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Shionne hummed happily as she shopped for dinner ideas. She liked to roam the markets deeper in Viscint, where rarer items could usually be found. Near the entrance to the city were the common staples and items for ordinary visitors, but deeper in she could find specialty items and imports from other regions. Free trade was picking up as Renans slowly shared their magic and technology, allowing items to travel further without risk of going bad, and it was exciting to see what new things found there way here.
Vendors called out as always, but one voice cut through and drew her attention, “Renan beauty, we’ve got some new spicy food for the Blazing Sword!”
She flushed faintly at the moniker, but it was better than most she had received through her life. She went to see what the man had to offer, especially as he seemed intent for Alphen to try it. “Spicy food? I hope it has good taste, too. I don’t like things that are heat only.”
The man laughed at her stern words and pulled out a clay pot that was tightly sealed. “Niez has been trying some new things with the peppers found out near the Adan Ruins. This is cabbage that’s been fermenting for several months, slathered in salt and pepper. Spicy, but sweet, and they swear up and down it’s healthy, too!” She leaned forward, reaching to open the pot but he stopped her. “It’s got a smell that can knock you out if you aren’t ready for it, maybe wait until you’re outside of the city before getting a whiff.”
She arched a brow and crossed arms over her chest, unimpressed. “What kind of endorsement is that? Food should smell good, shouldn’t it?”
“Maybe. Once you start eating it, you won’t notice the smell anymore.” He pulled out a smaller pot and set it down on the table beside the first. “Here, this is the paste made from the peppers, it’s been fermented too, and mixed with some bean paste. I’ve got a recipe here for you, too. Consider it a house-warming gift, and a hope for future business. If you guys like it, it’s sure to start selling more! I’ll stake my reputation on Alphen coming back for more!”
It was good to hear her husband’s actual name on the lips of the vendors, and not just the title he was trying to distance himself from. “Alright, alright. Let me see that recipe so I can make sure I get everything else.”
He grinned and handed it over, then gestured towards another stall, “I recommend going there for the stone pots, and,” he pointed to another, “there for the vegetables and eggs, then,” one last stall, “there for the meat.”
“You’re all in it together, are you?”
“Yep!” he laughed, not looking one bit ashamed to be called out on it. “But only because we’re confident! You’ll have a good time of it, promise!”
“Sounds more like this is something Alphen would like, than me,” she sighed, then glanced over the recipe. “Well,” she amended, brow raising appreciatively, “Maybe it’s not so bad. The spice is added to the bowl, not the pot while cooking? He’ll like that.” The merchant grinned triumphantly, and Shionne let out a huff, though she wasn’t nearly so upset as she played at, and he seemed to know it. “It’s worth a shot at least. We’ll let you know how it goes.”
“Excellent!”
She made the rounds to the other vendors he had gestured to, each of them already knowing exactly what she needed, and how much to give her, and she was keenly aware that the prices were less than usual. They really were confident that she and Alphen would enjoy their dinner, and that gave her all the more hope for it.
Her purchases weighing her down, she decided not to linger and instead head straight home. She was strong enough to carry it, sure, but she wasn’t the one who liked that sort of thing. She wished Alphen were with her just so he could carry the heavy items, as the stone bowls that the merchants insisted were key to truly enjoying the meal were a chore to lug from the back of the city to the front, out the gates, and down the highway. By the time she had made it home, her arms were exhausted, and she made a mental note to ask her husband for a massage later. Of course, with him out taking care of zeugles after Kisara had asked his help with a particularly dense crowd of them, it was just as likely he’d be the one asking for a massage.
Rubbing her triceps, she looked over the ingredients and recipe and started doing the mental math. She could take a break before she started cooking, at least long enough to take a bath and soak her arms in some nice heat. That pot of fermented vegetable continued to intrigue her though, the food called ‘kimchi’ in the recipe she had received.
Taking the pot out back, she finally opened it up and sat straight up at the harsh smell. The vendor hadn’t been joking, it could’ve cleared out the market if she had opened it there. But, strong as it was, it wasn’t bad, per say. She reached in with a fork and speared a bit of the chopped cabbage, bringing it up towards her face and inspecting it. The vinegar and spice smell made her eyes water up close, and she chose not to give it a closer whiff. Instead, she steeled herself, and shoved the bite into her mouth.
The piece she had gotten had been from closer to the bottom of the leaf, thick and crunchy, and not as wilted as much of it looked. The vinegar taste was more pleasant than she expected, toned down by the sweetness that the pepper paste added. She had expected it to be sharper from the smell, but it was actually refreshing instead, and she could see why the merchant had been so confident. The spice wasn’t too bad for her, though she wondered if he had given her a batch with just that in mind. She could easily see this food being much spicier than it was, as the red flecked it instead of engulfing it.
Setting the lid back on the pot, she hummed happily, starting to look forward to the evening’s meal more and more. Heading back inside, she made sure the ingredients were safely away so nothing would get at them until she was ready to start cooking, then made her way to the washroom. Drawing up a bath, she used her artes to heat the water to her liking before dipping in first toes, then sinking into the water’s embrace.
Her head leaning back on the edge of the basin, she didn’t realize she had fallen asleep until the sound of the front door closing shut caught her attention. The water had cooled significantly, and she frowned, heating it up once again. Alphen’s voice called out his return, and she shouted out her own welcome. He wore his armor today, and she could hear his heavy steps approach the bedroom, and each clink as, she assumed, he removed it.
The door to the washroom opened not long after the clinking had stopped, and Alphen paused to watch her soap down her legs. She raised a brow at him, and he just smiled one of his goofy grins, the ones she loved so much. He was so earnest with everything, and that extended to his appreciation of her and her body. “How did it go today? Do you need any healing?”
He shook his head to her last question, closing the door behind him and walking to the sink basin. “It wasn’t hard, just time consuming. Kisara wants to take another patrol in a few days, see if anything sneaks back out once the dust settles, but she said she can do that without me.”
“Good. You’re supposed to be retired now.” If he replied, she missed it, as she chose to dunk her head in the water to avoid any possible argument that might come from that. It was a silly thing for her to be bothered by, and she knew it. He would never be done helping people when he was needed, and honestly, that was something she loved about him.
When she surfaced, he was standing right there in front of her, hair around his face slightly damp, face glistening with the water he had used to rinse off with. And that concern in his eyes. She sighed, about to say something, but he cut her off. “I’m sorry I worried you, Shionne. I should have asked before agreeing to help Kisara.”
She softened at his tender voice and expression, and she shook her head. “No. You’re your own man, Alphen, you don’t need my permission to do anything. I wouldn’t have you change that caring nature of yours, anyways. But, maybe next time, I could go with you. I worry about what could happen, with you far from my artes.”
That made him smile, and he nodded to her gratefully. “We did have some Renans with us that could heal, but you’re better at it. It’d be good to have you there with us, next time.”
They stared at one another a long moment, before Shionne sighed and stood up, water cascading down her form and drawing his attention. “I’m guessing you want to clean up. Let me get this water changed for you, then I’ll go start on dinner. I had meant to do it earlier, but the bath was too relaxing.”
He smiled, holding back from touching her, knowing she would be upset if he got any of the day’s mess on her clean skin. With a few spells, the water had been evaporated, refilled, and reheated to his liking. He leaned forward comically far for a sweet and quick kiss, and she appreciated that he took such care not to risk getting her dirty again when she had just bathed. She dried off as he stripped down, and she appraised his body for any signs of injuries. He did have a rather large bruise on his side that made her frown, and before he could step into the tub, she had reached her hands forward for one more spell. “Liar,” she muttered.
He was taken aback, looking down and watching the bruise fade from angry purple, to sickly green, then back to his skin’s usual tan. “I didn’t realize it was so bad. I probably would’ve felt that later. Thank you, Shionne.”
“Sometimes I wonder if you actually do feel pain again,” she shook her head.
For all her ire, he just grinned at her and shrugged. “I do, but I think not so much as other people. Maybe the helmet permanently dampened some of my senses.”
She nodded slowly, supervising as he settled himself into the large wooden tub, making sure there were no other injuries or signs of strains. Finally convinced he was okay, she hummed with approval and rested a hand on her hip. “Then all the more reason for me to go with you next time. I won’t let you talk me out of healing you.”
He chuckled, sinking down to his chin, steam rising all around him. “I already said I’d take you next time. Didn’t you say something about dinner?”
She dipped a hand into the bath and flicked water at his face, causing him to laugh again, and she softened at the joyous sound. “I’ll get that going. The merchants gave us something special today, and a new recipe to try with it. They were very confident you’d be a fan.”
“Spicy?” he asked hopefully.
“Seems so. And best part, for you, is that the spiciest dish is a condiment, so you can add as much as you like without ruining it for me.”
He grinned with excitement at the prospect, and she smiled in turn, sharing in his joy. Leaving him to his bath, she tied up her hair and got dressed in fresh clothing before returning to the kitchen and donning an apron. Reviewing the recipe once again, she got everything ready and set to work. Thin sliced beef, marinated in some sauces and oils that were starting to come out of Niez and Pelegion, several different vegetables sliced thin, like carrots and cucumbers for a nice fresh crunch, lightly seasoned bean sprouts and blanched spinach, and, of course, rice. The stone bowls were to be heated to keep the food warm, and it seemed a wonderful touch. Top everything off with a lightly fried egg and some cracked pepper, and she had a meal with such a lovely presentation that even the strict Kisara was unlikely to find fault.
She mixed up a sauce using that pepper paste, ‘gochujang’ they called it, and poured it over both of their bowls. She made up a separate little dish full of just the paste for Alphen. Next came the kimchi, and she added some to each of their bowls as well as an extra portion of the spicy side dish for her husband to add at will. Hands on hips, she appraised the settings and gave herself an appreciative nod before calling out, “Dinner’s ready!”
“Almost done!” he called, voice too close to be from the washroom. She smiled at the timing and hung up her apron. He entered the kitchen as she was setting out drinks for the both of them, and he looked to the meal eagerly. “That looks amazing, Shionne.”
“Well, hopefully it tastes as good as it looks. We’ve got to see if those merchants deserved their confidence.” He chuckled agreeably and pulled her in for a deep kiss until she squirmed, laughing, freeing herself from his grip. “Dinner first!”
He grinned and took a seat, sipping the fresh fruit juice first, likely thirsty from the day’s hunt then the hot bath he had capped it off with. She watched him study the food, poking aside different items and deciphering what all was in it. “Do I mix it up?”
“Probably, but the recipe doesn’t go into actually eating the thing.”
“Right,” he chuckled, lifting up first the side dish of kimchi and seeming far less shocked by its smell than she had been, then the gochujang. His brow raised with appreciative surprise, and he tried just a bit of it on its own and his expression was so blissful she couldn’t help but to laugh.
“Normally you only look like that after an active night,” she teased.
“Well. It can’t top that, but it’s a close second.”
She tossed a sprout at him in mock anger and he laughed, taking it off his shoulder and dipping it in the sauce before crunching down on it. “This stuff is amazing though, I’m going to need to thank that merchant personally.”
“Then go shopping with me tomorrow. They’re excited to know how we liked it. I think they’re planning to use your endorsement as advertisement though, fair warning.”
Normally such a thing would bother him, but he grinned and mixed a hefty portion into his bowl, “For a lifetime supply of this, I’ll stand out in front of their store dressed like a pepper telling everyone how good it is.”
She broke out into a laugh, tears pricking the corners of her eyes, the mental image too much for her at that moment. He joined in, and soon the two were clasping hands, barely able to eat for laughter. Pulling back, she wiped away a tear, giggles still breaking through even as she caught her breath. “I guess, I guess that’s one job we hadn’t considered for you.”
He grinned, a hand on his chest as he worked to even out his own breath, and he reached for another sip of juice to wet his parched throat. “Can you imagine?”
“Why do you think I laughed so much!”
“I think it’s a great job. You said I’m retired from fighting, right? What better occupation than, than… What would that job be?”
“In Lenegis, some places would have something they called a ‘mascot,’ someone dressing up as a character that represents the shop.”
“Amazing,” he laughed, “I can’t believe that’s a real job.”
She giggled more, nodding to him, and was finally ready to take a bite of the food they had been laughing over for so long. The heated stone bowl kept it from getting cold during their distraction, and she was finally glad she had lugged the things all the way. Taking a bite, her eyes closed and she let out a happy moan. The egg added just a bit of sweetness to the meal, cutting the acidity from the kimchi, and the bowl had added a wonderful little crisp to the rice that she found so delicious.
Alphen followed suit, finally giving the meal a try, and his expression matched hers. The gochujang was wonderfully spicy, and combined with the egg, made the dish sweeter than he would have expected. With the meat, it remained savory, and bites of fresh vegetables almost cleared the palate, so that each bite gave that explosion of flavor all over again. They each went back for seconds, and Shionne went for thirds, and likely would have gone for more if there had been any left at that point.
Sitting back in their chairs, they looked over the table at each other, content smiles turning up their lips, eyes locked on one another. Shionne broke the comfortable silence with a soft, rueful laugh. “Those merchants are gonna be so happy to know how right they were.”
“A victory they earned,” he returned with a grin, standing up almost reluctantly. He gathered up the dishes, and looked over the stone bowls for the first time. “I don’t remember these.”
“They insisted it was the best way to serve this dish.”
“I think they were right again.”
“I just wish they weren’t so heavy,” she complained without any real ire.
He chuckled, bringing everything over to the basin to start cleaning up. “I bet. It’s a pretty long walk with all that. How’d you do with it?”
She shrugged, and her arms seemed to ache in response to the question, as if reminding her that they, at least, had not enjoyed it. “My arms a little sore, I admit. I wouldn’t mind a massage, if you’re up to it.”
“Of course,” he answered without hesitation. “Why don’t you get comfortable? I’ll join you once I’m finished cleaning up.”
“Thank you.” She walked over to give him a hug from behind, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss below his ear. He twisted to give her a clumsy kiss on her brow, and she smiled tenderly before heading out the back door. She didn’t like to lay down immediately after eating, and instead stepped out to take in the night sky.
Several minutes later, Alphen joined her, strong arms enveloping her from behind and pulling to his firm chest. She let out a happy sigh, leaning against him, savoring the contact. She could never take such a thing for granted, and she loved how it was becoming natural for her. At the very least, she never flinched when it was Alphen, and rarely so with others.
Life was wonderful, with her kind and affectionate husband, good friends, delicious food, beautiful scenery, and so much to look forward to.