"Could you please leave us?"

The whole flock of maids turned all as one and moved towards the exit at princess's behest. She offered me a seat with a motion of her hand, asking me to sit on her left.

In the plate in front of her were fried potatoes, at least a half of them already gone.

"Tell me your secrets," she said once we were alone.

"Excuse me?"

"You know what I want to know," she looked up at me. "You are not going to refuse a princess, will you?"

"Well, first you pour the oil into a pot, then you..."

"Not that," she interrupted me briskly. "Athena. What do you think of her? Do you like her?"

"Um..."

I had a stupid expression on my face so often today that it was probably becoming my neutral face at this point. Once again, I was dumbfounded. Did I hear her right?

"Excuse me, I think I misheard, Your Highness..."

"Athena! Do you love her? If you want, I could tell her to marry you and she would not be able to refuse me."

"No, I'd rather you didn't..."

The passion that was burning in her eye was similar to that when she talked to me about food, back in her carriage. So food and gossip, those were the two big hobbies of a lady who would soon rule the whole country.

"I think she's a great chef and that she's very loyal to the princess."

"You are trying to change the subject!"

"Not at all, that's how I really feel."

"Her pumpkin soup is excellent and my favorite," she gave in after an exaggerated sigh. "But a cuisiner? That is not possible."

"Why not?"

"Sir Cuisiner, are you still not feeling right? Everyone knows a cuisiner can only be a man."

"What? A woman can't be a chef?" now I was actually dumbstruck. "Why not?"

"That is how it always was."

"Wait, so you're telling me someone actually thought that it would be a good idea to let a girl rule a country alone, but allowing a woman to be a cook is a no-no?"

"Why not? Queen, King, that is but just a title, how a ruler rules is what defines him."

"Isn't the same true for a cuisiner?"

"It may be, it may be not, but that is not why I asked for your company."

Right, wasn't that just to gossip?

This thing somehow really unnerves me. Anyone who has ever wondered into a fifth grade history class probably knows that for the longest time, in most countries women couldn't rule alone if at all. But finding out that they didn't put such an emphasis on gender felt somehow... Right. It felt natural. So much so, that finding out those same misguided gender biases exist here as well, felt even more disturbing.

If the food is good, who the hell cares if the chef can pee standing up?

"I was right about you, you know. The moment my lips touched your potato, I knew. It was like nothing I had ever seen, more importantly, it was like nothing I had ever tasted. Nothing else comes even close. You do not think like every other cuisiner and that is what makes you special."

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.

"You understand the value in looking forward. While every other cuisiner was throwing potatoes onto hot stones, you put them into boiling water. When everyone else started putting them into boiling water, you put them into boiling oil," she smiled at me sweetly.

"I see my secrets have been leaked."

"Oh, before you even started cooking."

We sat in silence for a while. The princess was thoroughly enjoying her food while we were talking. I tried my hardest not to think about whether she really liked it while doing my best to keep up with the conversation.

"Athena?"

"Of course. She was hard set on stopping me from eating anything made by you. What kind of atrocities is he doing, she told me, trying to cook a chicken in a pot filled with oil."

"And that didn't scare you away, Your Highness?"

"It only made me want to taste it more," she smiled. "Athena is excellent at what she does. The best, even. But while she is still setting the water to boil, you are already thinking of what to cook your potatoes in, next."

She was right about the second part, at least. I didn't have the time to think about what was I going to prepare next, but I knew for a fact it couldn't be something I made today. I would continue coming up with something new until I couldn't or wouldn't have to anymore.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Everything I ate today is exquisite, but I did not lie before, either. The chicken was not as good as I hoped it would be. And I believe we both know why is that," the princess looked at me, playful smile on her face.

Do we? I know why the chicken wasn't good - I suck. But did she know that? I gave up the idea of this whole day being a massive prank long ago, otherwise I would've thought she was in on it and I was about to get bamboozled. I braced for impact.

"Why is that?" I asked carefully. "Your Highness..."

"You do not need to act in front of me. You are all pale, you can barely walk, anyone can see that. I will look forward to tasting your chicken again, once you are well rested."

Lack of rest isn't a bad excuse and it's definitely not a lie, either. Being invited to sit down by the princess just now might as well have been a miracle for my legs.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Now tell me, what did you do with the potatoes?"

"But you already know, do you not? I cooked them in oil."

"I know that much. But what then?" the passionate sparkle returned to her eye. She was back to being a little girl I talked to in that carriage.

"That's about it. You cook it in oil, then take it out and put some salt on it."

"And that is all? Just cooking it in oil..." she said deep in thought. "And what about the sauce? It is so... Sweet, but sour at the same time. And it goes so well with the potatoes, like it completes one another."

"That's sour cream sauce, with melted cheese and thyme."

This one thing I was confident about, since it's something I would actually make myself rather often. It's tasty, incredibly easy to make and as the princess said, it goes really well with either fried potatoes of potato chips. I heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that the princess agreed with me on this.

"Incredible. Truly, unbelievable. Sir Cuisiner, you are a man full of mysteries. I cannot wait to see what you will bring me next."

"Thank you, Your Highness," I said, my mouth dry.

We sat there for a while longer, in silence, while the princess finished the food. Once she was done, I stood up not knowing what to do with myself. Should I collect the plate?

"Leave it, my attendants will take care of it. It is already late and I am sure you cannot wait to go to your own quarters. Go and get some rest."

I bowed and turned to leave, suddenly feeling relieved. What kind of day has it been...

"Sir Cuisiner," she stopped me in my tracks. "Do not doubt for a moment, that be it a man, a woman or even a child, if I believe they can get me closer to my goal, I will not hesitate to use them."

"Good night, Your Highness," I nodded and left the hall. There was no doubt in my mind.