My Princess

Chapter 17

I was back in the cottage.

This time I was inside the kitchen, exceptional warmth in the small house as the fire underneath the cooking pot danced and crackled. Sunshine spilled into the cottage through the dusty windows overlooking the meadow, fresh air blowing through the open door and bringing with it the sweet smell of wildflowers.

"Good morning my love." I heard the sweet melody behind me, turning with a large smile on my face to meet the loving gaze of my wife, Narcissa Black.

"Well good morning to you too." I returned as I rested my back against the counter and wrapped my lover in my arms, the earthy, slightly sweet scent of her freshly washed hair filling my senses as I rested my chin on top of her head.

"I'm making pancakes and fresh syrup for breakfast."

"So that's what smells so delicious in here." Narcissa turned her head upwards to press a kiss to my lips. "I just thought it was you."

I laughed as I rolled my eyes, kissing the other woman's forehead as I finally released her. Narcissa left to attend to the chickens and goat while I finished up our meal, the little orange cat sweeping around my feet wanting his own breakfast.

"Alright, alright. I'm getting it." I offered the small creature a bit of meat from the night before, the cat gobbling it up and running off to get his morning milk straight from the goat's udder.

I kept the pot of sugary syrup moving to keep it from sticking or boiling over, finally taking it off the fire and pouring the hot liquid over freshly buttered pancakes. We had picked a load of blueberries and strawberries the previous evening and I smothered the sweet treats in the berries as well, plating everything and setting up the table as I waited on my lover to return.

Narcissa reentered out home with a basket of eggs and warm milk, the small feline right on her heels with his tail held high as he trotted in after her. The animal promptly hopped up into his small bed of old, unused pieces of fabric as he purred happily, settling in for a morning nap.

"Those look absolutely delicious my love." Narcissa cooed as she sat down at the table, the basket abandoned for the time being in favor of food.

"Well I am the best cook in the house." I teased with a sassy flip of my hair, giggling at the eye roll I received in return.

Our morning was just as quiet and peaceful as any other, cleaning up the kitchen together before getting ready for the day ahead. The two of us were planning on collecting mushrooms and wild berries from the forest today as it was the perfect time for them to be ripe and ready for harvesting.

The soft Spring breeze blew through the meadow and ruffled our skirts as we walked towards the forest, the worn dirt path greeting us as we took to the cool shade of the trees. The little cat followed happily, stalking small prey playfully without actually catching anything.

As our little party traversed deeper into the forest the quiet sounds of nature surrounded us, birds chirping, leaves rustling, the small squeak of a bunny as it was startled by the cat pouncing towards it. I couldn't help but giggle as the small orange creature waited hopefully for the bunny to come back out of its burrow and play, unaware that it believed itself to be in perilous danger from the feisty feline.

After about a 10 minuet jaunt we arrived at our destination, berry bushes scattered about amongst the patches of fluffy mushrooms. My father had taught me from a very young age which ones were edible and which ones would kill you within a few hours or even minuets and so while Narcissa plucked the various berries I delicately picked my way through the endless jumble of mushrooms, picking out the best ones.