The White King

This story is based on the recipe for a chocolate, vanilla Battenberg cake. To the right of the story you will see the actual cake that I actually made. It was a school assignment in which we had to incorporate a recipe and magical realism. I hope you enjoy it.

***

“I don’t see why this has to be so complicated,” Vanilla whined from inside the pantry. “Can’t we just break up with him? Isn’t that enough?”

“My lord,” Cocoa groaned. “It was your idea to do something like this in the first place. “ She clicked on the pantry light and scanned the shelves for cocoa powder. Vanilla gestured to it plainly. “Thank you.” Cocoa plucked it from the shelf. She stormed back out to the kitchen. “Are you just going to stand there in the pantry or are you going to help me?” she scooped a teaspoon of cocoa powder and dumped it into one bowl of batter.

“I’m staying here,” Vanilla said. “It’s nice in here. Besides, I’m not good at cooking anyway.”

Cocoa poured a drop of vanilla extract into a half teaspoon measure and dumped it in the other bowl of batter. She squirted five drops of red food colouring into the vanilla batter, enough to turn it strawberry pink. Cocoa mixed both furiously, one after the other. “You said that we’d do this together.” She poured the vanilla batter into one cake pan. “I’m doing all the work.” Then she poured the cocoa batter into the other cake pan.

“Well,” Vanilla sighed, “I thought this would be fun, you know, getting revenge and all-”

“Excuse me?” Cocoa slid both pans into the oven and slammed it shut. She jabbed her finger at the microwave buttons, starting the timer, and marched back to the pantry. “This isn’t revenge.”

Vanilla crossed her arms and said what she knew was coming, “This is justice.”

“Exactly!” Cocoa had said it a thousand times within the last few days.

“Justice takes too long to prepare.”

“So what? This isn’t about getting back at him for two-timing us. This is about making sure he’ll never break another heart again.”

“And we’re doing it through cake? Birthday cake?”

Cocoa shrugged. “It’s his birthday.” The timer beeped. “The cake is ready.” She grabbed onto Vanilla’s hand and tugged it, paying no mind to how little time had passed in their reality. “Come. Help me with the icing.”

“I already told you. I can’t bake.”

“Then come make...” Cocoa scanned the pantry shelves, “...tea.” She plucked loose tea leaves from the shelves and handed them to Vanilla. “Boil the water, put the leaves in, that’s it. You can do that, can’t you?”

Vanilla sighed. “I guess.”

“Come,” Cocoa yanked her hand again. “Before the cake burns.”

Vanilla obliged and the sisters scurried back to the kitchen. Vanilla poured water into the kettle. She leaned over and watched her sister take out not one, but two cake pans. “Why are there two?”

Cocoa hushed her. “Don’t question it. I’m a genius at work.”

“I just don’t see why there are two.”

Cocoa set both cake pans down on the counter. “Look.” She pointed to the chocolate one. “This one’s for all the times he lied to me,” she pointed to the vanilla one, “and this one’s for all the time he lied to you.” She dumped both onto a cookie rack. “It takes a lot of work to date sisters at the same time. I admit I respect all the effort he put into making sure neither of us found out.” It did make their job easier how the sisters never talked. “But now it’s time that he faces the consequences.”