Cuisine

"Why did they want to claim the throne if it was legitimate to him as first-born son?" Roselyn asked.

The lady gasped, ignoring the noises from outside, unlike Roselyn, who stood up and with a concerned look on her face and started to walk around the room nervously.

"Should I go help him?" She asked when she heard a loud noise that was followed by a cry of pain unable to recognize from whom was that coming from.

A figure of a woman wearing an apron waved at the sight of the carriage, reassuring Roselyn that he was there because he knew the people and not to escape from intrusive staring or critical observations from the villagers.

"Jonathan!!" She hastily reached the carriage with a quick walk and spread her arms, hugging the King. Roselyn unconsciously shaped her face, surprised, wondering why everyone who seemed close to him called him that way.

The more she got to know him, the more she realized he was mysterious and had many secrets.

The woman's eyes darted back and forth between her and John. Then she smiled friendly and hugged her tightly, almost suffocating her with her body.

From her behavior, Roselyn acknowledged she may be one of the middle classes people.

She wondered how he got her acquaintance, and why it seemed like they were bounding so well.

"Did you finally find a lover for your iced heart?" She questioned in a rasping voice as her eyes cast down to analyze Roselyn's body.

Roselyn mustered a shy smile. As it was the best she will offer, unsure whether that lady was trustworthy.

"Something like that..." he replied, maintaining his stiff posture.

The woman exploded in a laugh, making disappear any doubt Roselyn had that she could be someone important in the high society.

"Come, come!" She gestured with her arms as she nonchalantly took Roselyn's dress and pulled her to come inside.

The house from the inside was even smaller than the outside.

The mass of old furniture placed here and there in disorder was not helping that small place to seem bigger. A pleasant smell filled the house as she sniffed, trying to recognize what that woman was cooking. Whoever that lady was, she sure had an excellent knowledge of cuisine to cook that good.

"I see I see." She said with a weird strong accent that didn't sound English at all.

"You're wondering who this old lady is?"

But before Roselyn answered she took a wooden spoonful of the dish, she was cooking and went to put it in front of her mouth, waiting for her to open her mouth to eat.

She felt like she had no choice because of that lady's very animated attitude.

But the taste she felt was undescribable, a mixture of ingredients filled her mouth. She could feel every ingredient perfectly giving a harmonious taste, maybe the best one she ever had.

"She's the best cooker in the world," John commented provoking a smile to appear on her chubby face. Her cheek bloated and her eyes narrowed to assume the shape of a line.

"I've got something for you too." She said as she lifted the lid of a second pot, revealing a vast amount of cooked steaks. On the outside they were dark-colored, but the center was red. "Rare cooked." She commented. Having him licking his lips, admiring the food.

Then she wiped her hand to clean it up and stretched it toward Roselyn. She bowed down, having the woman exploded in laugh, making the girl feel completely like an idiot.

"My dear, don't be so formal." She said taking her hand and shaking it vigorously, "nice to meet you I am Gabriella Santi."

Roselyn smiled. The name didn't sound English, but she didn't feel like asking.

They took a seat while the lady filled the table with food and wine.

"He's never introduced a lady to me before." The woman commented, staring at Roselyn.

Roselyn smiled, "I've never married before." replied the King.

The lady screamed, "Ohh! You're going to wed!" Roselyn chucked while she was drinking when she got a slap on her shoulders from the woman. Extrapolating a laugh from the King's lips.

"She was my tutor when I was a child. She knows all my secrets." he emphasized the word secrets with a higher tone of voice.

"Also that one.."

"Yes Roselyn, who do you think that helped him became so strong when he was younger!?" she said proudly, filling with more food than their dishes.

"I know about him being a vampire." she clarified.

After one hour of chatting and lots of food, they greeted the lady who fed them an amazing lunch and they stepped out the door after a vast number of hugs and a weird way of greeting them goodbye by positioning a kiss on both their cheeks.

But as soon as he left the door he stretched his hand impeding Roselyn to take any further step.

He frowned gazing around as he was perceiving something in the air.

Suddenly he groaned, and a second later Roselyn was grabbed from the neck. A person who didn't look human at all was brushing his claws upon her neck. She lifted her chin unconsciously, holding her breath from the fear.

"Leave her!" the King yelled as he revealed his long-sharped fangs his eyes were widening, becoming red.

Seeing he didn't get any result from his command, John continued, "this is my territory."

The unknown beast that restrained Roselyn's body chuckled, "you may be the King of humans now but your throne as a vampire is now free."

He pushed Roselyn's body on the floor tumbling into his body with strength.

Her heart was racing when a hand grabbed Roselyn's arm pushing her inside the house.

She tried to scream but a second hand covered her hand.

She took a relieved breath when she saw the old lady. She put her finger near her mouth to suggest she be quiet as she lifted a chair, probably willing to use it as a weapon in case the situation got worse.

All Roselyn could hear were groans and moans coming from the outside.

"What was that..?" Roselyn murmured. The lady took a deep breath. "He's his stepbrother," she announced, letting Roselyn be puzzled.

"Why all his family hates him?" she vociferated, still trying to recover from the attack.

The lady gasped, "see, dear. His family was very complicated, and they all aspired to William's throne. Until he was alive, no one used to rebel or fight. As they all respected the King and wanted his safety. But the sicker he got the worse situation became." she revealed, looking sad as she laid a hand on her voluminous chest.

"They wanted to claim the throne, and all their repressed anger warmed their soul. Like wood on the fire."