The Key Lies Between Both Worlds

Chapter 18

Narrator

  The silence that flowed between them all was awkward, especially for Amy.

  Amy tried to lighten the mood as she smiled and asked. "Jack why don't you show me the recipe?" Jack just gave her a brief nod as he started to open the cabinets and fridge to find the ingredients.

    Sir Parker took a seat at the marble counter, his eyes lingered on Amy. "It's still feels unreal to have the princess here in our present. Anyone else agree?" Both Jack and Leaf rose their hands, a faint blush passed over Amy's cheek as she tried to hide her face behind her long strands of hair. Leaf took a seat by Sir Parker, Leaf's eyes as well lingered on Amy but for different reasons. Amy noticed them staring at her, awkwardness settled in but being uncomfortable flowed throughout her whole body. Sir Parker was to caught up in thinking ahead for the future to notice Amy's discomfort and Leaf just grinned at Amy, not realizing she was uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her.

Jack turned to tell Amy he was ready to show her the recipe until he seen her look.

Amy stood there with her hands together, staring down at the floor in utter awkwardness and seemed so uncomfortable that her whole body spoke it.

Dread and anger filled Jack as he turned his head, seeing Sir Parker and Leaf both staring at her.

   Jack turned his head back to Amy and sighed deeply. "Come here." Amy's head popped up at Jack's voice, she took slow measured steps towards Jack. Jack could tell Sir Parker was in his own world as Leaf watched them like a hawk searching for its prey. Jack was angered and fed up with Leaf because Leaf had been staring and flirting her for the past two days. Leaf was also making her occasionally uncomfortable to the point where Amy looked like she rather be kidnapped by a total stranger, then to be by Leaf.

    When Amy was in range of Jack, Jack quickly grabbed her wrist. Jack pulled her in close by him as he placed her standing right in front of the counter in front of him. Jack stood right behind her, not making any physical contact with her but still stood close and right behind her. Jack grabbed the stuff and placed it all in front of her, he even placed the piece of paper with the recipe on it in front of her as well. Jack heard Leaf give a small grunt because Leaf couldn't see Amy anymore. Jack leaned in as he whispered softly in her ear. "Is it okay if I'm this close?" Amy was speechless to what was happening, she didn't know herself if she felt pleased or displeased with what was happening. After a few warm breaths from Jack being so close to her, Amy whispered back. "Yes. It's okay." Jack just nodded, knowing Amy didn't see his nod but still did it.

Jack moved closer towards her to reach for the stirring bowl, their height difference was going to be a challenge. Amy had to be 5.3 and Jack was 5.8, every time Jack moved, Amy's head was under Jack's chin so if he was to look down then it would end horribly.

Jack tried to stay right behind Amy, not allowing Leaf to see her.

   Jack started to pour ingredients into the bowl, one by one the ingredients fell. It seemed as if they were in slow motion for Amy to watch fall. Her body relaxed as she watched Jack put all the things together, even when she felt him take a step closer towards her. Jack's heart raced as his eyes lingered down at her as he put all kinds of unmeasured spices into the mixing bowl. Seeing Amy stand in front of him and watch his hands work with all the spices made his insides flutter. Jack leaned in, having to let the insides of his arms touch the top of Amy's shoulders as he started to mix all the spices in with the flour and water, he just put in. Amy watched as Jack stirred the mixture in the bowl, paying close attention to every detail. But as Amy paid attention to the mixture being stirred, she also noticed the muscles in Jack's arms pop and become more noticeable when he put more force into stirring the mixture. Jack used both hands to stir the mixture as it became thicker and Jack became reckless with how tense he was stirring. Amy knew why it was thickening and went to say something but heard Jack grunt devilishly at the mixture as he got a bit frustrated with it.

    After a full two minutes of Jack stirring endlessly at the mixture, Amy took control. Amy placed her hands over Jack's as she stopped him from stirring and a smile took place on her face. "Taking out your anger on the poor mixture, won't fix it. Stirring it harder won't make it work. Watch and learn." Jack's breath caught as Amy laced her hands over Jack's, she started to stir the spoon slowly. Jack's heart pounded as he watched Amy's hands be over his, the warmth of her hands made his heart race even faster.

   The mixture became a soft batter as they both stirred it softly. Sir Parker snapped out of his daze and seen Amy and Jack. Sir Parker cleared his voice, letting them know that they weren't the only ones in the kitchen. Amy took her hands away, letting them drop down to her sides in embarrassment. Jack took a step back, letting Amy step aside to be at his side.

  Jack muttered as he got a pan and poured the batter into it. "You don't have to help with it, you can just watch." Amy nodded and both her and Jack stayed silent. Sir Parker apologized. "I am very sorry for my loss of mind Princess; I was just so lost in my own thoughts of what's to come of the future." Amy bleakly mumbled. "It's fine."

The sudden sadness from her, changed the mood in the room.

    Leaf tried to fix it as he offered. "Why don't we mates give a few brief history stories to you ma lady before dinner time?" Amy made eye contact with Leaf; Leaf could see the sadness in her eyes as she replied. "Sure." Jack jumped into the conversation as he said. "You will notice soon that age simply doesn't matter here. It's because people here can live for thousands and thousands of years and no one would dare ask another's age." Leaf grinned as he seen Amy's sour but confused face. "Yup, that's why as youngsters as us. We don't care who's older or younger, it's all about the sex." Sir Parker grabbed Leaf's arm in a tight grip as he scolded him. "That's very inappropriate to say to the Princess. Say your apologizes to her!" Leaf whined as Sir Parker's grip got tighter of his arm. "I'm sorry ma lady!!" Amy ignored his apologize as she asked curiously. "So, a 13 year old could seriously be dating a 25-year-old and no one would care?" Sir Parker sighed and let Leaf's arm go. "Yes, they could be, but that's a very big and odd age gap. The huge age gaps like that usually start in your hundreds." Amy's eyes widen as she sputtered. "How long do people here live?" Jack was frying the batter as he said. "We actually don't know, no one has died so far from old age."

    Amy looked as freaked out as a little child seeing a clown for the first time. Sir Parker gave a small laugh as he said. "There's no need to be freaked out. No one would ever let you date a million-year-old man without your acknowledge." Amy felt a relief but asked as she seemed embarrassed by the question but was very curious to it. "So, you can "do it" at like 13 and 14 years old and no one questions you?" Jack almost dropped the entire pan of batter as Leaf started to laugh his ass off and Sir Parker's entire face looked like he questioned why he had to be the one to answer that. But Sir Parker didn't answer it as Jack whipped around and nearly knocked the pan off the stove top. "No! Well yes, but that's to early! People usually start at 15 or 16 just like how some people do in the human world. Why are you even wondering that!?" Amy's face turned bright red. "I was just curious! And you all made it sound as if it happens like that!" Jack's face turned bright red to as he focused back on his cooking and Leaf took the conversation in. "Aw ma lady, Jack's words are true to the very bone but you can very well do it at your age and no one questions." Amy's face turned sour as she mentioned. "That's just disgusting. Why do it so young when you have your whole life ahead of you to do it?" Sir Parker rose his hands up in the air to stop the conversation. "The princess is right. Though this conversation is to be stopped. I have let this conversation go too far, I shouldn't of. But because the princess is new to our whole world, she would learn it soon enough and I rather have her learn it now then to be oblivious to it. Things or rules like that in our world are very different than the human world's rules." Amy scrunched her nose as she said. "You could say that."

   Jack mentioned as he reassured. "Well, you're only 13 years old, you won't have to worry about that until the King and Queen and me because I'm your guard, let you do such things." Leaf snorted loudly. "Smooth mate! You acting as if she has to have permission from you to do the deed with another male mate." Sir Parker scolded them both. "Didn't I just say not to speak such conversation in front of the Princess!?" Amy just stood there with confusion in her face as she watched them fight. The three of them fought for a few minutes until Jack noticed Amy's face and asked. "What's wrong?" Amy eyed Jack as she boastfully said. "Um, I'm not 13."

All three heads whipped to her as shock filled their expressions, especially Jack's.