Heather
2231 Words
I finally woke up and got myself ready as I peered into the twins' bedroom. The children were already wide awake and were playing with each other as I picked them up one by one and gave a mighty kiss in their cheeks.
"Good morning my lovelies, your daddy is busy out running around the Obstacle course so right now it's between you and me then. He got a list of task for me to complete and we would accomplish the tasks together, would that be fine?"
I spoke gently to the children as they clapped their dainty hands and reached out their arms to be carried down from the bed. "It's time for your showers, lovelies then you're off to daycare today, yes? You had been skipping classes ever since your daddy had left for the expedition and till now."
When the twins heard of going to daycare, they clapped their hands with glee and were about to climb down from their low beds themselves and pitter-patter to the bathroom.
After their shower and get dressed up, I and the twins got down for breakfast while Audemars joined us soon after at the dining table of the conference hall.
"Dear, so what's interesting that you had uncovered last night at the study? Did you discovered some secrets that you want to share with me?" I asked while Audemars nodded amidst stuffing myself with freshly toasted bread and some fruit jams in between.
"Yup... But I could only show you since it can't be explained in words. It's more to action rather than words since I discovered something that helps me get a breakthrough. It's wonderful and the meditative state had reached some new levels too."
"Oh, alright dear. I need to run a few things first since I've gotten the journal from you. Once the twins had gone to school, I would be busy in my part, myself. How about you? Any plans for today?"
I inquired and Audemars simply replied that he would be heading to the realm to do some research since he had been to the past and also to the future and he would also need to read up some history on some parts of the countries that he had been.
"Sounds interesting, dear. I was wondering when you would be strong enough to piggyback me to the realm of yours so I would like to see what's there after all. I hope I also could learn a few things when I'm there. Hehehe."
Audemars smiled when he heard what I had replied since I too was excited to visit the realm as well. But at this moment, it would be hard for him to bring me in since he is still new at this and with the curious state of mine, I might do something which would be irreversible back then.
"Definitely dear, I would be heading to the study first and if I'm not there I would be at the back of the domain in the orchards."
"Eh? What are you going to do at the orchards? It's autumn and there's nothing for you to pick...!"
I was surprised when I heard it and was wondering what Audemars would be doing at the back of the domain.
"Don't worry dear, I just going to be part of nature today."
"Uh-huh... Alright then, I would be running along once the children had been picked by Clayton. Take care of yourself, dear. Don't strain yourself too much."
Audemars sat at the table finishing up the rest of the breakfast and kissed our rest little children as they waited for their Big Brother at the front of the domain.
=*=
Holding the journal that was given to me earlier by Audemars, I went over to Old Kayla and asked her about some of the ingredients that seemed rather alien to me.
"Mama Kayla, could you spare a minute or two? I need some help with this list of ingredients that Audemars had given me last night. It contained some unknown ingredients and I'm not sure where to begin."
"Sure, child. What can I be of your help? Read it to me what is the ingredients and I will see if I knew about them or maybe substitute it with something else."
Old Kayla reassured me as I slowly rattled down the ingredients for the coconut jam which consisted of coconut milk...!
"Don't Priest Hendry previously told us where to find the coconuts that would be abundant in Scotland? Besides, our weather here might not be conducive for them to grow as you know its either too hot or too wet."
I pouted my lips upon hearing it and I asked if Eagle could send in a message to the island that Audemars had mentioned some time back.
If he could ask the settlers there on the island to bring in some trees, or some matured and young coconuts, would it be a good idea since Priestess Penelope would be able to 'grow' them within the next few days and weeks?
"Mama Kayla, this list of ingredients that Audemars had given me consisted of coconut milk or coconut oil too. How do you derive coconut milk into coconut oil? Do you think we could purchase them too?"
Old Kayla thought for a minute and remarked that Marcel would be heading back soon today and the question could be directed to him.
Since Marcel had a knack for finding things from other remote places and have a wider contact, we decided to wait out for him while I sat at the outdoor kitchen area with a pot of freshly brewed tea before me.
"Your Majesty, what would you be preparing for today's lunch and dinner? Do you need us to help you to prepare the meals with you later on?" one of the kitchen helpers approached me as I slowly sipped on my tea and had the journal in front of me as I flipped through its pages.
"I haven't thought of lunch and dinner yet. Maybe I would do a simple one-dish meal of soft ribs, with some potatoes and mirliton soup for today. At least it would be a change." I suggested as I picked the journal and went to the grocery store and picked up the necessary ingredients to prepare the meals for today.
I soon brought the items to the outdoor kitchen area and the kitchen helpers set about to assist me to prepare the food while I sat back and read the journal once again. Jennings saw me hovering with the journal in my hand and she came over and asked if I needed some help.
"Here, Jennings. Have you heard of baking powder or salt of Hartshorn? Do you use them in your baking of loaves of bread or biscuits?"
'Of course, we do, Your Majesty. We used them all the time but we don't call it baking powder but the salt of Hartshorn instead."
"It's a leavening agent, many times finer than our wheat flour, almost like the dusting powder."
"Just a pinch would make a pound of flour to be soft and fluffy on the insides and crispy on the outsides."
"Is that what you are looking for, Your Majesty?" Jennings replied to me and I had found the answer to some of the questions to where I would need to fill in the blanks later.
"Yes...! That's it I think. It would be used not for cooking but for cosmetic products...! How come I did not know about this?" I was astounded that the bakers had managed to keep a trade secret for so long and only now was revealed to me.
If not their bagels would be so hard that it would need a hammer and chisel just to break into bite-sized pieces...! Hahaha...!
As I was preparing the soft ribs and had chopped them down to pieces, the helpers had already prepared the mirliton and potatoes that would be made into a simple kind of soup garnished with some onions and garlic.
As the pork ribs would need to be sautéed for some time to let it cook properly and also extract its goodness from the bones, I let it soak for a while before firing the rocket stove and let the contents boil for some time to make a thick and nutritious soup.
I sat down and enjoyed sipping my tea while the helpers helped to prepare the meals and at the same time they prepared the meals for the workers as well.
It was a simple pottage made with some game nest and vegetables that they were preparing and it would be eaten with bread instead.
As the pot of thick soup was boiling in the cauldron, the helpers soon poured the contents of the vegetables and let the contents simmer down until the charcoal inside the rocks stoves dies off.
The cover of the cauldron was lifted a bit so that steam would escape and not let the potatoes and mirliton inside to overcook.
"The meals are ready, Your Majesty. We shall bring them down to the dining area if the conference hall then. I guess the twins would be able to return from their daycare as well." one of the domain helpers who doubled up as a kitchen helper suggested as she brought a large serving bowl filled with soft ribs soup over to the domain.
She would also be taking the children back from daycare thus leaving me to find Audemars who said that he would be spending time to be with nature.
I thanked the domain helper and went over to the side of the domain where the orchard was thriving despite its barren leaves during autumn.
I saw Audemars standing in the midst of the orchard and was holding out his hands and was performing some kind of slow dance with his hands. Is that he called being one with nature?
I came near him and sat down on some fallen branches as I watched him perform his so-called dance. His hands' movements were fluid and were moving them around as if he was slow dancing with the trees. He had his eyes closed all the time and I think he was oblivious to my arrival.
I noticed one of his legs was steadfast to the ground while the other was slightly bent forward and moving as if he was really one with nature.
I looked at him as he cooly performed his fluid movements while using his other leg to pivot himself around. After some time, he let down both of his arms, and from his movements, it seems he would be back to his senses soon.
"Hiya darling, been waiting for me long? I think you had seen my movements, don't you? It's a part of meditation where it helps to strengthen my mind and body in a different way."
Audemars greeted me as he walked slowly towards me and offers his hand to haul me off from the fallen branches that I was sitting on.
"So, what does it actually do and do you really need to make such movements with your hands and feet?" I asked as Audemars walked hand in hand with me through the orchard.
"My movements are not premeditated, and all the movements of my hands were like the limbs of a tree and one of my legs is supposed to be rooted to the earth."
"My body would be the tree trunk. This is what I had learnt so far. And furthermore, in that state, I was meditating and I could see my surrounding an even when I had my eyes closed...!"
I listened with great interest when Audemars said he could even see with his eyes closed. Does this mean he could see me arriving earlier and sat down while observing him?
"In my mind, which I call it as a meditative state of mind that brings me to another realm here in the present world, I could see everything in white and grey. The living things would be white and the inanimate objects would be grey."
"I would be entering the realm later at night to fuse some gemstones and I would bring it up for me, you and the kids. There's 2 anklets, 2 bracelets, one amulet, 2 earrings too. I'm going to search for them and fuse them and bring it back to the real world."
"What is it for, dear? These sets of trinkets, are they precious?" I looked at myself and I had none of those since I had gotten to know Audemars, got married to him and in the end have kids with him right till now.
"I haven't seen them yet but from my earlier speculations, I think they were made from wood and then fused with steel. Ceres, the guidance system informed me that there are lots of crates in the realm that I hadn't gone through yet and I would do it later tonight then.
"Oh alright then, our children had been picked by the helpers and today I've made soft ribs soup with potatoes and mirliton. Hope you like them, dear..."
I said as we entered the domain from the side and the children were already been minded by the helpers as they sat on their trikes waiting for us to arrive.
- Writer
