In fact, Nyx didn't stop at just tasting it, she went on to take a proper sip of the broth and then tore into the tender chicken, letting the sauce coat her tongue. It was rich with spices, though not overly refined, the kind of flavor that came from a cook's well-worn pan rather than a palace chef's gilded kitchen. It wasn't exceptional in the way the royal dishes were, where every herb and grain of salt was measured with obsessive care, yet there was something about it that felt real. Honest.
She chewed slowly at first, then faster, as if each bite was winning her over more than the last. Lucas leaned back in his chair, watching her with an amused smirk that deepened every time she reached for another piece of chicken or dipped bread into the thick sauce. He didn't say a word at first, simply enjoying the sight of the princess, draped now in a plain dress and wearing a simple necklace, looking nothing like the guarded, poised royal he knew in the castle.
