Does your niece dislike ? Piers voice asked as Tori tried to control her laughter from the swing.
No, how can you think such a thing? Isnt it obvious she thinks highly of you? She ntions you all the ti.
She nad her chicken after and says I am a loyal servant to you.
She didnt say servant, she said sidekick, Tori told him as she muffled a snicker. Theres a difference. There was a long pause on the other side.
Good-bye. Piers ended the call and Tori giggled. She heard soone raise their voice from the camp.
My brother is not a sidekick! Gideon exclaid as he lood at the proud little girl. Several people watched from around the campfires. Hes a prince! Hed be a hero!
Does he follow Auntie all the ti?
Yes.
Holds her stuff and brings her things?
Yes....
Does he do what she says?
Tori could see the pain in Gideons face. Yes....
Fiona looked triumphant as she smirked. Sidekick.
Gideons face reddened as the child openly besmirched his brother. Guevera! Your niece is talking nonsense!
Youre talking not-sense! Fiona sent him a glare and ran to her father. Daddy, the old man prince is an to !
Gideon stumbled back as if he was wounded by her words. He lifted his hand to his chest. Old man prince?
Its the silver hair. Tori reached them.
This is a sign of my imperial heritage! Gideon choked as he pointed at his head.
Eili leaned closer to her wife. I thought violet eyes were a sign of imperial blood.
Gideon let out a grumble and turned around. Im going to walk around the island! Tori couldnt help but feel a bit of secondhand embarrassnt watching him walk several paces away and then make a sharp left to walk the periter of the small island. No matter where he went, they could see him from where they sat.
I didnt notice this before, but its hard to hate him when hes embarrassing himself all the ti, Ilyana said as she shook her head. Ewan and Albert nodded solemnly, and Fabian flushed.
He only admires the first prince very much, he said in a tight voice.
Ewan seed to give him a look of pity. It must be hard for you.
Fabian turned even redder, and he jumped up and went to accompany Gideon.
The sun had almost disappeared from the horizon and Tori watched as her twin cousins stirred the dried pasta. They already had experience cooking it, as Tori had made it for them before and showed them how. Now, they were showing their cousins.
There were three fire holes dug. The first one was dug by Ewan to show the children and was where the pasta was boiling, the second one was dug by the children and where the fish was being roasted, and the third was dug by an enthusiastic Eili and was used to make chowder.
Eili and Deidre didnt have to return to Anlar until the end of the sumr and Tori wondered if they were making the best use of their ti camping with the children. Still, the two seed to be enjoying the novelty of it all.
Tori had added so potatoes and when the chowder was done, she removed it off the fire and put it to the side to cool a bit so the children wouldnt burn their tongues. Nanny Rey removed the roasted fish and let them sit before taking the two smallest fish that were the size of her palm and removing the bones for the small children.
My lady! Soone shouted from the dock and Tori perked up.
Its the oysters! Tori told Ewan to watch the pasta as she raced towards the dock. Von Dorn! Youre not doing anything! Help carry this back to the camp! She waved to him to follow her as she passed him and Gideon on their walk.
Fabian looked a bit confused, but Gideon nodded and the two followed her to the dock. When they reached her, Tori was paying the fisherman for a large sack that was as tall as her knee. She thanked him and sent him on his way.
You bought oysters? Gideon asked. Tori nodded and he frowned. Small children cant eat them.
They cant eat them raw, Tori said. But Im going to chargrill them so they can have a taste.
Gideon lifted his head. Chargrill?
Over the grills on the fire holes. We open them up and cook them in their shell while covered with a garlic-lemon butter sauce and cheese. Theyre cooked thoroughly and the children can eat them, Tori said. If you dont want them cooked, you can still eat them raw with so lemon. Also, I recently got hot sauce from Ambassador Izel from the Tona Kingdom.
She led them back to the camp with Fabian holding the bag. She went through the kit of cooking utensils and took out a short and sowhat blunt knife.
Tori also had a few leather gloves, and so were small, knowing that at least one child would want to try to pry open an oyster. While she showed the children, Kasen and Deidre divided up the oysters into a pile for the adults to eat and a pile for the children.
Cousin Kasen, we should have more. There are more of us, Maeve said in a rational voice.
You cant eat too many oysters, Deidre told her. And we dont know if Fifi and the others will like oysters.
We like them! the twins chorused. Robi, have you had them before?
Robert furrowed his brows. I dont know. Maybe.
Then, you and Fifi can have a little, Deidre told them. We dont know if you cannot consu shellfish, so its best to consu a little just in case it makes your tummy hurt or you dizzy. If you start to feel any tingling, itchiness, or tightness in your mouth and throat, tell us imdiately.
Roberts eyes widened. Is this dangerous? He looked at the oysters that Ewan and Fabian were forced to pry open and put across the wooden board they had been using as a prep table.
Only if your body rejects it and you have an allergy, Kasen explained. Few people cannot eat shellfish, but we dont know until we try. Dont be scared. If you feel anything but it being delicious and smooth, then I have dicine from Dr. Cooper-Fontaine.
From what Tori had observed, what she considered allergy tests were a sort of a crude low-level poison testing. Most people did not know they were allergic to sothing until they ca into contact with it, either by touching it or eating it. However, foods that tended to have a sizable population allergic to them were often introduced to children in small doses and under the careful watch of a supervising adult with dicine.
The mont there was any sort of rash, bumps, itchiness, or breathing difficulties, the liquid dicine would be consud.
In Victorias mory, shed tried shellfish, fruit, and various dairy as a young child under such conditions and this was common in Soleil. She did hers at ho, but for commoners, they could have their children try these foods during the Harvest Festival in autumn, when towns assigned doctors in the main plazas to oversee such tests.
That was how Ewan and the others first tried several foods.
Itll be yummy, Cousin Robi, Ava told him with a reassuring pat. Oysters were common to eat in Kings Harbor.
I dont like oysters. My dad had them shipped to Gorask before and they tasted awful, Riri said before sticking out his tongue to emphasize his disgust.
Riri, these are fresh, Ilyana told her brother. Fresh is always better for food. Also, Tori will be cooking them.
Tori was mixing a bowl with so softened butter, lemon juice, and diced garlic. She then scooped a little into a few of the oysters and topped them with a layer of cheese before taking tongs and putting them over one of the fire holes.
Itll take a few minutes to cook thoroughly, she said. For the adults who can eat raw oysters, please try it with this hot sauce from the Tona Kingdom! She went to her satchel and took out a glass jar with a cork lid. There is a little spoon attached to the lid. Just put a little on the oyster. Its spicy.
From the Tona Kingdom? Deidre asked as she took the glass jar and lifted it up to inspect the deep, red contents.
Im having it imported. Ambassador Izel agreed to open a restaurant specializing in food from the Tona Kingdom on Rois and this will be served there. Its a condint. Tori opened the jar and showed them how much to put on the oyster.
She then tilted her head back and sucked the at into her mouth directly from the shell. She took a mont to savor the spicy taste mixed with the brininess of the oyster.
Eili followed imdiately after and as soon as the spice hit, she let out a whoop and hissed. Tori, what is this!? she said as she opened her mouth and fanned it with her hand.
Chilis...its a secret sauce from the Tona Kingdom. I dont know exactly whats in it. If it were revealed that she knew what it was and the sauce beca popular, there could be diplomatic issues.
Its good, Ilyana said with a firm nod of her head. She picked up another oyster and added a little more hot sauce before eating it. She closed her eyes, chewed, and swallowed before opening her mouth and letting out a small rush of air. It burns, but the aftertaste is great.
Cousin, Aiden said. I want to try.
Ive never eaten them raw before, Evzen told them. May I?
Im going to confirm with your mother first, Tori said. After making a quick call with Duchess Fekete, who complained that had she known there was sothing new to eat, she wouldve co to the island, too, Evzen was allowed to eat.
The two older boys faces turned red and their eyes watered, but they didnt dare spit out the oysters. It seed as if they were waiting for the other one to spit it out first. When each kept it in their mouth, they reluctantly swallowed.
Its not bad, Aiden said, though his eyes were red.
Its quite good. Evzen wheezed.
Tori checked on the chargrilled ones for the children, who were already eating their al of a little chowder, so pasta with cheese, and roasted fish. Alexander was also eating his roasted fish with them.
After letting the chargrilled oysters cool so as not to burn the children, Tori gave the little ones one each and the older ones two.
This isnt bad, Robert said.
How do you feel? Kasen hovered over them like a helicopter parent clutching the dicine in one hand in case his children were allergic.
I like it! Fiona said. Daddy, have one.
Just a little. Daddy wants to make sure you two can consu it without problem.
The adults also liked the chargrilled oysters and Tori revealed she was serving oysters at the celebration lunch after Montans trifecta ceremony the day after tomorrow. She wanted sothing different and when she checked what Montan had eaten in the past, he seed to like fried oysters.
You keep a record of what we eat? Gideon lifted his head up.
Just in the beginning to know your taste preferences. We do this with particular guests so we can better cater to their tastes. Many of those guests tend to order special als for private dining. For example, Piers doesnt like clams, oysters, or crabs, but he likes shrimp and squid, as long as theyre deshelled and headless, Tori said.
Gideon looked impressed. What do I like?
Tori sighed and gave him a dull look. Leafy greens that arent cut up into tiny bits and incorporated into a larger dish, and radishes.
I also dont like those, Riri said.
Greens are yucky! Istvan agreed as Tori wiped so chowder from his face.
Gideons face reddened, as if the child voicing his agreent confird that he had the sa taste as a three-year-old.
Ewan sighed once more and patted Fabians shoulder sympathetically. It must be very hard.
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