Whirlwind [Avatar Aang]

☁Chapter Eleven☁

"Thank you for coming here today," Puhong, the head baker at the palace, said to Nazadori once she stepped through the doors into the kitchen. He had a warm smile on his face. "I hope you have been doing well, Miss Nazadori." 

A warm glow emitted from the fireplace where a fire was currently burning, spreading a little warmth through the large room that usually was bustling with people preparing food. Today, it was empty, besides her and Puhong. She assumed no one else was here today because she was tasked with tasting the food and dessert that was going to be served at her coronation. She wasn't exactly excited to be here today because she didn't even want to attend her own coronation.

"I'm doing fine, thank you. I'm glad to have this excuse to get out of Tosrek's class today," Nazadori answered Puhong automatically. She offered Puhong a smile, one she hoped that helped build upon her lie. He didn't seem to notice that she had lied to him because he stepped farther into the kitchen, leading her to a table that was set up in the middle of the room for her. "How have you been doing, Puhong?"

"Great now that you're here," Puhong told her with a cheeky grin. The middle-aged man had become a good friend to her because she used to spend so much time in the kitchens when she first came to the palace as a young girl. At first, she came here to get away from the duties Bumi gave her, but she eventually just enjoyed spending time with Puhong and the other kitchen staff. "Are you excited to try my delicious food?"

"Of course. You always make the best food. Just don't tell that to my mother."

Puhong's laugh echoed around them, and Nazadori couldn't help but smile. She sat down in front of the table that was directly next to one of the only windows in the kitchen, and she shivered because of the cold breeze blowing through the cracks in the window. Hopefully, Puhong's food would warm her up before she froze to death from the frigid wind that was taking Omashu by storm. Dark clouds covered the sky, matching her mood perfectly. A storm was coming, and she wasn't ready for it.

Ever since her and Aang got back from the Fire Nation after meeting up with Ukira, she had been struggling to get through each day without thinking about Bumi or her upcoming coronation. It felt like things were moving much too quickly for her liking. If only Bumi were still here, and if only he could give her some pointers on how to handle and approach the coronation. Yet he wasn't here anymore, and she couldn't ask him any of the questions that were plaguing her. She couldn't even tell him that she missed him.

"We're going to start with the options for the dinner that will happen after your coronation," Puhong explained to her as he set a few plates in front of her.

There wasn't a lot of options for the dinner that Nazadori was forced to have with other leaders of the world as well as her new council. Most of the food that Puhong made today was traditional Earth Kingdom cuisine, like dumplings and roast boar or seared wild Kyoshi elephant koi accompanied by hibiscus root salad. All of these were dishes that Nazadori loved a lot, but she had to choose the seared wild Kyoshi elephant koi because it was so decadent and delicious, and it reminded her of her better days as a child when her mother would sometimes bring that dish home with her after a long day.

"That was always Bumi's favorite meal, too," Puhong said to Nazadori after she chose the meal she wanted to be served at her coronation dinner. Nazadori's heart jumped in her chest at the mention of him, and she had to look away from Puhong for a few moments. "You have great taste, Miss Nazadori."

"Thank you."

"Now, we're onto my favorite part of the meal," Puhong said with a laugh. "Dessert!"

Nazadori laughed softly to herself. Puhong went over to the fireplace and pulled out a few different pans that were full of all kinds of cakes for her to try. She wasn't sure how she was going to try these since she just ate some other food, but she knew she had to try to get it down because she needed to make some decisions about her own coronation.