After a long pause, Louisa shakes their head, loosening the strands of pale hair close by their face from their tight french braid. âNo,â They decide, lacking any real color in their tone. âItâs not an imposition.â They turn back towards the way theyâd comeâ the way towards the kitchen, if they did a little backtrackingâ and start walking, and thatâs about as much encouragement as they offer for Giselle to follow them.Â
âIâm actually just becoming acquainted with the castle, myself,â They admit, deciding that thatâs a safe and small enough thing to admit; all the new-come royals were doing something along the same lines; it was neither uncommon nor an interesting enough thing for Giselle to log away about them, they figured. âIâve never been in the kitchens, though,â They add, much more pointedly.Â
âApple strudelâŠâ Louisa trails, thinking back to their ascension night. A million things had been prepared for them and their four co-ascenders to eat, then: dusted gold leaf truffles, venison and cream, the tallest towers of cheese and chocolate fondues with cubes of bread and fruit to dip and dip and dip; all of it spread like riches on ornate tables with thick, metallic cloths and plates twice the size of their head; with jeweled goblets and red wine with shavings of silver. The celebration had been equal parts honoring and feasting, and theyâd soaked it all up. Apple strudel had been piled onto the dessert tables, along with one-hundred-thousand other treats Louisa had allowed themself to indulge in; but there was something particularly nostalgic about apples and cinnamon. They couldnât help but adore it. ââŠIs very good.â They decide, unwilling to admit a weakness as embarrassing as sweet treats to their companion. âI havenât had it in awhile.âÂ
   WITH ease giselle takes the hint, uttering a soft merci and following along, heels clicking rapidly until she catches up. itâs a wonder, really, why louisa has chosen to help her when it seems they have no real desire to, but itâs help and giselle wonât deny it. â itâs interesting to see the differences in design, even though france is so close. exciting to learn about, so far. â itâs small talk, maybe, and although she has some idea that louisa isnât necessarily interested in hearing it, she figures itâs the polite thing to do. â i only walked through once on my way somewhere else. theyâre brilliant, though. anything you could ever need is in there. â itâs a comforting thing for her -- baking -- and so she was pleasantly surprised to see such a pretty space sheâd most definitely be taking advantage of.
   when louisa admits to their love for apple strudel, giselle canât help but smile a bit. thatâs something most people can have in common: their love for different foods or sweets. â i havenât baked it myself before, actually, but iâm hoping some of the staff will be around to give me pointers. it tastes amazing fresh, i think. i could save you some, if it turns out well. â