Pride Celebration l

Ashe had woken up extra early today. The flashing light of her alarm clock displayed "10:30". It was still May but in an hour and a half it would be june. Ashes favorite "holiday". Ashe loved pride month and reveled in all its festivities. Aldebast held a month long festival that landed right in front of Ashes home/bakery. She got to see swaths of people celebrating their love and relationships with merry abandonment. There were many forms of entertainment and cheer to be had. But best of all, there were so so many customers. Ashe would be running her over day in and day out to keep up the demand of the hungry celebratory hordes. Given the festivities, Ashe got away with charging a little more than her usual pricing. She also got to focus on more flavorful pastries instead of her usual battle-focused cuisine. She especially adored decorating all her dishes with rainbow frosting, rainbow sprinkles and all sorts of rainbow food dyes. It was Ashes favorite time of year. She got carried away making way too many pastries and ended up passing out in a bowl of frosting. When she awoke she could already hear the bustling of customers coming in and out of the establishment. Her employees had made sure not to wake her and had gotten started without her. Buttercream dripped off her face as she reached for the closest towel. She ran upstairs and took a quick shower before heading into the storefront. Colorful pastries and decorative sets covered every inch of the store. Couples, throuples, and polycules flooded in and out of the store. Either they were in search of a snack to continue their festivities or in search of a special treat to share their feelings with the one they loved. Either way Ashe loved the sight of it. It went on like this for a few hours, most of the work being done by her other employees so Ashe got to sit down and enjoy the atmosphere. Suddenly, the noise and bustle that ashe had become accustomed, settled down. It was replaced by whispers and silence. Ashe looked up from her chair by the cash register to investigate the commotion, or lack there of. What she was was quite the shock to Ashe. Right there, in her bakery, stood the crown prince Atticus, next in line for the throne. 

 She stood there observing the tall regal bird. He showed little interest in any of the products, quickly showing dissatisfaction and moving onto the next. After what seemed like an eternity, Ashe built up the courage to approach him. "Your highness! I am humbled that you would deign my lowly establishment to be worthy of your presence. Nevertheless I hope i can find something to your liking. Is there anything in particular youre looking for?""Ahh, Greetings" Atticus responded as he turned towards her. "Thank you for your kind hospitality within your business. As for what I am looking for..." He paused, seeming to be a bit lost for words. "I am unfortunately a bit unsure. I believe you are well aware of the festivities taking place during this month. I'd like to purchase some confectioneries as a gift for someone I know but I'm afraid I dont quite have much knowledge of gift giving outside business occasions. Many are satisfied with a bottle of expensive wine but I believe this situation is...different" He responded, attempting to explain his situation. "Perhaps you'd be more well versed in such things considering your line of work?" Atticus wondered as his eyes scanned the bakery once more. The sheer multitude of options, bright colors as well as deliciously intoxicating scents were quite overwhelming to someone who spent a majority of his time buried in paperwork whilst handling kingdom affairs."Of course! Of course! I have had the good fortune to help many couples celebrate their bonds. We have all sorts of pastries. Savory pies, sweet desserts, rich cheesecakes. You name it! And im absolutely on board with your thinking. A bottle of wine is boring and cliche. So overdone. Youre a very kind man for coming all the way out here to get a gift for your friends. What kind of occassion is this intended for? We can even do extravagant multi-tiered wedding cakes if need be, but it will take a day or two to prepare. Have no worries your highness. Ill make sure your 2 friends can truly express their feelings through whatever treat you desire."

"No no... Im afraid you may be misunderstanding" Atticus replied, his face being tinted red from shyness. "It is not for a pair of my friends. It is a gift from me... to another" He tried to clarify. "Perhaps knowing that it may be a bit more clear as to why I am so concerned about finding the correct gift. I wish for it to be special but at the same time I find myself at a loss over what would be appropriate to buy that would properly convey my feelings" Atticus expressed whilst his expression grew riddled from the anxiousness that welled within his chest. "I suppose the best way to put it is I'd need something that could convey my interest in moving past a friendship to potentially something more"

"Oh. OH!" As Ashe realized the natuee of her mistake her face reddened, her voice went up an octave, and she spoke in a flustered manner. " I I im so sorry your highness! I had no idea! Um sorry. Excuse me just one second" Ashe walked into the backroom, walked into the fridge and shut the door. Realizing the situation she was in, she mumbled to herself.

"Ok Ashe. Calm down. Its just the crown prince himself asking for a romantic gift. Whats the worst that can happen if you screw up? Exile? Execution? No big deal right? Right?". She walked back to the storefront and found Atticus again. "So sorry about that. Now where were we? Ah yes. A gift for someone whos caught your eye? If its ok with you, Im going to need to ask you some personal questions to find the perfect gift."

Before Atticus could tell her that it was just fine and he did not take offence to her small mistake she was gone then back again with a question that perplexed him. "Its no issue. Feel free to ask any questions you see fit. Though I may reserve my answers on some if they require information Im not too keen on revealing." Atticus responded with a small nod. This would be a test for him as well on how well he knew his partner to be.

" Of course, your highness. All of this will be confidential and you reserve the right to refuse any questions. First of all. If youd like to, we can move to the backroom of my establishment. Wouldnt want any prying ears to overhear our conversation now would we?" Ashe gestured towards the door behind the cash register.

"I wouldnt mind at all actually. The privacy would make me feel alot more comfortable with the added benefit of keeping the person of interest anonymous. I wouldn't want the person to be hounded by any news paper journalists either" Atticus said as the two of them went to the back of the bakery which offered a more quiet experience that the prince already enjoyed. It came at a relief as it was already pretty obvious that there were whispers withint he shop about his presence. "Well then, lets get started. What might your first question be?" The prince wondered.

"Well first things first. Is this a political situation or a more *ahem* personal affair."

The bird appeared to fidget a bit whilst mulling over an answer. It was very obvious he was not used to talking about his personal life to any degree. "It would be a personal affair" Atticus confirmed.

Noticing he was uncomfortable, Ashe stood up and brought over a tray of pastries. "Where are my manners? Would you like any tea or coffee before we continue? I could fetch you a pastry from the front if you like?"

"Tea sounds lovely if it wouldn't be out of your way" Atticus requested and lightly cleared his throat. "For a pastry... I'd fancy anything with a peachy essence. They are a favorite fruit of mine."

"Just a moment." Ashe rushed to the front and grabbed a peach turnover from one of the shelves. She made her way into the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of generic store brand unsweetened tea and returned to the prince. "Here you go. I hope it is to your tastes. Now as for the topic at hand. What kind of celebration were you thinking of? Will it be a grandiose public announcement or something small and discreet amongst love...err friends."

"Thank you kindly" Atticus responded as he accepted the tea as well as the turnover. He bit into its crispy outter texture, letting the sweet jam coat his tongue. The fruit within still had a perfect firmness to it. He couldnt help but nod his head with approval. "Delicious..." He complimented before washing the pastry down with the tea. "It will certainly be a discreet for now. I feel it will be best not to bring too much attention to it overall so early on. If things go well, I will consider returning here for a larger occasion" The bird responded.

Ashe nodded along. " I see I see. So what can you tell me about this guy? Are you familiar with his taste preferences? What kind of upbringing did he have? Is this another noble or...?" Ashe trailed off fearing the consequences of what she just implied.

Atticus let out a soft hum of contemplation. "If I recall correctly he is an enjoyer of sour fruits. Blueberries, raspberries, and grapes could all be some options to consider. I'm not familiar with his upbringing so I cant really comment on it. He is certainly not another noble that much I do know. After being in his company for a while however I know that he is a very capable man. Thus, I'd prefer the gift pastry to be a extravagant in appearance. The size wouldn't need to be large since its just for one person. A detail I enjoyed on your other cakes is the piped rosettes. Perhaps you can incorporate them somehow?"

Relief washed over Ashe as her comments did not draw the nobles ire. "Of course of course. But hmmm. Sour fruits. Thats an interesting preference." Now mumbling more to herself than to the prince. "Well i could perhaps do some blueberry scones? Perhaps a raspberry danish? Cream cheese would pair well with that. No no thats too pedestrian for these folks. Ahhh. But what about the grapes? Could probably do something with puff pastries and cheese? No no. Youre supposed to celebrate these things with sweets." She turns her attention back to the prince. "Sorry i got lost in a train of thought. I do have another question for you. I think this is the most important aspect when deciding on what would be best for him. What does he mean to you?"

"Mmm..." Atticus thought as he spent some time thinking about an answer to that question. In a way it left him thinking about why he had come here to begin with. He wanted something special for his special someone. Granted, it wasn't every day that a lord would request the hand of his servant. It took him painfully long to even pick up the signs that the the Satyr had given him. If it wasn't for his younger sister he might of never put the pieces together leaving it to only be the loyalty that the Satyr presented being bound to his duty. By the end of his mental mulling's he felt as though he had come to a firm conclusion. " He is someone very special to me. One who I would like to spend my life with moving forward" Atticus said with a small nod. "It is why I have come... to offer a gift that clearly reads romantic in nature" He at last fully admitted.

Ashe stopped and took in what the bird had told her. She pondered in silence for a moment before finally responding. "My prince, I can tell this person really means a lot to you. And id wager that you mean a lot to him as well. So there really isnt anything more to ask. Regardless of what gift you decide to get him, your feelings will be reach him. Having said that, i just thought of a perfect gift for him. Come back in 6 hours. You wont be dissapointed".

The bird nodded, accepting her terms despite his blaring bashfullness. "Very well. I place my trust in you. Would you prefer an upfront payment? Or shall I bring the payment when I return?" He inquired, wanting to make sure that she got paid for her valuable time. He knew very well this was a last minute order on an already busy schedule. Ashe's bakery was the most popular in town and he had no doubt she already had plenty of custom orders piled on for those who had similar ideas to him.

Ashe shook her head vigorously. "Oh no no no no. I couldnt possibly ask for payment. It would be an honor to serve the royal family. Just think of all the free advertising ill get when i tell people that i was the matchmaker for the new king" Ashe began to daydream of all the riches she would be drowning in. Sponsorships, brand deals. Her eyes practically shone with stargold as she envisioned it all. "Maybe an invitation to the royal wedding would be appreciated."

"Are you certain...? I'd... feel awful if you put so much work into it" Atticus asked as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not much of a fan of taking advantage of my people just for the fact that I am royalty. For me to thrive as a leader, those under me must also have stability. However I assure you that if this situation with my person of interest progresses to marriage I don't think I could trust anyone but you to create a cake for such an occasion."

"Please. I insist. Thanks to your reign the people are able to celebrate freely. And this has allowed my business to thrive. It is more than fair compensation for this service." Ashe rose from her seat and walked with the prince towards the front storefront. "Oh and i did see you quite enjoyed these so please have some more for the road." Ashe grabbed a basket and placed 4 peach turnovers inside then handed it to the prince. "6 hours will be the soonest i could have it ready but if you dont mind waiting tomorrow morning would be best."

"Very well. If you insist I will accept it as such" Atticus nodded, following by her side until they reached the entrance of the store. "I am fine with returning tomorrow. I'd rather you not rush the process if not nessessary. I wish for it to be perfect after all. I look forward to seeing your creation. Once more, I am grateful for you offering your wonderful services. " He responded gratefully.

As soon as the prince left Ashe got to work immediately. She zipped around the room gathering various ingredients. Cream cheese, vanilla, peaches, blueberries, sugar, graham crackers, honey, eggs. After several hours these ingredients came together to produce a dish that Ashe was particularly proud of. A blueberry swirl cheesecake topped with glazed peaches. She called it a token of love. She was certain the 2 lovers would share some happy moments enjoying this.