Henrietta’s POV

I immediately regretted not letting Keith mediate my correspondence. I also regretted writing home.

One or all of my parents' letters might have ended up in my parlour fireplace over the next few days.

The Nightshade Rooms were just that, rooms. The suite had a parlour, a small library office, a walk-in wardrobe, marble bathroom and an extra bedroom for a personal maid.

My days in Nilheim had passed by like a dream until this point. I would wake up and get ready, then enjoy baking in the morning, working with Keith in the afternoon and sometimes having dinner with him in the evening. Then, I'd retire to my parlour and lounge on the very comfortable lounge.

Often there would be lurid romance novels or sword fighting manuals waiting for me, but ever since that fateful afternoon tea a few days ago, I also got mail.

The first was a short missive from Bronwyn asking if I was alright. I wrote her back to let her know about some of my escapades and that I wouldn't be returning to Drendil anytime soon - and that she was free to visit me whenever she liked. I’d even asked for permission from Keith to be sure, and sent a border pass with the letter.

I’d also received a mysterious unlabeled package. Tulith arranged for one of the golems to open it just in case it was a nasty surprise from my parents. Instead it was a small hand written book called Out Of This World Recipes. As it promised, it was full of strange and delicious sounding recipes I'd mostly never heard of.

I had immediately made the first recipe that included ingredients I knew were ready to go in the kitchen.

Boston Cream Donut

▢3 ½ cups all-purpose flour divided, plus additional as needed (438g)

▢2 ¼ teaspoons yeast (add 50g powder Goblin Lily to make it instant).

▢⅓ cup ground sugar (67g)

▢1 teaspoon salt

▢⅔ cup cow milk (157ml)

▢6 Tablespoons butter melted (85g)

▢2 large eggs lightly beaten (room temperature preferred)

▢¾ teaspoon vanilla extract (substitute Bitter Star Fruit Juice)

▢Vegetable oil for frying

▢Boston Cream (pg86)

▢Chocolate Sauce (substitute whipped Markle Berry spread)

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine 2 cups (250g) of flour, yeast, sugar and salt and stir to combine. Heat milk and combine. Add butter, eggs and fruit juice. Stir until dough clings.

Leave dough covered overnight, or for one hour if instant.

Roll out dough, cut into circles and fry in boiling oil one at a time.

Take Boston Cream (recipe pg 86) and use a piping bag to fill each Donut.

Dip in Chocolate or coat in Markle Berry Spread.

Some of the foods listed in the book had been popping up in Drendil recently, like Ramen and French Toast. They all began in North Sumbria so it was believed the Grand Duchess had a new chef.

I had no idea why someone would send me a recipe book, but I was too excited to care! The day it arrived I spent almost fifteen straight hours in the kitchen, and it took a direct order from Panlith to get me to go to bed.

The book obviously wasn't a gift from my parents, but they did send me their own letters.

The king and queen of Drendil were not happy. When I’d first arrived, I was still torn between my duties to king and country and accepting my abysmal fate. If I was honest with myself, some small desire to survive had made me jump at Keith's original offer not to fight.

Now I didn't want to go back to being Henri. Ever.

Keith and I talked about it and everyone started calling me Henrietta, and it's been nice figuring out who Henrietta was.

Which is why I’d decided to visit Gerda on my day off instead of exploring some of the more exciting locales around the Dark Enchanted Forest.

…

"A kingdom without people

A desert without sand

An ocean without water

What land is in your hand?"

"Oh Gerda, that's a lovely riddle!" And it really was. I thought long and hard. "Is it… a map?"

"Your Highness is so good at riddles, I will have to try harder next time." The troll laughed and invited me into her home under the east bridge.

Bridge Troll magic made for a lovely cottage in the space between the water and the stone arch. There was a cute door with a flower motif seemingly carved into the under arch, and when you reached up and held the door knob, gravity turned you sideways so you could walk right inside. The first time was terribly disorienting, but now it was just magical.

"I always look forward to your riddles, Gerda, but please call me Henrietta." I said, embarrassed. She laughed and we both puttered around her kitchen preparing for afternoon tea. I got out the cups and she boiled water. I plated the table while she brewed a berryleaf blend that smelled wonderful.

I had grown to love afternoon tea in the Dark Enchanted Forest.

"And I look forward to your baking." Gerda breathed deeply, appreciating the smell of ginger, cinnamon and cloves wafting from the basket. "What did you bring?"

"Gingerbread Cookies and Cinnamon Buns," I pulled the kitchen towel off my basket to reveal cookies shaped like Trolls, Knights, Treants, and Dragons. Separately wrapped in killer-bee wax paper were two sticky honey butter cinnamon buns coated in whipped sweet cheese. When I saw the recipe in Out Of This World, I’d had to stop myself from outright begging on my knees for Panlith to order the ingredients. He’d been happy to procure what I’d asked for. No groveling required.

I’d needed citrons to make the thick cheese topping, and flour milled from soft red wheat to make the dough chewy and light.

We sat down at Gerda's table and dug in happily.

"I don't know what else to say, Gerda." I said between licking my fingers drizzled in icing. "I'm just so happy here, but things aren't going so well."

Gerda frowned over her tea, "is it the Dark Lord? I heard he had you locked up in the dungeon."

"No! I love spending time with Rufus in the dungeon." I said, "It's the fact that St. Veralyn's Day is only a month away, and if I don't do anything by then my father will."

"I would pay money to get locked up in a dungeon with General Rufus Triever," Gerda sighed passionately. She shook herself and asked, "what will your father do?"

"Declare war?" I sighed, exhausted. "If I die then it'll be a war out of revenge. If I live, he'll declare war because I'm supposedly being held hostage by the Dark Overlord."

"Wait, aren't you being held hostage by the Dark Overlord?" Gerda asked. "Last I heard he didn't want to fight you until his Necromancer returned and could clean up the mess, so you've become a magical test subject for his evil experiments while you wait for your death, all the while baking for his pleasure. That sounds pretty captive princess to me, Princess."

She emphasized the last Princess while raising an eyebrow.

"It's not like that at all!" I slapped my palm to my face, instantly regretting doing so because then I had to wash icing off of my face. "I volunteered! Keith wanted to know how I got past his gate-golem, and I couldn't go home without fighting him or dying. He was really nice and let me stay in the Nightshade Rooms when I'm not in the dungeons. It's just - it's not as bad as it sounds, alright?!"

Gerda laughed so hard she hit the table and it creaked under the blow.

"It's not funny!" I protested.

"You're right," she agreed, "it's hilarious. But with all the mix up and kingdom gossip and war, there is one thing that's pretty clear."

"What?"

"Drendil isn't your home anymore, so it's time to let it go." Gerda shrugged. "When I came here, I left my family and my home behind, and I never looked back. My husband was a very mean troll, and not in a good way."

I settled in to listen.

"Sometimes you spend your whole life trying to make your home a better place. You plant bioluminescent mushrooms to make it shine, you convince yourself your bruises are proud battle scars, and you take the job of protecting others from the ones you love," Gerda said sadly. "But their choices are not your choices. And the only troll's– the only person's actions you need to take responsibility for are your own."

"There might still be a war," I said softly.

"Then there is war." Gerda nodded and finished off her last bite of cinnamon bun. She smiled a big toothy grin. "Though only an idiot would declare war on the Dark Enchanted Forest."

"Unluckily for us, I'm related to someone who resembles that remark." I nursed my now cold cup of tea. "Hey Gerda?"

"Yes Henrietta?"

"Thank you for sharing. And thanks for the support."

"Anytime." She nodded. "Now pull out the Gingerbread while I make us more tea."