My hand slipped into his, while the other rested lightly on his shoulder. And then, almost without realizing, we found ourselves moving with the crowd on the dance floor. Our steps weren't perfect, but they were ours. And that was enough.
Three days after the marriage, an unusual piece of news came flying out of the royal kitchen—
The King was cooking!
Yes, Rayan, the King himself, had stepped into the blazing royal kitchen to prepare a meal for his wife. The entire palace was thrown into chaos. The servants, the kitchen staff, and even the royal chefs were in a panic. Cooking was not something that royals ever did— it wasn't even written in the books of tradition.
Everyone tried to stop him, pleading that he leave the task to them. But Rayan would not give up.
"Well, it isn't like I'm cooking for everyone," he said firmly. "Just let me cook once—for my wife."
His stubbornness was unshakable.
Finally, Mrs. Margarette stepped in, her face full of disbelief.
"Rayan, what on earth are you doing?!" she exclaimed.
"As you can see," Rayan replied calmly, "I'm cooking."
"You're a king! You should not even step into this kitchen, let alone sweat in this heat. And besides—you don't even know how to cook!"
She paused for a moment, her suspicion growing.
"Don't tell me—it was her?"
Rayan's tone grew serious.
"Why does it matter who taught me? And let me remind you, the kitchen is not a shameful place—it is one of the most important places. Cooking is the most essential skill anyone can have. You cannot survive without it. Now, please… let me be."
And with that, Rayan turned back to his task, while Mrs. Margarette, defeated and speechless, quietly left the kitchen.
And yes, the gossip and the news spread even faster than the food itself. The servants, staff, and guards whispered among themselves about how deeply the King loved his wife.
For me, it was a strange mixture of embarrassment and pride.
But of course, I was overjoyed—after all, the King, my husband, had cooked for me in the royal kitchen. We both sat together and happily enjoyed the breakfast he had prepared.
In the evening, Rayan had to leave for the town on official work. I went to see him off. It wasn't a long trip—he would be back the next day. But still, it felt different. After our marriage, this was the first time he was leaving the palace as a true king.
As always, Alex was going to accompany him. At the moment of parting, I couldn't hide the sadness on my face—it was clearly written all over me.
Rayan gently held my hand and said, "Don't worry, honey. I'll be back soon."
Honey? I blushed instantly, and so did the servants who overheard us.
Alex's face, meanwhile, carried an expression that clearly said, You've changed, sir.
And with that, the two of them left.
Alex's expression reminded me of something—Mira. Of course, there were important matters we had to discuss, and I needed to invite Mira and her mother to the palace.
So, I asked Alice to take care of it.
The next day at noon, Alice came with the news that Mira had arrived at the palace and that a servant was guiding her to my chambers.
I was more than happy—Mira had arrived.
As soon as she entered, I said warmly, "It's so good that you came! Sit down, I have so many things to talk about. But why didn't you bring your mother along?"
Mira said, "Well, she asked me to tell you that she's busy with the shop—customers are flooding in ever since people learned about our connection with the Queen. In just a few days, our little counter has turned into a popular shop. But honestly… that's not the only reason. She also didn't come because she feels the palace is a little too royal for her."
I let out a small sigh and replied, "Well, that's alright. I'll visit her soon. For now, you sit down—we have a lot to talk about."
And then we began to talk about everything—
I told her about my life here in the palace as a queen, while Mira shared how her shop was growing and how their family had gained respect in the neighborhood because of my marriage. She, of course, couldn't resist teasing me about it as well.
Just then, we heard footsteps approaching. The door opened, and it was Alex.
With a smile, I asked, "Is Rayan home?"
Alex bowed slightly. "No, ma'am. His Majesty is busy—he'll be back in a few hours."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Mira, who happened to be looking at him. The moment she realized, she quickly turned her head away and tried to hide it with a sudden smile. A faint blush spread across Alex's face before he excused himself.
My mind began racing, and I quickly asked Mira, "Wait—did something happen between the two of you at the party?"