A free afternoon continued

[Darien Kachine]

"In all the real ones there is," I said, chuckling.

The tea was brewed and I handed her her cup. There was sugar, honey and milk already on the table where I'd set them.

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"Thank you," I said, smiling as I took the cup gingerly from him and set it on the table, adding a little sugar into it and stirring it up. "What's your favorite food?" I asked, glancing up at him. "If you could have anything to compliment the tea, what would it be?"

[Darien Kachine]

"That's two different questions," I replied with a smile. "Do you want me to answer both or just one?"

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"Both," I said, tossing him a bright smile. "If you don't mind, that is."

[Darien Kachine]

"Something to go with the tea would be the lace trumpet cookies the wonderful woman down the block makes," I told her. "My favorite food is roasted chicken with rosemary and sage stuffing."

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"That sounds wonderful," I said. "I admit, chicken can either have a wonderful taste or a bland one. For me there really is no inbetween. I can't say I usually like it."

[Darien Kachine]

I took a sip of my tea and then motioned towards the chairs near the fire should she care to sit. "What about you? What would your answers to your questions be?"

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"Mmm," I mused as I made my way to where he gestured, taking a seat. "The pastry we at earlier is probably one of my favorite tea companions. Other than that, though, I like Aragonian food; the spice of some of it is so different than what we have here." I wrapped my fingers around the mug and took a sip, enjoying the heat that was transferred from the cup and into my hands.

[Darien Kachine]

"There's a wonderful little Aragonian place here in the City, have you been there?" I asked as I took the other chair.

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"I'm not sure," I said, my eyes going from his and to the gentle flames of the fireplace, watching it lap along the logs before looking back at him. "I've been to a few, but the only little one I can think of is in a nondescript building about half a dozen blocks from here. If it's not the same one, then no." I smiled, taking a ginger sip of the hot tea.

[Darien Kachine]

"That would be the one," I said with a grin. "I find myself craving their soups whenever the weather turns chill."

I took a sip of my tea. "What about Illyrian food, have you a taste for that?"

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

I smiled, thinking of the last, and only, time that I'd been there. "I had a spiced pork dish there. It was really very good, I have to admit. Illyrian... It's good. Theres a few dishes I don't care for, but that's true with all types. What of you?"

[Darien Kachine]

"I like any type of food with bold flavors, no matter what its origin," I told her.

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"Ah, so nothing bland in your cupboards," I said, a grin on my face. "I agree, though. Spices generally make everything much nicer."

I leaned back in his chair a little more, enjoying the the low flames in the hearth. I hoped I wasn't keeping him from anything or boring him, and for a moment I was at a loss for what to say. "I remember this one time when I was a girl... My family and I were at our country estate on the patio. Having an outdoor picnic. One of my brothers offered me what I thought was a long, thin jelly candy." My face paled, though I gave a mildly lopsided smile. "It wasn't."

[Darien Kachine]

"What was it?" I asked with a grin.

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"A worm." I blanched a little more at the thought, then smiled a little ruefully. "I didn't trust them again after that for a long, long time."

[Darien Kachine]

I couldn't help but laugh at the image. "I'm surprised you ever trusted them again at all."

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"Well, what can I say. I love them, and eventually they wore me down. " I took a sip of my tea, then narrowed my eye a little playfully at him. "Don't tell anyone, though, please. It wouldn't be good for my reputation to have people know that Azabel de Somerville ate a worm, even if it was just a piece of one..."

[Darien Kachine]

At the mention of her surname, I realized who she was, but made no move to respond to the fact that she was royalty. She obviously wanted to not be so at the moment and who was I to do otherwise?

"You have my word," I said with a smile, touching my fingers to my chest just over my heart.

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"What a gentleman," I said teasingly, though my smile was warm and accepting. "You didn't make your sister eat anything horrid growing up, did you?"

[Darien Kachine]

"No, we were actually quite good to each other. We never did pull any pranks on each other. If we had gone through our teens together things might have been different," I replied.

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

I smiled; he'd had a more easy going relationship with his sister, but then again being a twin must have made a big difference. "I always wished I had a twin while I was growing up. An identical twin sister, so we could play jokes and I'd have someone to talk to. I love my brothers, but it's not the same."

[Darien Kachine]

"You have a much more wicked sense of humor than I do," I said with a chuckle. "It never occurred to me to wish my sister was identical to me so we could play tricks."

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

I blushed a little, but my smile remained strong. "I know. I'm fantastically horrible, aren't I?"

[Darien Kachine]

"I am not going to answerthat," I said with a chuckle.

I drained my cup and then stood up. "Would you like another cup? Or something else?"

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

I laughed out loud at that. "What a smart man you are, Darien."

I grinned and glanced down at my cup, then shook my head. "I'm good on either end for now; I still have half a cup here."

[Darien Kachine]

Chuckling, I went and set my empty cup in the sink.

"Would you care to see the painting I just finished?" I asked her as I returned.

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"I'd love to," I said near immediately as I rose, carrying my cup by its handle in one hand and my other cupped under it for balance, and to catch any drops that might inadvertently fall.

[Darien Kachine]

I beckoned her over to the corner in front of the largest window. On the easel was a portrait of the daughter of a noble, her favorite lap dog cradled in her arms.

"I just finished this yesterday."

[Princess Azabel de Somerville]

"Oh, that's absolutely lovely Darien," I replied. I set my cup on a nearby table and leaned closer to the painting, studying the strokes that he used to create shadow and depth. "You really do have a natural talent. Her face is absolutely striking."