I intently watched as Ash struggled to balance the serving dish and utensil in his hands. The amount of amusement the sight brought me may have been unkind, but I relished in the feeling nonetheless. He locked eyes with me and his expression reminded me of a helpless puppy.

"Evelyn, could you please come here and help me?" He pleaded.

I shook my head, holding up my bucket of soup and the ladle, "I've got my hands full too."

He groaned, immediately straightening in the presence of my mother. I giggled; he was terrified of the woman. Apparently there was something about her passive-aggressive nature that intimidated him, but he yearned for her approval nonetheless, and what better way than by abiding to her wishes?

"Ash, be careful! You might drop that!" She warned him, causing him to tighten his grip on the heavy dish.

She then projected her voice so the staff could hear, "Attention everyone, formations! Remember, the main course needs to reach everyone before the dessert. Likewise, the salads and soups must reach people before the main course. Do not forget that order!"

I got in line right in front of Ash, since I had soup, which comes after salad and before the main course, which he had a portion of. There were multiple servers for each dish, divided into groups so at least one of each course was in each group, to satisfy the mass seating arrangement. Every group would serve a separate row. Obviously, Ash and I were in the same group.

Ash looked at me, panic apparent on his face, "What if I mess this up? Will your mother lose all faith in me?"

I laughed, "Calm down, Ash. You're serving food, not handling a lethal weapon."

"Perhaps that would have been less stressful." He mumbled, causing me to laugh again.

My mother came towards us, "Remember, be alert and presentable, you're the rulers of this kingdom."

Ash straightened as if he was about to salute her, "Yes, your grace!"

My mother smiled before walking off and giving the signal to go. The doors opened and we filed into an outdoor banquet hall that seated hundreds of citizens. I could hear Ash gasp in awe. I couldn't wait to see him get up close and personal with his subjects.

He looked at me, "Look at all these people!"

"And they're only a fraction of your kingdom." I replied.

Like that, we started serving food, occasionally earning gasps and sighs upon recognition, which were surprisingly few and far between. The word spread quickly, however.

"Y-you're Majesties!" A few greeted us, while others were left star struck.

"My, my, you two look lovely together!"

"How selfless of you to be serving us food, when it should be the other way around!"

"The food tastes even more delicious because it is being served by such blessed hands."

And the compliments continued.

While Ash was serving an old farmer, the poor man reached out and grabbed his hand, momentarily stopping Ash from serving the next guest.

In a gruff voice he said, "Your Majesty, I live a hard life, making a living with my rough hands that don't possess the right to touch you. Please forgive me if I am breaching my boundaries, but the Devereux dynasty, your father, and his father, and his father... they've always done my family justice, even in years of drought. I am a proud laborer of this kingdom. I would toil a hundred lands if it meant I was serving the proud kingdom of Sedalia!"

My mother was right, this was as personal as it could get! A few even burst into tears upon learning that they were being served by the King and Queen. Once we finished with our row, Ash and I walked around to greet the others.

"Long live the King! Long live the Queen!" They occasionally chanted upon seeing us.

After finishing our rounds, it was finally our turn to eat. By then, the feast was over and most people had returned home. We took our meal in the family dining hall while my parents finished the event outside. I noticed Ash was staring at his hands.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

He looked up at me and gingerly took my hands into his own.

"H-his hands, Evelyn. They were different from ours. Look!" He held his up.

I cocked my head to the side, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that farmer, his hands were tarnished by callouses, they were dirty and rough, cut up-"

"Well yeah, it's from years of plowing, planting, reaping—"

"And then look at ours! Callous-free, smooth, soft... not a single scar."

I gave him a curious look.

"I think I would die if I had to work that hard. But someone like him, he's willing to work a hundred times harder just for this kingdom!"

I nodded, realizing that my message might finally be reaching him.

"That's how much the people of this kingdom trust the Crown." I answered.

"Evelyn... You're right."

"About what?"

"War. I can't take their lives for granted. That poor farmer, if he dies fighting for this kingdom... what about his wife and children? They'll be left fatherless, without an income, without a head of the family, while someone like me, who's barely worked in life, would still be sleeping in silks every night with the security of his family."

I nodded.

"Evelyn." He took my hands again and looked into my eyes, "This war can't happen!"

I laughed and entwined my hands with his, "I know, it absolutely can't!"

He nodded with resolve, "There's no way I'm letting this war happen. My father, grandfather, great-grandfather... they worked hard raising Sedalia into what it is today. A novice like me... I can't break that. I won't break that."

"Ash, I'm so proud of you!" I exclaimed.

He gave me a guilty smile, "Sorry for being too dense to understand this earlier."

I shook my head, "No matter, as long as you understand now before it's too late."

At that moment, he looked so admirable, so lovable, so kissable...

Without realizing, I leaned in and kissed him, obviously taking him by surprise too. He was still quick to react though, deepening it and arousing indecent thoughts in my head. I immediately pulled away, too shocked by what I initiated, gasping for breath.

"I-I um... I think my mother needs me." I made up a lame excuse and dashed out of there, leaving Ash behind in his dazed state.

What was I thinking? Have I dropped my standards so low that even an ounce of reason garners such appreciation from me?

Was I falling for that royal highnass?