Tori Transmigrated

“Is this it?” Sebastian stood in front of the store that had an image of a lion’s head over its name on the signboard, above the door. The two windows on either side of the door had mannequins posed in down vests and coats. Past them, they could see several people in the store.

“This is it,” Tori replied. She was a bit impatient. They’d spent the morning going to various markets in Horizon, looking for additional ingredients for Tori’s lunch and dinner the next day. Her plan was to stop somewhere and buy lunch, and then go back to her brother’s flat to start marinating the meat for the next day, but Sebastian wanted to see her store.

Her brother looked upon the modest store with pride and nodded his head. “It looks great, Tori.”

“Thanks.” He walked forward and grabbed the door handle. Tori furrowed her brows. “What are you doing? You said you just wanted to see it.”

“Yes, and now I’m going to see the inside.” Sebastian grinned and entered the store. Tori let out a heavy sigh and followed behind him.

“Welcome! Oh, my lady!” Manager Dolores, a former seamstress and now manager of the Lions Gate High Street, perked up as she saw Tori enter. “Welcome back! How was your trip home?”

“It was great. I was able to spend a lot of time with my family,” Tori said, smiling back as she walked in. She looked towards the man standing in front of a male mannequin, seemingly judging the coat on it. “That’s my eldest brother. Sebby, come here. Let me introduce you to our manager.”

Her brother stepped away from the display and turned to the older woman with a smile. “Good afternoon. I am Sebastian de Guevera, son of Marquis Gregorio de Guevera.”

Tori stood by the side, smiling pleasantly as Manager Dolores seemed to shower Sebastian with praise about her. It was awkward and she began to inch further away, pretending to find something of interest inside the store.

She walked by one of the mirrors against the wall and saw a pretty, middle-aged woman holding up two coats. She held a black colored one over her body and seemed to think for a moment before moving the brown one in its place. She looked up and caught sight of Tori in the mirror.

Shoot. Tori resisted the urge to duck away in discomfort and instead smiled through the awkwardness. She gave the woman a small nod before turning back to a rack and pretending to peruse.

“Miss,” the woman said behind her. Tori cringed.

I’m caught. She turned around and smiled. “Yes?”

“May I ask your opinion? The black or the brown?” As she asked, she lifted each long, Biancci trench up and looked at her hopefully.

While this was technically an ‘I don’t work here’ moment, it was still Tori’s store. She’d already done some customer service work for Lions Gate when the stores opened, but she didn’t expect to be doing so today. Still, she took a step forward and looked at the coats and then back at the woman.

“You have a warm complexion, dark hair, and green eyes. Typically, earthy colors work well with you, so normally, I’d say go with the brown. However, both are rather neutral in colors and I personally find black more flexible. Since it hits your knees, whatever color dress you're wearing underneath will be exposed and black typically goes with any other color. I’d go with that,” Tori said. “Or white.”

“I see....” The woman nodded and held up the black coat. “This is a bit dark.”

“Darker colors tend to be more popular in the autumn and winter.” At least they were in my original world. “Have you tried the white one?” Tori turned and walked to the rack with the Biancci trenches. “I think you’d look good in brighter colors and white. What color do you normally wear?”

They went through the rack together and Tori pulled the white coat while chatting with the woman who seemed to appreciate the one-on-one attention. She answered Tori’s questions and explained what she was planning to wear the coat to.

“I also wanted to get something for my husband. I heard this was a matching set,” the woman said, looking around. She cocked her head as she saw Sebastian standing by the men’s rack. “Oh my...excuse me.”

She wandered over towards Sebastian. Tori raised a brow. Her brother was good-looking, but a tad young for the lady. Plus, wasn't she married? She watched the woman call out to Sebastian and ask a question. Immediately, Sebastian’s calm, neutral expression turned into a wide smile. He looked past the woman and at Tori.

“My sister,” she heard him say.

The woman turned around and looked back at Tori with surprised eyes. “You designed his coat?” she asked. She sounded excited and as Tori looked past her, towards Sebastian. She caught him giving her an eager look, as if saying ‘I got you a customer! Praise me!’

Tori looked back at the woman and smiled pleasantly. “Yes, it’s a mohair coat I designed for him and my other brother. We don’t sell them yet and I plan to wait until next fall to come out with more of those styles of coat.”

The woman squinted and looked at Tori curiously. “You don’t plan to sell your design....” She bit her lips and seemed to look Tori up and down. “Are you...Lady Victoria de Guevera?”

Tori looked a bit surprised that the woman knew. She was sure she hadn't seen this lady at the opening and it wasn’t as if Tori’s name was slapped on everything in the store.

“Yes. And you are?” Tori asked, polite.

The woman’s face broke into a wide, relieved smile. “I am Miriam Guthry. My husband is the Prime Minister. I believe you are in the same class as my son?”

Tori’s mind went blank for just a moment. Then, she silently screamed.

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Does this lady know me? Did that turd Dimitri talk smack? From the woman’s face, she didn’t seem to have heard anything negative about Tori. Her expression was earnest and seemed happy to see her. Okay, just pretend he didn’t. Present yourself as you wish to be seen. You have nothing against his parents, anyway. Smile and nod.

“You’re Dimitri Guthry’s mother?” Tori’s eyes crinkled up with a smile as she extended her hand. “I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am Victoria de Guevera. Please, madam, call me Tori. Though I don’t often speak to him, I am in his class. Congratulations to him on coming in second.” And to Ilyana for coming in first.

Madam Guthry’s face lit up. “Thank you! I told him coming in second at the end of the semester was already quite good, but he’s such a perfectionist. He’s determined to regain his first rank.”

I have to feed Ilyana to keep up her energy to beat Dimitri. Tori nodded. “I remember that as the first ranked student of our year, he made a speech to the class. It was rather impressive. He spoke for quite some time and was able to not just keep everyone’s attention, but their excitement. Keeping the attention of an entire auditorium of teenagers is amazing in itself. Not many people can do that, let alone at our age. You must be very proud.”

Madam Guthry looked extremely pleased with the praise of her son. Her smile never left her face. “Oh, I haven’t done anything. That boy just loves to study!” She laughed and looked at the two coats in her arms, then looked at Tori with a slight, sly grin. “You know, I think I’ll get both the black and the white.”

“Flexible for multiple occasions and dresses,” Tori said with an approving nod. “I like the way you think, Madam.”

The woman looked back at Sebastian, who had come to stand beside Tori, and seemed to look at his coat longingly. “It’s a shame about the coat though. I think my husband would look exceptional in it.”

“I received many compliments about it back home,” Sebastian said. “Tori made similar ones for our parents. Also as a matching couple’s.”

“Madam Guthry, I do plan to come out with spring and summer designs,” Tori told her. “It is my personal belief that if you are really unsure of a new piece of clothing, then don’t buy it. And I say that as one of the owners of Lions Gate.”

The woman seemed to take this into consideration. She looked at the coats in her arms. “I’m still going to buy the white one.” Tori let out a small chuckle and Madam Guthry looked at them with a warm smile. “This is a bit sudden, but we are having a small gathering this weekend of my husband’s friends and associates. Would you both like to attend?”

Tori was taken aback. She didn’t expect a party invite from Dimitri’s mother. Then again, she was with her brother, the future Marquis Guevera. It wouldn’t hurt the Prime Minister’s family to be on good terms with the future Marquis Guevera.

“Unfortunately, I’m scheduled every day until I leave,” Sebastian said in a kind, but professional tone. “I barely have time to spend with my sister before she returns to Lycée and I go back home.”

“Oh, dear, that’s disappointing.” Madam Guthry seemed to pout before looking back at Tori. “Lady Tori, if you have time, many people would love to meet the young proprietress of Lions Gate. Your coats have been very popular.”

“I will of course consider it, Madam Guthry. I do have a bit more to prepare before Lycée starts, but it shouldn’t be much.”

“That’s wonderful! I will send an invitation to Lord Guevera’s residence.”

The brother and sister gave her a pleasant smile as Madam Guthry headed to the counter and was intercepted by Manager Dolores to help with her purchase.

When the duo returned to their carriage, Sebastian gave her a curious look. “Are you really going to go?”

“Wouldn’t it be awkward if I did?” Tori asked. “It’s an evening party with the Prime Minister’s peers. I’m a teenager.”

Sebastian chuckled. “A teenager with a popular business. And you’re still Marquis Guevera’s daughter.” He reached across the carriage and tapped her head. “It doesn’t hurt to know the Prime Minister, Tori.”

She sank back into her seat as the carriage began to move. Her brother made a good point: it wouldn’t hurt to know the Prime Minister.

Dimitri was also still a teenager. He was influential with his peers at best, but he didn’t have any real power of his own. A large part of his influence came from his father. In addition, it didn’t seem that Dimitri had said anything too negative about her to his parents. He didn’t seem like the type that would involve his parents in his interpersonal school struggles. Perhaps, asking for aid for a friend, yes, but not reporting his personal grudges.

Most importantly, his parents were likely neutral parties. Couldn’t she influence them?

Tori smiled a bit and nodded. “If she sends an invitation, then I’ll go, but she might’ve also just been trying to be polite.”

Sebastian seemed to consider that and shrugged. Tori pushed the invitation to the back of her mind, settling on ‘she was just being polite’.

And, like with many things since she woke up in the game world, she was wrong.

Sebastian walked into the kitchen the next day, holding up an envelope with her name written in neat calligraphy. Tori turned around, in an apron and her hair in a messy bun, to see her brother waving the envelope.

“What’s that?” She put the large pot of roasted pork shoulder on the large kitchen island.

“An invitation to Prime Minister Guthry’s evening party this weekend.”

She jerked her head back. “Are you serious?” Sebastian nodded and slid his finger across the seal to open it. He took out the card as Tory picked up two large forks to shred the pork shoulder she had been slowly cooking since dawn.

“We cordially invite Lady Victoria de Guevera to join us at Prime Minister Anton Charles Guthry’s home on the night of the 12th.” Sebastian read out loud. He glanced over at her as she ripped apart the meat in a daze. “Are you going to go?”

Tori took a deep breath and nodded. As much as she didn’t like attending large gatherings, this was a good opportunity. “I said I would.”

“Do you have something to wear?”

Tori began to shred the pork shoulder vigorously. “I brought back some dresses Mama got me. I’ll go with one of them.”

“Then, do you want me to reply to this, accepting for you?”

“Please do. I can’t leave the kitchen and I smell like....” She lifted her arm. She’d been in the kitchen all morning and the rich scent of spices and meat had permeated her clothes. “I smell delicious, actually.”

Sebastian laughed as he walked out with the invitation. Tori continued to shred the pork. It was almost lunch time and all she had left to do was slice up the meat that had been resting after roasting. There were large pots filled with beans and rice, then a basket kept warm with heated clay slabs that held her corn flour tortillas that she and Sebastian made and flattened that morning.

She’d shredded some mild cheese she found at the market the other day and made a hefty amount of pico de gallo. She’d baked and crisped some tortilla chips to be dipped during their game.

The ingredients for their dinner were also prepared and in the cold room to be cooked later. When she got her hands on some rice, she remembered how in many web novels and manga, the protagonists always yearned for rice. Soft, fluffy, steamed white rice. But what was she going to do with it? Jambalaya. She found the spices she needed, managed to find frozen shrimp at the market, and found the closest thing she could get to andouille sausage; there was no going back.

Sebastian’s kitchen was in a state of chaos just before she expected her friends to arrive. It was a large kitchen, suitable for a full staff that would likely serve a dinner party. However, she was the only one using it at the moment. The kitchen island had the pots of burrito stuffing and she planned to lead her friends through an assembly line, walk them through the folding process, and then eat informally with her in the kitchen.

This was not to be a fancy party. This was her and her friends hanging out and eating. Just as Tori was about to give into her hunger and make a small taco for herself, there was a knock at the door.

The footman who came with them was doubling as Sebastian’s valet while they were at the flat and Tori caught sight of him rushing to the door. He opened it and welcomed the group of teenagers who seemed to have gathered before coming together. As he collected their coats, Tori removed her stained and meat juice splattered apron. She rushed out, wearing her sword training pants and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

“Welcome!”

“Tori!” As expected, Ilyana was the first to rush into her open arms. She squeezed Tori and pressed her head against hers. She seemed to pause and sniff. “Oh...you smell yummy.”

Tori laughed and stepped back, beaming. “I just finished setting up for lunch.”

“Then we’re right on time!” Ewan said, rubbing his hands together. “I’m starving.”

“I didn’t eat breakfast.” Albert seemed to admit as he shrugged off his coat and handed it to the valet. “I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

“I’m glad you’re all excited. Today, we’re going to make our own food.” Her enthusiasm was met with confusion. “Follow me.” She motioned for them to join her in the kitchen. The group of six teenagers looked at each other before filing in a line after her.

They walked in and found the numerous pots waiting for them, along with a small stack of plates closest to the entrance. Ewan’s face fell.

“We have to cook it?”

Henrik sniffed the air and narrowed his eyes. “Everything looks cooked.”

“Everything is cooked,” Tori said. “First, I need you all to wash your hands. There is a basin here and the washroom is outside and to the left.”

Confused, the teenagers slowly wandered off. When they resettled in the kitchen, JP looked at her. “Now what?”

“We’re just waiting for one more person to arrive and then we can start. After lunch, I’ll slice up some cured pork leg, which is a specialty of the south, and we can test out the games I made.” As she spoke, another figure appeared in the kitchen doorway and Tori’s eyes went wide. “Oh! Let me introduce you.” She scurried around the large island to get to her brother. “Everyone, this is my eldest brother, Sebastian de Guevera. Sebby, these are my friends from school.” She pointed out each person, who respectfully nodded and greeted him, as well as thanked him for allowing them into his home.

Sebastian gave a dismissive nod and reassured them. “I’m happy you all could come today. Thank you for taking care of my sister. She’s been preparing this meal since yesterday, so I hope you enjoy it.”

“It smells amazing,” Albert said. He and Ewan were eyeing the food like starving wolves.

Sebastian walked into the kitchen and stopped by the counter to pick up a tortilla chip and scoop up some of the prepared salsa. He shamelessly bit into it and glanced at Tori. “Are we just waiting for-”

A sharp knock cut him off and Tori patted his shoulder. “That’s him. I’ll get it.” She headed back into the foyer and saw the valet going to get the door. He let in the tall, brown-haired man.

Violet eyes swept across the room and rested on her. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks! I hope you brought your appetite.”

Piers shrugged off his coat and gave it off. “It depends on what you made.”

Tori rolled her eyes. “Just follow me.” She led him to the kitchen, where everyone had huddled around the counter and was munching on the chips. They froze, caught in mid-bite or dip. Only Ewan slowly continued to stuff a salsa loaded chip into his mouth as they saw Tori standing at the doorway, in front of a new, handsome face. “Everyone, this is His Royal Highness, Prince Piers, the first prince of Soleil.”

Ewan began to choke and Henrik raised his hand to slap his back. Piers gave them a quiet nod and Tori instructed him to wash his hands, as they were going to touch the food. He didn’t question her and turned around to go to the washroom. As soon as they heard the door close, Ilyana and the others rushed towards her.

“What is the prince doing here?” Ilyana said, red-faced and mortified.

Tori chuckled. “Why are you surprised? You’ve already met Axton and know that he’s Pier’s knight and aide.”

“Yes, but meeting the knight and meeting the prince are different!” Henrik said.

“Were we too disrespectful?” JP asked, unsure. “Should we have bowed?”

Sonia looked at Tori strangely. “You call him by his first name?”

Tori sighed and shook her head as she raised her hands in defense. “He’s here as a guest. Sebby taught him the sword for a period of time and he’s Kasey’s underclassman. And, JP, you don’t bow when you see his brother at school.”

“That’s different,” JP said. For one thing, none of them had a good opinion of Gideon.

Ewan continued to eat some chips with Albert and Sebastian. “He seems nice.” Aside from Tori, the rest of his friends looked at him with some measure of frustration.

“You think everyone is nice.” Sonia grumbled.

They heard the washroom door open and quickly silenced themselves. Piers returned and Tori clapped her hands together.

“All right, so here’s what’s going to happen,” she said. “Take a plate and put one of these pieces of bread on it. It is called a tortilla. Then stop in front of each pot and scoop up a little of each onto the tortilla, like so.” She went through the motions, layering on the beans, rice, and roasted chicken. “I suggest going with one meat at a time. This is beef, pork, and chicken. If you want, you can add a little cheese. Go ahead and do that first.”

Like at any buffet, no one seemed to want to go first. Tori looked at her brother for help. Sebastian pushed himself away from the counter and squeezed past the teenagers, took a plate, and helped himself to a tortilla from the warmed basket. Having had much prior experience with the burrito making process, he skillfully went along the kitchen island filling his burrito.

When he got to the end, where Tori was, he silently rolled it up. He held it to show the others and then took a bite. A smile tugged at his lips and he looked at his sister warmly as he chewed. After he swallowed, he praised her. “Delicious. I think your recipe has improved.”

Tori let out a small breath of relief and then urged her friends to follow his example. Ilyana came down the burrito assembly line, followed by Ewan and Albert, and the others. Piers trailed at the end. “Don’t over stuff it or it will be difficult to roll.” It was a common mistake and Tori always had to fight the urge to pile more than it could hold.

“How do you roll it up?” Ilyana asked.

“Watch carefully.” Everyone followed Tori step by step until a burrito half the length of her forearm was on each of their plates. Some were neat and tightly wrapped, while other were spilling stuffing and misshapen. “Okay, go ahead and eat.”

She bit into her burrito, but kept a close eye on her uncertain friends as they brought the burritos to their mouths. Eyes lit up, bites became bigger, and before Tori was halfway done with hers, Ewan was back at the start of the table.

“Can I make another?” he asked as Henrik joined him.

“Yes, I made the tortillas smaller than usual so you can have multiple ones to try the different meat....” She trailed off as several hands reached for the tortilla basket. Sebastian was right: she needed to make more than she thought.

“This is so good,” Sonia said as she seemed to savor her second one. “Tori, this is amazing. I want my mom to try this. I don’t think the imperial family had this kind of food yet.” She paused and looked at Piers, who was quietly making another burrito for himself. “Well...most of them.”

Tori couldn’t stop smiling at the fact that her friends liked her cooking. Who didn’t like it when their hard work was appreciated? “I went all over Presidio looking for food to use. The maize and beans are imports my family gave me.”

Thankful looks were shot at Sebastian, who was wrapping up several burritos in paper. “Thank you, Lord Sebastian!”

“We only bought it,” he said with an amused chuckle. “I’m happy to help with my sister's hobbies.” He put the burritos into a small canvas bag and smiled at them. “I have to run some errands, but do enjoy your time here. I’m certain you’ll enjoy the games Tori made. I’ll see you all at dinner.”

“Bye, Sebby!”

“Master.” Piers gave him a small nod and Sebastian narrowed his eyes at him as he passed. For a moment, Tori almost thought he was giving Piers a warning look.

As the group finished their burritos, Tori went into the pantry and came out with a piece of cured pork leg. She placed it on the counter and unwrapped it from the paper and twine before taking out a knife.

“Tori, there is still a lot of food left,” Ewan said, as if complaining that it was all going to waste.

“That’s fine. If you want, we can make more before you leave. They’re easy to pack, so you can bring them home,” Tori said as she began to cut thin slices off the pork leg and put them on a wooden tray.

“We can take some home?” Albert’s face brightened as he and Ewan grinned at each other.

“We as in all of us.” Sonia reminded them in a dull voice. “She isn’t saying that you two can hoard...what are these called, Tori?”

“Burritos.”

“Burritos.”

“We’re not going to hoard them,” Ewan said. “Tori, can I bring one back for my brother to try?”

“For Captain? Sure. Henrik, you should make some for your parents, too. Sonia, JP, they can be frozen and reheated in the oven if you want to save one for your mom. It’s not as good as when they’re made fresh, but it’ll still be good to eat.”

“Tori....” Albert seemed to hesitate.

“Bring one for your grandma, Albert.”

He beamed. Ilyana snickered and looked smugly at her friends. “I don’t have to share with anyone.”

Tori had them help her cover the dishes and place them in the still warm, but no longer hot, ovens to keep. She brought the chips, salsa, and cured pork leg charcuterie to the parlor and presented them with the games she had made for her cousins.

Ilyana picked up the pile of cards and looked through them. “Are these the ones you were making at the dorm before you left?”

“Yes, and Marco and Mateo loved them,” Tori said. “We played several rounds a day and whoever won the most between them got half my dessert at dinner.”

Ewan gasped. “So, if we win today, we get dessert?”

Henrik sighed, exasperated. “That was for the kids....” He narrowed his eyes. “And are you actually going to demand half of Tori’s dessert?”

“It’s not a demand if she makes it the prize,” Ewan replied, full of confidence.

Piers took a seat by the window. Tori looked over at him, as if knowing he didn’t want to join in. “Do you want to play or be the score keeper?”

“I’ll keep score.”

“Then you’re the neutral party.” She handed him a pen and a pad of paper, then looked at her friends. “Okay, I’m going to direct the games. We have just enough people for two teams. Do you want to draw names or split amongst yourselves?”

“Draw names,” Piers said, before any of them can answer. “It’ll be more interesting.” No one wanted to go against the first prince of Soleil, so Tori took a piece of paper, tore it into six pieces, and wrote A and B on three pieces each. She then crumpled up the paper and placed it on the parlor table.

“Pick one.” All six pieces were snatched up. Ilyana was on the same team as the twins while Henrik, Ewan, and Albert were on the other team. They rearranged their seating to sit across from each other and Tori set up a chalkboard on an easel in front of them. “We have three team games and will do five rounds per team. The winners get to bring home the larger portions of cured pork leg and... will be the first to try my next experimental cooking recipe, whenever that is.”

The next few hours flew by with screaming, cries of frustration, and cursing.

To Tori, these were all good signs. What successful game night wasn’t without verbally ripping at each other’s throats?

“It’s a horse. A horse!” Henrik was on the edge of his seat, his hands clawed in front of him as he glared at Ewan. “What in the world made you think it would be a cow?”

“You said it was a farm animal!”

“I also said you could ride it!” Henrik ran a hand down his face.

“You can ride cows!”

“Ewan, who rides cows?” Albert asked from where he was hunched over, covering his face. They had two more rounds of this game left and Ilyana’s team was in the lead.

Tori had flashbacks of her twin cousins. “Why didn’t you just say it pulled a carriage? Or even better, Sonia and JP both have one.”

Ewan looked confused. “A twin?”

Henrik looked at Tori with demanding eyes. “I want to switch teams.”

“Okay, I’m going to get dinner started.” Tori sighed as she glanced at the window and estimated she had another hour or two before Sebastian returned. “You continue. The opposite team will keep track while I’m in the kitchen. If there is a contested result, you can bring it up when I come out. I just need to cook the meat before I put the dish in the oven.”

She handed the big and small hourglass to Henrik before Ilyana stood up and took up her set of cards.

“The subject is...literary characters,” she said after glancing at the back of the cards.

JP perked up. “It’s my time.”

Sonia sighed and slumped back against the sofa. “Yeah, this is all yours.”

Tori made her way to the kitchen and began to pull things out of the cold room to prepare. One of the servants had come to heat up the stove as previously arranged and Tori placed a heavy, enamel pot on it. As it heated up, she poured in a bit of oil and lined up the ingredients on the counter.

“I saw the invitation to the Prime Minister’s party on the table,” a low voice said behind her. “Are you going?”

Tori put on her apron and nodded at Piers. “Sebby and I were invited, but he’s busy, so I’m going by myself.” She looked over at him as she put a wooden spoon in the pot to check the oil. “Were you invited, too?” A slight sizzling was heard and Piers nodded. “Are you going to go?” Piers seemed to pause for a moment before nodding once more. Tori smiled approvingly. “Good! I’ll see you there, then.”

Piers remained lingering by the counter behind her as she tossed in chicken. The pot sizzled as Tori browned the pieces. “There are going to be a lot of people.”

“I thought there would be,” she said. “I’m surprised you’re going, actually. My brother said that you don’t like dealing with people.”

“I don’t.”

“Then, why did you change your mind and decide to go?”

“The food might be good.”

A snort left Tori before she could stop it and she laughed. She looked at him with a grin and shook her head. “Hand me the sausages.” Obediently, he picked up the bowl and handed it to her. Piers always struck her as the quiet type, so she found herself asking him questions to try to fill the silence.

When she asked about his project at Université, the flood gates were open and he began to ramble on about import policies and changes he thought would be necessary to have continued sustainable growth. Tori just nodded and occasionally commented, though in all honesty, it didn’t interest her in the least.

She did interject every so often to ask for him to pass her a bowl and Piers would fetch it for her. At one point, she wanted to send him back into the parlor, as the smell of the food would end up on him, but she considered that he might not be comfortable with the yelling crowd she could still hear over the sound of sizzling.

It wasn’t as if he was in the way, so she didn’t try to get rid of him. Finally, she finished the main part of the process and covered the pot before wrapping her hands in kitchen towels and carrying it to the oven.

“How much longer?”

“An hour and a half. Sebby will be back by then,” Tori said. She led him back outside and found her friends standing as JP and Sonia yelled at each other.

“How difficult was it for you to get ‘Serka River’?” Sonia said as her arms waved around her. “You’re my twin! How can you not understand my clues?”

“We’re twins, not psychics!” JP argued back. Tori sighed and rushed to get between them. She asked about the winners of the last few rounds and told Piers. He tallied up the score and, surprisingly, Henrik’s group won.

“It’s a miracle...,” he muttered as Ewan let out a yell.

“We have one more hour or so before the food is ready,” Tori said as she began to clean up the last game. “We have one more game. It’s sort of like a lottery and you have to get five across. Winner gets any leftovers from tonight's dinner.”

JP gave her a look. “Did you not have any actual prizes?”

“You can judge after you’ve had dinner,” Tori said, waving the cards at him. “Do you want to play or not?”

“I’ll play,” Sonia said. “All your food has been good so far.”

Tori smirked. “It’s single player, so good luck to the best of you.”

JP and Henrik didn’t seem to take the last game seriously. Sebastian returned with dessert and called over Piers to speak to him for a bit as Tori read out the cards she picked. The one who won the most rounds was Albert.

Ewan gave him a pleading look and he shook his head. “What if there isn’t much left over?”

“If there is....?”

Albert still refused. “I have a big family.”

“So do I!”

As a result, Ewan ate his delicious jambalaya with tears in his eyes, both overjoyed by the new dish and heartbroken that he couldn’t bring any home.

“Ewan, don’t overeat,” Tori said as she watched him pile more onto his plate. “You’ll get sick.”

“But I won’t get to bring any home.”

“When’s your birthday? I’ll make you a pot.” Several pairs of eyes turned to her, filled with opportunistic excitement, and she narrowed her eyes. I’ve made a terrible mistake.

Sebastian chuckled as she was bombarded with birth dates. After packing away a small pot of leftover jambalaya for Albert, they brought out the leftover burrito stuffing and each person ended up with at least three. Piers seemed to want to make some, but Sebastian gave him a look, as if saying ‘you’re a prince, let the kids have their food’.

Piers quietly sulked, watching as Tori sent off her friends in shared carriages Sebastian called for them. Everyone thanked her and her brother for their hospitality before they rode off into the night, with Ilyana and Albert’s carriage followed by two bodyguards.

When the small driveway was clear, a groom brought Snow Queen forward. Piers finished buttoning his coat and mounted with ease. Tori came rushing out of the house with a canvas bag.

“Here! I noticed you like the beef, so I made you two and then one of each of the others, and there’s a small bowl of jambalaya in there,” Tori said as she reached Snow Queen and lifted up the bag.

Piers looked at the bag for a moment before a small smile reached his lips. He took hold of it and slung it around his body before giving her a nod. “I’ll see you at the party.”

Behind her, Sebastian stood up straight. Piers gave him a nod and began to ride off. Sebastian looked at his sister. “What party?”

“The Prime Minister’s evening party,” Tori said as she walked past him to go back inside. “Piers is going, too.”

She didn’t notice her brother’s usually smiling face freeze. “Well...it looks like I need to have a chat with swords next time.”