Emma takes a wide staircase that's big enough for two people to walk side by side. Wearing simple clothing, she looks like a peasant, with a white cotton shirt and a long blue skirt. A green scarf holds her curly hair in place, with a few curls escaping. A small leather bag, tied with a cord knot, hangs from her right shoulder.
Now, inside the kitchen, Emma adjusted the scarf around her head and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, preparing for the arduous task of cooking for the evening garrison at the barracks. The garrison's meal would be a complete feast: bread dumplings paired with dried meat, a hearty and nutritious broth with vegetables and spices, and, finally, a small dose of homemade liquor made from exotic fruits and unique herbs, intended to aid digestion.
Emma starts by easily lifting a large black iron pot onto the wood-burning stove, where the dancing orange flames flicker and make the dark pieces of charcoal crackle. With skill, she prepares special and colorful ingredients, including dark roots with a strong scent, which add a bluish tinge and a sweet flavor, and exotic vegetables with silvery skin and a slightly spicy taste, filling the kitchen with unique aromas.
After browning the ingredients in the pot, Emma pours in water, unwraps a seasoned meat and prepares it for the pot, skillfully cutting and adding it. The young woman then finishes the broth with a touch of wine and covers the pot carefully. Meanwhile, she begins to work on the dough, putting the round pieces of bread in the oven, with generous strips of meat that emit a very tasty salty essence.
She sits in a chair near the table and, with a cloth taken from her small bag, wipes the sweat from her brow and chest. Slowly, the sunlight began to fade, and the chirping of crickets announced the approaching night. Despite nearly everything being ready for the evening, Emma didn't rest and lit two lanterns to illuminate the kitchen, as she still had to work on the liquor, which would be the finishing touch for the night.
From within a small, dark, round wooden cabinet, she retrieves a large, tightly sealed hermetic pot and brings it to the table, removing the cloth that covered the container. Shaking the pot, there's a reddish liquid inside with some intact fruits. A final touch was needed for the flavor. From her leather bag, she takes out a small fruit, wrapped in a decorative cloth.
Upon unwrapping it, she examines the small white fruit. "A moonberry," she says, looking at the fruit, a bright glow that reflects the colors of the surrounding lanterns. Opening the pot, a strong citrusy and acidic smell wafts from it. But quickly, Emma tosses the fruit inside and quickly covers the pot again. In a few seconds, the reaction begins to occur, with the small fruit slowly dissolving, making the liquor's color lighter, shifting from red to a more yellowish hue.
She shakes the pot curiously again, observing the process, and then opens it, emitting a completely different, slightly sweet and milder smell. "Perfect!" she thinks once again, feeling proud, as if she had completed the creation of a work of art.
While watching the pot reflecting the orange lights of the lanterns, Emma doesn't notice a tall armored man standing at the door.
"Hello, Emma, good evening. The smell is delicious..."
He says as he approaches carefully, tapping lightly on the wooden door.
This young soldier was Frederick, a tall, red-haired, and very kind man. Wearing armor common among the fort's soldiers, it was a full set made of black steel. The armor appeared heavy and provided good protection for the soldier's body, but in Frederick's case, who needed to stoop to fit through the door, it became even more imposing.
In addition to being tall, Frederick seemed muscular, with broad shoulders and hands. He holds his closed and dark helmet in one hand, leaving his head completely uncovered. The young man's expression is friendly, and his gaze welcoming. His hair has a reddish tone that falls to his ears, similar to his slightly darker eyes.
"Ah!! It's you, Fred. You startled me! How long have you been there?"
Emma is briefly startled and nearly loses her balance with the glass jar in her hand. Nonetheless, she welcomes her friend with a broad smile and extends her hand for him to sit at the table near her.
"Thank you. I've been here since you put the bread in the oven. I'm sure they'll turn out delicious."
He nods in gratitude for the invitation and pulls the chair closer to sit, placing his helmet on another nearby chair.
"Wow! You've been here for a while! Why didn't you say anything?"
Emma covers her face with the cloth that had wiped away the excess sweat earlier, feeling embarrassed. She stares at the red-haired young man with her yellow eyes, waiting for his explanation. Despite her face being covered, her eyes reveal a broad smile.
"You seemed so focused; I didn't want to disturb you. Besides, everything I saw you do was done with great skill. I'm impressed!"
The young man places one of his elbows on the table, causing his armor to produce metallic sounds. He expresses his interest in continuing to talk.
"I confess, I always thought my mother was the best cook in the world. She was always a hit in our village, but that was until I met you."
He finishes, becoming slightly reddened and with a twinkle in his eye as he talks about the young woman.
"Hahaha! You're making me blush... why do you say that?"
Once again, the young woman continues to smile behind the cloth covering her face.
"Well... I believe that if the taste of the food is as good as the smell, my colleagues will certainly want more. Hahaha! Plus, I've never seen anything like what you did with the drink. It was fascinating. What did you do?"
The red-haired young man can't contain his sincere smile while praising Emma and, at the same time, the eagerness to enjoy the banquet that's so close to him. His face is even more flushed than before.
"Thank you! I used a fruit to reduce the acidity of the wild strawberry liquor. This drink is excellent after a heavy meal, so I thought you all would like to have something to lighten the load and stay awake during the night."
Emma explains the process simply to Frederick, but hints at the same time that she doesn't want to go into details, as she knows it might be a bit more complicated than it appears. Nevertheless, she conveys a sense of ownership and knowledge to the young man.
"Wow... you're amazing, Emma. You know so much!"
The young man's words are filled with sincerity and a touch of innocence that contrasts with his strong and robust appearance. Frederick's orange eyes continue to gleam with admiration for Emma, and his admiration indicates that it's not just for her culinary talent.
"Ah... I came here to help you as well! Can I assist you with anything?"
He asks awkwardly, hiding his face inside the black helmet he had left on the chair. Quickly, the soldier stands up and stands erect in front of her.
"Yes, you can. I'll need your help. I'm going to get some boxes and place them on the table. We'll keep the food warm with some cloths."
With a smile, it's evident that Emma has control over the young soldier. The impression, from the way the young man stays close to her, is that she could ask him to do anything, and he would do it without hesitation. Despite the intimidating appearance, Frederick appears to be a good guy, inexperienced, with a touch of innocence, making Emma tease him constantly.
With her loose cotton shirt, the young woman bends down to pick up the wooden boxes, making the cleavage of her breasts quite visible, as with the movement, it seems they could pop out at any moment. Even without looking at the soldier, she knows he's staring, and despite him wearing armor, she can feel him swallowing hard with the desire to see more as he gazes at her.
"Here it is! One box for the bread, one box for the pot, and I'll take the liquor in this bottle. Is that okay?"
When she suddenly stands up, Emma notices Frederick's fixed gaze on her and pretends not to have noticed to see his reaction. The soldier almost comes undone inside his armor when he's caught by her.
"N-No, it's fine! I can carry everything if you'd like!"
He responds promptly, ready to assist.
Emma smiles gently, knowing the truth but making no comment. She knows she has control over the young man. They both organize the bread trays and the pot neatly in the two wooden boxes, properly wrapped in thick cloths to keep their temperature until they reach the military fort, which, in reality, isn't too far away.
Carefully, Emma also pours the liquor into another bottle and seals it with a brown cork. For a brief moment, the sweet smell makes Frederick sigh, unable to wait to enjoy the feast, eliciting some laughter from the young woman.
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