto her beige apron as she nodded. "It was a mistake! Those two used to look so similar…" she blurted.
The prince recalled Sibylla having long seafoam green hair with pink ends, while Arika had short, pink hair. From his memory, neither sister looked similar.
"The last time I saw them was when we were kids. But I don't remember them looking similar in any way." He looked directly at her. "Unless I'm mistaken, Arika succumbed to her illness along with her mother. I never had the chance to at least attend either funeral…"
Suni let out a depressed sigh. "Losing two royals in such a short time frame left the kingdom shaken. But Sibylla remained strong and did what she could to bring back the light we lost. We're blessed to have the King and Sibylla to guide us all."
"She's not the Bylla I remember. Everything about her just seems off now..."
The baker seemed bothered as she picked up the empty trays. "Well, maybe you two weren't as close as you thought? Even I went from a troublesome little girl to a respectable young lady!" She suddenly perked up as she smiled. "But let's not worry about that! Do you have any experience with baking?"
"Uhm… does eating a lot of bread count?" he asked.
"Sure! You at least know what good bread tastes like! But it'll take more than that to work at my bakery!" She placed her hands on her hips. "Roll up those sleeves, prince, and follow me into the kitchen!"
Sin Vira did as he was told, though his blouse made it a bit harder to properly roll his sleeves. When he entered through the doorway, he was met with a kitchen well organized and a wall lined with stoves. The heat in the room was almost unbearable for him if it wasn't for the breeze passing through.
"Do you work here by yourself? This seems like a lot for just one person to manage." He adjusted the collar of his blouse.
"Normally. Mama helps whenever she's in town and my papa stays in another kingdom for work. So for the most part it's me and Sibylla when she's free." She stretched her arms in the air. "But even during busy hours, I do just fine on my own. It's during festival seasons like now where I struggle keeping up!"
"Is there a festival happening here or something?" Sin-Vira asked.
"Soon! We'll be celebrating the beginning of summer! It's not as extravagant as the Rose Garden's events, but we still make them special here!"
Suni flipped a lid and water began running down. She then picked up a lumpy, pink clay and used it while keeping her hands under the water. Sin-Vira copied her and found himself fascinated with the clay in his hands. Molding it and squishing as he washed his hands.
"What are festivals here like?" He asked as he was handed a small cloth.
The woman walked around the small kitchen, picking up bags and containers along the way. "Well, they're… fun! There's usually music and dancing where the bell tower is. There are also many food booths and some with games for children to play in. My favorite part is the firework displays the mages get to do!" She giggled.
Sin-Vira stood beside her as he watched her measure out some of the ingredients. "I feel a bit envious. I'm not even sure if my kingdom's ever had a festival like that. Normally the only time we dress for an occasion is for funerals."
She stared dumbfounded. "Funerals!? No wonder you always seem like a downer! You should visit when it rolls around! It's only for a day, but I'm sure you'd enjoy it! Bylla tries to get out of them, so you coming might get her to stay!" She began pouring the ingredients together and mixing them up.
"Oh no, I couldn't. Even you mentioned I looked like a downer. I'd only make everyone uncomfortable if I were to attend. Besides, I'm not really enthusiastic about spending more time than I need to with her."
Suni smiled a bit. "You don't have to be vague. She filled me in on the plan you two came up with! But you should see it as a day to have fun and get to know the real her. I think learning to at least get along with each other will get you farther than just toleration." She laced her fingers together as an idea seemed to pop in her head. "The gates to the royal graveyard are opened during festivals, you could drop by. I'm sure you'd enjoy going there as well."
Sin-Vira stared at her with a confused look. "Why would visiting a grave persuade me?" He asked while she placed a cloth over the both and set it aside.
She shrugged with a smile. "Because you can't spell 'funeral' without fun! A day to learn about Bylla and time to pay your respects! Think about it."
He stared at the bowl she covered and sighed. "I get that you're her friend, but why bother when you know how little we get along?" he questioned.
Suni sat a bowl down in front of Sin-Vira. "Don't get me wrong. I'm aware of the tension between both kingdoms, but maybe you guys can look past something neither of you had control over!" She seemed to want to say more but just smiled. "Let us get started! You've gotta work hard if you want to pay this off!"
Sin-Vira spent the day until evening learning many different types of bread shapes and methods on how to cook each kind. To avoid scaring off any more customers, he had to work in the back while Suni helped in the front.
Over time the neat kitchen accumulated dropped dough, ingredients, and other miscellaneous things. He was covered in floured after slipping, his arms were also sore from all the kneading and cleaning. The evening bell rang and Suni hurried out of the kitchen with anticipation.
He wanted to follow her but didn't want to risk his bread burning for the umpteenth time.
Once they were a golden brown tint, he pulled it out carefully as he was instructed and placed it on a silver tray. It was braided and made into the shape of a 'Y'.
"Oi Suni! I think I finally got it down!" Vira called out as he walked back outside. Suni was talking while Sibylla rested her head on the shaded table. She looked exhausted from whatever meeting she was a part of.
"Here he is now! He's such a fast learner and has been nothing but a big help today. Sure he mixed up the measurements for salt and sugar, burned a whole batch of beginner buns, and nearly burnt my little business down– but he bounced right back after that! I can't believe how dedicated he can be! I swear if you aren't taking him at this point–" Suni spoke until Sibylla groaned and sat up.
Sin-Vira stood over them as he set the tray down. The princess looked at the braided bread before looking up at the messy prince.
"You made this?" She asked. The prince slowly nodded. "I can't deny these look pretty good. Suni really is an amazing teacher." She reached for it but Sin-Vira quickly pulled it away from her. "Oh? So now I can't have it?" her tone was irate.
"No, it's still hot. I don't want you to hurt yourself…"
Sibylla rolled her eyes. "Surprised you suddenly care about my well-being." She reached into the small purse she had slung over her shoulder and pulled out a small fan. Fanning it towards Suni who hummed in delight.
"Goodness that smells good!~ Mind if I take some too, Vira?" Suni grinned.
"I don't. You were kind enough to teach me in the first place. Your criticism could help!" Sin-Vira assured her with a smile.
Both Suni and Sibylla stared at him starstruck before giggling over something between themselves. It was incomprehensible since they were giggling and speaking in hushed whispers as if it was a secret language. Though from their excited expression, their words likely weren't malicious.
Sibylla placed her fan on her lap and picked it up on side of it. Suni grabbed another side and gestured for Vira to take the last side.
"Bread like this made for sharing, which is why I'm glad we're all here for it. On the count of three, we pull! Give us a count down, Sin-Vira!" Suni explained before looking at him expectantly.
"Are you sure?"
"You did make it. It makes sense that you are the one to " Sibylla had a pleasant look on her face. It was better than when she looked pissed or miserable.
"Okay." He took a deep breath. "One…Two…Three!"
CRACK