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It had been a few years since Alfin had been to the snowy town of Ymir, nestled so deep in the mountains that many maps would have left it off the page entirely, if not for the fact that a national hero was raised there. That kind of fame was doing wonders for Ymir as a tourist destination, as more and more people grew interested in the natural beauty of the mountain side, and a sudden interest in snowboarding surged among the upper middle class and nouveau riche.
She adjusted her dark ski goggles and watched as people from all over left the funicular station to enjoy the slopes, skiing and snowboarding to their heart's content before settling in at one of the many ski resort inns. One small aside from the Ashen Chevalier in a gossip rag and suddenly every trend hopper in Erebonia is a fan of snowboarding and other winter sports. It just goes to show how dangerous popularity can truly be. But there were added upsides, as her disguise made her look like an ordinary skier ready to hit the slopes. Although in her case, she’d be far less nervous about rocketing downhill at breakneck speeds than meeting her in-laws again.
She had gotten well acquainted with the Schwarzer family during the civil war, Baron Teo and Lady Lucia were absolute gems, but this was the first time she was greeting them as their son’s girlfriend. To be completely honest, she was worried about how things would go, knowing that their relationship might change once the truth came out. However, it was a big step forward, and no matter how scary it might be, she knew that they’d come across the truth sooner or later.
So they might as well hear it from her and Rean rather than the rumour mill. She extended her hand out to him, and he squeezed it softly. “It’ll be okay, Alfin. My parents aren’t nearly as excitable as Prince Olivert and the Emperor are.”
“That almost makes me more nervous.” She chuckled as she squeezed his hand back. “I just hope everything will go well.”
“It will. My parents are some of the best around.” He said without an ounce of shame. And after meeting his parents she had no doubt that he was right on the mark with that assessment. In fact that glowing review may have been too humble, considering the sheer number of noble parents she had met in her life. Most of them were too concerned with status or appearances to ever spare a thought for their own progeny. He never let go of her hand as the two of them walked side by side to the Schwarzer Mansion. It was only when they made it to the entrance that they took off their ski goggles. They made for much more effective disguises than lensless spectacles ever did, that's for sure.
Rean knocked on the door and announced his presence, opening the door gingerly after his father called him in. Teo Schwarzer was already kitted up to go outside, wearing a hunting jacket, a rifle on his back, and heavy boots for traversing through the snow. “Hey dad, what’s with the hunting gear? Did I give you the wrong time or something?”
“You came at a good time, Rean!” Teo clapped his hand on his son’s shoulder. “How’d you like to go hunting with your old man, for old time’s sake?”
“This is awfully sudden, what brought this on?” He pursed his lips and tried looking over his dad’s shoulder, but Teo kept moving his head to obstruct his view inside. “Dad? What exactly are you doing?”
“Don’t worry about it! But if you must know…” He lowered his voice, “Your mother asked me to go outside for a few hours while she was busy, and this is the perfect season for hunting caribou. I’d need a hand to bring back one anyway, so what do you say?”
“You should have fun with your dad, Rean. It’s not often you get to see him after all.” Alfin said, helping Teo out of his bind. She wasn’t sure what he was hiding from Rean, but it was probably a fun surprise, and she didn’t want to ruin his fun. Her encouragement did wonders to erode his resistance, as he simply shrugged his shoulders and relented to his nudging father.
“Alright, that sounds like fun, but I don’t have a rifle with me.”
“Not to worry son.” His father reached into the closet and pulled out the newest model of orbal hunting rifle on the market. “This should work just fine for you. Don’t tell me your aim’s gotten rusty with all that time you’ve spent in the capital?”
“Even if it is, my aim’s still better than yours.” Rean chuckled as he took the gun from his father’s hands. “I’m sorry Alfin, I wanted to be here with you but-”
“Don’t worry about it, Rean.” She rubbed his hand, holding onto it for as long as possible before letting her fingers slip away. “You’ll be back in a few hours, and hopefully we can bond over your successful hunting story.”
“Thanks, honey.” He wrapped her up in a tight hug, before he got flustered and pulled away. She kind of wanted to be held longer, but judging from the way Teo was smirking, it’d probably be rough for Rean to continue holding her. “I’ll be back soon!”
“Stay safe out there.” Alfin waved bye to the men of the Schwarzer house, and took a deep calming breath before stepping inside. “Auntie Lucia? I’m here.” She called out, and Rean’s mother poked her head out of the kitchen, smiling ear to ear.
“Alfin! I’m so happy to see you!” She beckoned her inside, so Alfin quickly took off her heavy coat and boots, setting them aside in the closet before joining her in the kitchen. “My, you’ve grown even more beautiful since I saw you last!” Lucia scooped her up into a hug, full of warmth and affection. “Thank you so much for coming!”
“Think nothing of it, I’m always happy to pay you a visit, Auntie Lucia.” Alfin squeezed her back, letting the warmth of her hug and the hint of warm spices waft through her nose. “Mmm, that smells good.”
“I just pulled out all the ingredients we need.” She smiled and pulled away from the hug. “Are you ready to learn how to make my son’s favourite dish?”
Her eyes widened, “Right now?”
“No time like the present, I always say! Thankfully Teo’s hunting trips usually end right when dinner is ready.”
Alfin giggled, “I think your husband’s internal clock is just set at the same time as your oven’s, Auntie Lucia. Let me just get out of these winter clothes and wash my hands first.”
“Of course, I’ve got a spare apron for you as well hanging on the kitchen chair there.” Lucia hummed as she strolled back into the kitchen, while Alfin got herself ready. She was curious why Teo was so quick to shove Rean out of the house, but this made perfect sense. A couple of minutes later, she headed down to the kitchen, ready to try her hand at Lucia’s recipe.
Alfin scanned the kitchen and saw all kinds of ingredients laid out, potatoes, carrots, green vegetables, plenty of spices, and the star of the dish, a cleaned and gutted pheasant, ready to be placed in the oven. When she said as much, Lucia just laughed, they were nowhere close to done.
“Before we get started, I’ve written down the recipe for you. I’ve only ever shared this with my daughter and you, but it’s a Schwarzer family secret. Make sure no one gets a hold of it until you’re ready to pass it down to the next generation.” Lucia spoke with such vigour that it made her take a step back instinctively. To her, it was of vital importance, perhaps even more important than the fate of the world. One thing was for certain, she’d need to match that determination in stride, that’s what it meant to be the future empress of this nation.
“I understand, Auntie Lucia.” She met her gaze and stood her ground, “I wanted to learn this recipe for Rean’s sake, so I know I’m probably putting you out by asking for this. I’m not exactly a wizard around the kitchen like you are, but I’ll do my best to learn.” She bowed deeply for a moment, before standing up straight again.
Lucia tried her best to keep her stony serious demeanour, but her natural vivacity broke through the facade. “Oh sweetie, I’m only kidding. This recipe is important to me, but what’s more important is that you’re making it for the people you love.” She pulled out a folded sheet of paper from her apron pocket and handed it to her. “This recipe has changed a lot over time, and I'm sure you’ll find your own new twists and turns that will suit your palette as you get more experience in the kitchen. I’m looking forward to seeing how your efforts turn out.”
“Thanks, Auntie…” She looked down at the recipe and immediately felt her head swirl. A marinade? Mise en Place? She thought it was just going to be a matter of sticking the bird in the oven! She lowered the paper, and with sweat forming on the back of her neck she said, “Uh… let’s just start on the vegetables. That's what we do first, right?”
Lucia smiled and handed her a kitchen knife. “Don’t worry dear, I’ll answer any questions you have. Just make sure to keep your hands steady and remember who you’re making the dish for. It might look daunting at first, but as long as you take it one step at a time I know it'll turn out well.”
Alfin took the knife and started working through the recipe. One thing was for certain, it wasn’t quite as precise as some of the recipe books she had seen in the royal kitchen. A lot of parts mentioned seasoning to taste, or aiming for a certain consistency with the sauces. She struggled through it, but she did her best to follow the recipe step by step. After nearly an hour of work, it was finally ready to roast at a low temperature in the oven. With the bird sitting perfectly in the roasting dish and the timer counting down, all she needed to do now was wait for the pheasant to finish cooking properly.
“That wasn’t bad at all.” Lucia encouraged her, and handed her a glass of water. “I’m sure my son and husband will be really surprised when they find out who did all the hard work on this dinner.”
“I just hope it turns out okay.” She giggled, catching her breath after quenching her thirst. “I’m surprised you decided to teach me this recipe today. I don’t think Rean and I told you why we were coming here.”
“He didn’t, but I can understand my son’s intentions without being told what he’s really thinking.” Lucia smiled and held Alfin’s hands. “You two wanted to tell us that you’re dating, right? I’ve heard plenty of rumours, so it was just a matter of putting all of the hints together.”
“Nothing gets by you, does it auntie?” Alfin smiled back, basking in the warmth of the Schwarzer matriarch’s hands. “But you’re right. Rean and I are seeing each other, and we want to ask for your blessing. I don’t think we’re ready for marriage yet, but your son is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. So that’s why…”
Lucia rubbed her head, giving her a much more gentle head pat. “Alfin, sweetie, you don’t need to worry about my disapproval. More than anything I feel like I should be asking for your approval instead. You’ve done so much for my children already that I would be proud to call you a member of my family.”
“I think you’re exaggerating a bit, I really haven’t done much at all.” Alfin said, not feeling worthy of the high praise that Lucia was heaping on her.
“Don’t be silly, a mother notices when their children change, and you’ve been a shining ray of light for both Rean and Elise. It’s a shame she couldn’t be here today, I’m sure she would have loved to hear the good news too.” Lucia pressed her hand to her cheek and reminisced about the past, a warm smile exuding from her face.
“Well I still feel like I have a long way to go to be worthy of your son. He's always been so magnificent to me, it's hard to live up to that kind of honest affection, you know?”
“Dear…” Lucia tsk tsked her and wagged her finger. “Love isn’t about being worthy of each other, or proving a point to your families. Ultimately it's about cherishing the feelings you have, and nurturing them together. So as long as you love yourselves, and each other, I’m positive that you two will lead a life full of blessings. He can get lost in his feelings sometimes, so having someone who cherishes him like you do is all a mother could truly ask for her son.”
Alfin sniffled at the heartfelt compliment. “Here I was, ready to show you how prepared I was to be with Rean, and yet I’m the one getting doted on. You really are an incredible woman, Auntie Lucia.”
“I just have a bit more life experience than you, is all.” She giggled, taking a glance over at the oven. “But now that all the hard work is done, why don’t I show you all the cute pictures I have of Rean and Elise. If I know the emperor as well as I think I do, he probably already showed all of your baby pictures to my son, right?”
“How did you know?!” Alfin gasped, before her lips curled into a feisty smirk, “But you’re right, I’d love to see just how cute little Rean was.”
Lucia giggled, “Let’s get out of this stuffy kitchen and into the living room, I’m sure you’re going to love these. Sadly I don’t have any baby pictures of Rean, but his Sunday School years are very well documented!” Her smile was infectious, as the two women gathered all of the photo albums they could find, planting them on the coffee table, and flipping through the photos one at a time. Their laughter echoed through the mansion, as Aflin relished in the sight of her lover at his most adorable state.
With his mother’s secret recipe in her dress pocket, and her unwavering support, Alfin felt more at ease about her relationship, and that she truly belonged with this incredibly loving family. Her spirit soared when the two Schwarzer men returned home, stomachs growling from the hunt, and a perfect dinner ready to be served. Would Rean be surprised? Excited? Alfin couldn’t wait to find out if her efforts had borne fruit or not, but she wouldn’t have to wait long.
They gathered around the dinner table, as Alfin and Lucia brought the main course out from the kitchen. Lucia had covered it with a cloche before Alfin could see her hard work, so she was just as in the dark about the result as the rest of the table. But when the cloche came off, it looked nearly as stunning as the dishes Auntie Lucia made on a regular basis. The four of them sat down, made a solemn prayer to Aidios, and started to dig in.
Alfin’s eyes immediately turned to Rean as he took his first bite. She held her breath as he took the first mouthful, chewing carefully and swallowing. His eyes widened, and a delighted smile crossed his face. “Mom, this is amazing! It tastes a little different, but it’s really good!” Alfin’s face grew bright red at the compliments, and her heart pounded in her chest a million times faster. There was no way she could be this in love with him, could she? There’s no way that things could go so perfectly, was there?
She took a bite of her own creation and smiled. It wasn’t nearly as good as Lucia’s cooking, the seasoning wasn’t quite right, and the skin was a little bit too crispy, but Rean seemed to enjoy it all the same, and that just made it taste so much better. She’d need to practice a lot more if she wanted to make this perfectly, and she knew for certain that she’d make it perfectly one day. But until that day came, she’d enjoy her triumph in this moment and the taste of victory.