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When she had taken Gabriel’s hand, Anika hadn’t anticipated what would happen next. They were running into the unknown, praying no one would find them. And now, they were here. She wasn’t a princess anymore. News had spread that a new heir had been discovered recently, but she did her best not to trouble herself with it. It was easier to focus on work.

The tools she had afforded to her weren’t of the same caliber as those her nursemaids used to heal her wounds, but it was enough. She couldn’t heal others with her words, but she could coax them into a sleep when she stitched them up. It troubled her how many men would walk in each day, hoping the war might end one of these days, but Corthyr would not let up. Boils, bruising, vomiting- Anika had seen it all, but she lived for it. She was finally living her dream. Not the spotlight her father laid out for her, but being able to truly help people.

Walking home alone, Anika feared the idea that she might still be recognized, but Gabriel always assured her that it was nearly impossible. It had been years now, but she was sure that if she was ever to be discovered, there was a world of pain and imprisonment waiting for her. Some nightmares still troubled her at night, but there he was at her side, never leaving, just like he had promised her the day they had left together. With him at her side, there was nothing she couldn’t do.

Arriving at their home, she smiled. It wasn’t a castle, but inside she felt more adoration than any of her fans prior. Enthusiastically, she opened the door to be welcomed by the smell of vegetables cooking on the stove. It was not a five-star meal, but she found it far tastier than anything she had at the castle. Maybe it was because she no longer had to fear it being poisoned or just that there was someone who cared about her who was preparing it. " I’m home, Bello. Where is my customary greeting?" She grinned at the man who was waiting for her before she started her boots at the door.

At the end of the day, she was still a princess. Instead of many servants waiting on her, only one person was waiting on her. But there were just a few rules she wanted him to follow. One, she wished to wrap her arms around her person after such a long day. Two, it had been eight long hours since she had been able to crack wise with anyone for fear they might no longer wish to use her services. And third, if it were up to her, the man would be greeting her with a glass of wine and nothing but an apron, but concerns were expressed about her ability to drink and unwrap him at the same time. As well as the fear of their dinner getting cold. These are all valid concerns, but logic was never something Anika liked to use.

" How many brains did you mold today?" Anika spoke, getting her boots off and approaching the dining table. The vest he wore made Anika’s heart swoon, thinking about the teacher out there molding minds, making a difference in his own right. She was curious to hear about his day, knowing hers wasn’t meant for dinner discussion. Teaching others to read and write showed Anika how misguided she was prior to coming here. The idea of a quality education wasn’t something that she had ever considered a gift before, but seeing how little those knew in this town alone was enough to help open her mind more.





OOC:

After many letdowns and misguided attempts to become the queen, here she was. Joining the dining table, she couldn’t help but wonder what was taking place back at the castle, had her father forced the whole family to sit down as he listed off all their failures, or had they all sat in silence? Whatever they were eating didn’t have half the heart that the meals her man provided for her, as well as the assurance that the person preparing it only wanted her happiness over anything else.

As his lips pressed against her cheek, she felt herself snap out of the wonders of what if and back to the blissful reality they were currently residing in. Gabriel had only scratched the surface of the ways her mind continued to torment her, and she felt it best to forget the past, no matter how heavily it tried to haunt her. Gabriel made an effort to still make her feel like a princess in her own right, unveiling each dish as she oohed and awed at each one in an effort to stroke his ego. It was fun playing this game, the one where he lived to serve her and her alone. More importantly, where she understood what when he said he would cherish her and love her, he meant it.

The idea of him offering to wash away her sadness gave her some ideas, but nothing appropriate for the dinner table. Would that stop her? Of course not. " If you want to wash my sadness away, maybe we can save that for when I need a shower later," Anika smirked at the man before taking a drink of her wine. A side quest of hers was always to make Gabriel flustered, enamored by how wide the man’s eyes could get behind the sunglasses by the silly things she could say.

Anika racked her mind as to what would make the man put on such a display for the two of them, hopeful she hadn’t forgotten their anniversary. But knowing that was just the perks of dating a man who enjoyed surprising her as much as she liked to surprise him. The woman had even started wearing clothes more suited to his tastes, partially due to the fact she couldn’t justify wearing her favorite designers outside of their abode for fear of being discovered, but the wool skirt she was wearing today was a material she was still getting over.

" Grazie. Such a spread, I truly am the queen of my own kingdom." Her smile spread as she put down her glass, preparing herself to eat the burrata before her. Spoiled in her own right, this was never the life she had dreamed of living ten years ago, but here she was, pleased to eat something prepared just for her. Even when she lived back at the castle, she couldn’t say the same thing was true.

The soft cheese melted in her mouth, causing her to moan slightly at the deliciousness. " Oh, you have outdone yourself once again." What would she have done without him? The idea that she could ever dream of making something so special made her laugh. But there was no feeling of debt pressing down upon her, but of love and adoration. Not deserved by any means but appreciated, " I have been trying to learn how to cook from some of the other nurses, and I managed to boil pasta water the other day. Just you wait, one of these days I will have a king's feast prepared for you. Any requests?"





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