[September 7, 2042]
Cal stopped in the entryway to the kitchen. A girl was slowly stirring egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Her long brown hair was caught aflame by the pink light of dawn that entered through the windows over the counter, and on her face was a calm and focused expression. Cal was struck silent by the sight for two reasons.
The first was the unexpected image of seeing someone in the morning. Cal woke up early, long before either Mel and Ellie stirred from their sleep, Ellie from the exhaustion of her frequent late-night excursions that often didn’t see her return to Otter Manor until after midnight, and Mel because of her natural lackadaisical nature. Sometimes Cal would find the ghost still asleep at noon, and even after awakening, she wouldn’t move from room 01 unless she had decided it was time to bother Cal as he attempted to fulfill his chores around the house.
The second reason was because of the sight of the girl herself. Yesterday, Cal had been too bombarded by new problems to notice (the principal one being that would-be-princess), but now, in the slow-paced nature of the early morning, he had time to really get a good look at the attendant and appreciate her features: the luscious brown hair, the kind brown eyes, and above all, the soothing nature of her presence. Watching her prepare the food in the kitchen filled Cal with an unusual calmness, and so he stood and watched her for longer than was strictly necessary.
I wonder why this feels so nostalgic, Cal thought.
Finally, he realized the truth about why he felt so inclined towards this young woman, why the very sight of her had improved his mood, and why he felt he could watch her for hours if need be.
She reminds me a little of my sister, he admitted to himself.
“Ms. Bridget,” he called out to her, the clearness of his voice penetrating the still air of the warmly lit kitchen. “Good morning.”
Bridget turned to him, her hands still at work in the mixing bowl, and smiled as if she was genuinely happy to see him — an unfettered sincerity that almost made Cal feel uncomfortable. Mr. Cal!” she said, her eyes glittering with affability and welcome. “Good morning to you, as well.”
Cal walked further into the kitchen with a strange trepidation, as if scared he would break the easy-going gentleness that seemed to be present around the young woman. “I admit, you startled me a little. Seeing others in the morning is a rare occurrence in this house.”
She laughed softly. “Then I hope I won’t be too much of a disruption. I am up and about very early in the morning, so I expect we’ll be seeing much of one another around this time.”
Cal frowned. “You must have had a long day yesterday. I expect that transitioning between… realms must be quite a tiresome business. Surely you could have slept in, even if just for today. You’re in a new environment, so you can take your time getting used to it.”
Bridget nodded, though not in a way that seemed to indicate she took his words to heart. “That’s very nice of you to say Mr. Cal, but really, I don’t mind. I’m a personal attendant of a princess of Luvinia: I am used to an early and hectic schedule. And besides…for various reasons I won’t bore you with… it truthfully doesn’t make a difference either way....”
Bridget trailed off momentarily, pouring the egg yolk onto a hot frying pan. She adjusted the heat on the eclectic stove, as if she used such an appliance every day. “This really is such a useful tool,” she murmured to herself, her eyes lighting up with delight. “You don’t even have to use magic or burn wood! So every realm has different ways of doing necessary tasks.”
Cal let her toy with the stove for another moment, before asking the question he had been dying to clarify since yesterday. “I really don’t mean to question your authenticity, and honestly I’ve become more inclined towards this sort of thing in the last week or so… but I have to ask.” He narrowed his eyes. “You and Aina… you’re being serious, aren’t you? About where you’re from? About who you are?”
Bridget glanced at him and nodded again. “Yes, Mr. Cal. I know it may be hard to believe for a person from your plane, but… my lady really is a princess of an extremely strong and extremely wealthy nation from a distant world, and I really am her attendant. I hope the fact that my lady was able to see the spirit haunting this house, which I understand are typically invisible in your world, will serve as proof enough that we are who we say we are. ”
Cal sighed and shook his head. “Like a princess? A princess princess? Because honestly-”
A smile of irony played upon Bridget’s lips, but she put her hand on her breast in a sign of sincerity. “Yes, I know what you mean. My lady isn’t as dignified as she often tries to make herself appear. Personally, I think it adds to her charm. But don’t make a mistake, she is a princess princess, as you say. Daughter of the reigning monarch of Luvinia, Pádhraic V, the most important and powerful man in the entirety of our world.”
Bridget lowered her eyes just a little, and they reflected the dawn. “The importance of my lady’s position cannot be overstated. Thus, the transition to Otter Manor has been… difficult for her, to say the least. And now she has had to say goodbye to Ezekiel and Sean, having called them back to her world yesterday with her flute. I’m sure she is feeling very isolated.”
Cal stepped beside her, and began to take out various cooking preparation instruments from the cupboards. “Why are you two here, if I may ask? This isn’t exactly a place suitable for the type of royalty Aina appears to be. Though I wouldn’t say it to her face.”
“I won’t bore you with the details,” Bridget began to shape the egg yolk in the hot pan, making it perfectly circular. “A lot of it has to do with the political reality of our world, and family dynamics of the royal houses, neither of which you would understand much of. To make a long story short, Lord Cormac — that is, my lady’s grandfather — thought it fit to send my lady away from the royal family on her own, for just a little while: a sabbatical of a few months or less. Furthermore, he deigned it necessary for my lady to see more of the world, or worlds, I should say, and his connection to the previous owner of this establishment: the dearly departed senior Mr. Frost, provided a convenient option for a place to stay in another realm. And so here we are.”
“I see,” Cal said quietly, “so reality is hitting the would-be-princess quite hard at this moment?”
“Mr. Cal.” Bridget lowered her voice, and stared down at him with a beseeching look. “May I ask you a favor?”
“Of course.”
Bridget turned her body away from the stove, turning the temperature with her hand. “I know my lady can be difficult, but she has never been put in this sort of position, and neither has she been around so many people her own age. If you can… I would appreciate it if you could try to be her friend.”
Her brown eyes widened slightly. “I know it’s not a simple thing that I ask, but she is quite alone right now and-”
“It’s not up to me,” interrupted Cal with a firm voice. “If she wants to get along with me and the other tenants, then her attitude will need to be adjusted. First things first, not calling others ‘peasant’ over and over.”
“I see.” Bridget’s voice was soft, tinged with disappointment.
“However,” Cal continued, scratching his nose self-consciously. “I promise to make an effort to get along with her, if I can.”
Bridget’s face filled with delight, and she grasped Cal’s palm with her large hands, shaking his arm up and down. She was extremely strong, and by the time the movement was over, his arm felt sore.
“I knew you were a nice person, Mr. Cal!” She said, beaming. “And I promise, my lady truly is a lovely lady when you get to know her!”
“I’ll take your word for it,” replied Cal, tenderly extracting his arm from Bridget’s passionate shake.
Forty-five minutes later, the princess, dressed in a beautiful pure white nightgown, poked her Belgian waffles suspiciously with her fork. “What is this gastronomical nonsense, peasant?” she said with an upturned eyebrow addressing Cal. Then she turned to the seat beside her. “Bridget, I don‘t trust the shape of this breakfast.”
Sorry Bridget, thought Cal, glaring daggers as Aina shook her head at the breakfast he had taken time out of his morning to prepare, I may need to rescind my promise.
“Try it, my lady,” pleaded Bridget, “I guarantee you will like it. Try it with the fresh strawberries on top.”
“Ish delish,” added Ellie, who was shoving a waffle into her mouth. “Ish delish Aina.”
She swallowed and wiped some whipped cream from the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “Cal is exclusively the yummy food machine around here, and he doesn’t let up. You can count on him.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“I have other functions, Ellie.” Cal said, annoyed to be defined in the girl’s eyes by this single trait. “Like, as a person, I do other things besides make food for you.”
Ellie pointed her fork at him. “It’s a compliment boss, don’t be mad. I’ve never had food this good for so long. I really can’t get enough.”
Cal shook his head, though he was secretly pleased by the praise. “You’re exaggerating.”
“No boss, I don’t lie,” insisted Ellie, adjusting her long braided hair before inhaling another waffle. “Never in my life have I gotten to eat food like this before. Not ever.”
Meanwhile, Bridget was still negotiating with her princess. “It tastes good, my lady. I’ve already eaten half of mine, you see?”
“Oh, Bridget.” Aina brushed back a thread of her luscious red hair, which was silky and smooth despite her having woken up only five minutes ago. “You know I care for your opinion, but there can be no comparison between our palates. I was brought up on the finest bounties of Luvinia, so what may seem agreeable to you will not correspond-”
“Would-be-princess,” Cal leaned over and fixed Aina with a stare, “I am contractually obligated to make breakfast for tenants every morning. I am not contractually obliged to make certain foods for tenants, exempting strict dietary restrictions and allergies. Nobody is forcing you to eat, but if you want an alternative breakfast you will need to prepare it yourself.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Unless… is it possible that such an impressive princess as yourself has no idea how to cook?”
Aina rose to her feet in indignation, her hand slamming against the table and making a strawberry jump on Ellie’s waffle. “You upstart peasant! How can you speak to me that way-”
She stopped, as Bridget had tugged on the sleeve of Aina’s nightgown. She pursed her lips, and then sighed, beginning again. “Princesses don’t need to cook, peasant. What an absurd idea. If we were back in the royal palace, you would be expected to feed me this strawberry from your hands.”
“What a relief we’re here in Otter Manor, in that case.”
“More insolence! It would be an honor for one so low-born as yourself-”
Cal and Aina argued for another minute, exchanging insults back and forth like a see-saw, until the princess finally gave up and leaned back in her chair. “You’re tremendously brave to act in such a brazen manner when you don’t even have your guardian spirit with you, " she commented. “Where is that lost soul, anyway?”
“Her name is Mel,” Cal said icily, “and honestly, I don’t know where she is. She seems a little freaked out by the fact that everyone can see her now. You could’ve warned her before you cast that spell yesterday, or whatever you call it.”
“‘Twas a protective ward, peasant!” Aina said indignantly. “I thought you would thank me. Making sure a spirit is visible is the first step of a proper exorcism! Every child in Luvinia knows that.”
“Do not exorcize my roommate.”
“Sorry, quick question. “Ellie raised her hand, as if she were a shy student at the back of a classroom, and looked at Cal. “So there actually was a ghost haunting this place? I thought you were just being aloof and mysterious earlier.”
“Yeah,” confirmed Cal, gesturing with his hand in Ellie’s direction as if the question was unimportant. “Her name is Mel. She’s a pretty girl with short black hair and a sundress. If you see her drifting through a wall, don’t be alarmed.”
“Word.” Ellie nodded, and returned to her breakfast, seemingly completely unfazed by this new information.
Cal grabbed the bag that was hanging off the back of his chair. “I actually need to get going now, since it’s the first day of my university classes. You can wash the leftover dishes or leave them out. I’ll take care of them when I get back. It will only be a half day.”
He looked at Ellie, who was still in her fuzzy pajamas. “Don’t you need to get going too?”
Ellie waved her fork in the air dismissively. “I’m on the night schedule, so my classes are in the evening. See you around though, boss.”
“Have a good day, Mr. Cal.” Bridget said with a nod of encouragement.
Aina grunted, and picked at her waffles some more.
For a moment, Cal looked at the three girls around the kitchen table, as if he didn’t understand what he was seeing. He felt a little kernel of anxiety play around in his belly.
It’s the normality, he thought to himself, it feels so fragile.
He shook his head and left.
After Ellie had retired back upstairs, Aina tentatively cut out a section of her waffle with her knife. “I don’t know why you want me to get along with that housekeeper,” she said to Bridget, who was still sitting beside her despite having finished her own food a while ago. “He’s being positively rude to me.”
“Maybe,” admitted Bridget, “but my lady, you’re also being intentionally antagonistic towards him, are you not?”
Aina furrowed her brow, and didn’t speak for a time. Then, almost quietly, she said: “I miss Ezekiel and Saun, Bridget.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“I’m unhappy, Bridget.”
“Yes, my lady. I’m sorry for that.”
“How long do you think Grandfather will insist upon me being in this place?” Aina’s voice was different than it had been whenever she was speaking with Cal or Ellie — a different and less exaggerated cadence that made it seem more natural and suitable. “...Do you think he’s angry with me?”
Bridget's eyes filled with compassion, and she squeezed Aina’s hand gently. “No, my lady. I think he wants the best for you.”
“How could this be for the best of me? Stuck alone in this… other world, with no friends and no support?”
“I don’t know. But maybe we should have faith in his judgment for now, and try to make the most of it.”
Aina sniffed, as if congested, and nodded to herself. Then she put the section of waffle she had cut out earlier into her mouth. Her beautiful green eyes widened as she chewed, and she put a small pale hand over her mouth.
“Is it good, my lady?” asked Bridget, in a tone of voice that suggested she already knew the answer.
“It’s adequate, Bridget.” Aina took another bite. “Adequate enough.”
Then she sharply raised her head, which made her long red hair whip around her body. “Who goes there?! I see you, a figure hovering outside the doorway! The princess of Luvinia demands her subjects show themselves!”
A terrified squeak followed, and a clumsy girl with large blond curly hair fell into the kitchen, apparently having lost her balance from the pure fright of being addressed so directly. “I’m sorry!” She said in horror, waving her hands in front of her and frantically bowing her head up and down. “The kitchen is usually empty at this time! I didn’t know other people were here.”
Aina looked down at the other girl, nonplussed by her strange behavior. “Raise your head and address royalty directly when you speak! There is no advantage to acting so timid. I am the new tenant of this manor, Princess Aina of the great nation of Luvinia, and this is my attendant Bridget. Who are you?”
The new girl, still shaking in fright, raised her face towards Aina, her big blue eyes ready to burst into tears. “I’m Ram… um your highness… just Ram… I live here.” Her voice got higher in panic. “I didn’t know… incredible people like yourself frequented the kitchen. Please believe me… I just wanted some breakfast.”
The enormous mane of her blond curly hair bobbed.
This hapless girl looks like a defenseless sheep, Aina thought and then smiled to herself, rising to her full height and standing over the bowing figure of Ram.
“I have need of a guide to teach me about this world,” declared the princess of her Luvinia in a proud voice, gesturing with her body as if she were wearing her finest royal dress and not a nightgown. “I have decided that you, Ram of Otter House, shall be this guide. I have taken an immediate liking to you. Call it fate if you wish. Now come with me. First I must shower and dress, and then we have much work to do, my subject.”
“What?” crooked Ram in a voice between confusion and dismay.
“I have come into a new world, where the rules I have learned and the knowledge I have acquired are useless. It matters not. I am Aina ud Cormac. If need be, I shall conquer this world if that is required to return to my own! What say you, Ram, my new subject?”
Ram looked around at Bridget for help, who simply shrugged and began her own empty plate.
“Um…” said Ram, “To be honest… I have my own things going on right now…”
Aina raised an eyebrow. “Are you questioning a princess of Luvinia?”
“No!” exclaimed Ram, “I don’t… think so. I just-”
Aina bent down on one knee, to face Ram and to stare level into the girl’s blue eyes. “Then hesitate no longer. You seem to be one who is grasped by self-doubt and self-consciousness. Once, I suffered the same ills. I understand the feelings that inform them. Well, be petrified by your own inner turmoil no longer. You are in my care now.”
Ram mouth ‘thank you’, but was clearly too perplexed and overwhelmed to speak aloud any longer.
“This will be a fruitful relationship, Ram of Otter House.” Aina grinned, her green eyes flashing. “With my magnificence, Bridget’s strength, and your knowledge of this world, nothing will be able to stand in my way. I shall become the perfect example of royalty… and then nobody shall be able to deny my birthright. Let us take over the world.”
“First, let’s finish breakfast.” said Bridget, who was washing her plate under the sink.
“Yes, let’s finish breakfast.” concurred Aina. “Tell me what you know of these things known as ‘waffles’, Ram. I have great plans for them.”