Unclaimed

Chapter Six- Melting

"Oh my stars." The queen gasps as she stares out my kitchen window watching the lightning storm that raged against the sea. The thunder booming, shaking the whole house. Nothing but darkness outside as the fire place filled the room with a warm glow. The rain smacking against the window, water streaming down the glass in a cleansing blanket.

Thunder booms again, this time louder startling everyone in the room but me. The Queen screams jumping back from the window, bumping against the kitchen island. I laugh at her as I peel the skin from the steaming tomatoes. The dainty sound of glass tapping together as the shards about shake with the storm.

"Dear Nyx!" The king huffs from his place in the recliner by the fire. "How can you stand to live this way?"

"Believe it or not I find a lot of comfort in storms. The worse they are the better I feel."

"You are weird." The prince speaks from his position at the window. Glancing out through the glass as he watches the storm. A fat white bolt of lighting striking just in front of the window making him jump back cursing. Im still laughing as I add olive oil and garlic to the pan. Grabbing the tomatoes in handfuls and dumping them in with a sizzle.

"Never mind, you're insane!" He shouts.

"Judas please!"

I pause with the masher in hand, hearing his name for the first time.

Judas. His name is Judas.

Judas...

I continue mashing deciding to tune them out, turning the clumps of tomatoes into nothing under the masher. Adding all the spices and add ons, I stand at the stove quietly stirring the sauce until it was smooth and the flavor was full and savory.

My eyes closing as I let the smell hit my nose. It was like meditation. Taking your time. Exercising patience.

"Do you need help?" I open my eyes at the sudden intrusion, his scent enveloping me.

"You've been standing here silently stirring the sauce for some time now. You looked stuck." He says lowly.

"Down the hall you turn left there a look nook in the wall. On the floor is a door. You go down, and there's the wine cellar. Bring me the bottle with the naked woman on the label." I tell him and he's silent for a moment before I hear his footsteps go down the hall. I set a top over the sauce and bring it to a low heat. Setting to work on the chicken. Grabbing a meat tenderizer out of the drawer as I cover the chicken in a layer of saran wrap.

Pounding away at the chicken on the counter, Judas comes back with the bottle.

"In the cabinet above the fridge is a decanter, get it." I say. Uncovering and dredging the chicken in seasoned flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs I set them to the side.

"Now what?"

"Uncork the wine and pour it into the decanter." I say flatly.

Sir you have the materials!

I fish out the wine opener out of the drawer and hand it to him. Rinsing my hand clean of the egg wash and flour. I fish out a bigger pan from the lower cabinets and set it on the stove. Grabbing olive oil and pouring it into the pan.

"Olive oil is quite expensive." Judas says as he screws the wine opener in and uncorks the bottle. Slowly pouring it into the decanter.

"Not when you make it yourself."

"This town is very resourceful." The Queen speak up walking over to the kitchen. "A deep, loving, honest community of people, sharing what they have."

"It helps in times like this." I say. The thunder clapping outside to prove my point. The rain coming down harder, the glass shards above us shaking as if afraid.