The Portal

II 2.4 Nothing changed

It was after 8 pm when Hannah heard a light knock on her door. It must be one of the girls, she thought. However, it was better not to risk it.

- One minute!

Damn, she was still wrapped in the towel. She quickly put on the robe and opened the door to the small hall. No one... Well, it wasn't one of the girls, because they would have gone in by now... Nor her maid, of course, who had just left with what was left of dinner. She pulled her robe tighter against her body and opened the heavy wooden door that led to the hallway. It was Berta after all.

- Miss, forgive me, I know you had already dismissed me. But Kaal Rariff insisted that I give this basket to you.

Eyes on the box, Hannah asked only:

- Did he hand you over himself?

- Yes, my lady.

Hannah looked curiously at the small basket and said goodbye to Berta. Carefully, she placed the basket on the wooden table in the corner of the room. With the dagger, she poked the clasp until it opened, revealing a familiar fabric that covered its contents. Hannah's hands began to shake. Gently, she removed the fabric and had to sit up when she saw what was inside. It wasn't possible. Palatials's sweets. The buns she ate in her childhood... What did that mean? She approached slowly and smelled the sweet scent of coconut, remembering, for a moment, when she was little, and her family still existed.

She ran a finger over the puff pastry that circled the candy, then withdrew it. Obviously, she couldn't eat it - which was a shame. She really believed that Berta had received the candy from Noa. Or someone she thought was Noa. Or even from Noa himself, but why would he send her candy? She noticed a small envelope bearing the Rariffs crest on one side of the basket and opened it. Inside, there was a quick note.

Miss Maël,

Our cook Maria José asked me to give you this basket.

Rariff.

Maria José, the lovely cook of Palatials. Hannah was surprised to realize that her eyes were wet. Maria José had survived. She was alive and still living her life in the palace. As a cook! As if nothing had happened. She was so grateful for Zezé's life! She found herself thinking of the risk the cook would have taken to send her these buns. She must have trusted Noa to ask him something like that. Her request could easily be considered an affront and even a betrayal of the Rariffs. But here the sweets were delivered. Noa handed over the rolls. How amazing this was. She would never deliver them if she were in his place.

Hannah knew that she still had a lot of support in Palatials and that her people waited every day for her return. But from the information she'd received, that was a perception that didn't reach the Rariffs' ears. Ür knew she would be useful one day, so he allowed her to live. But he would never have imagined that she could attempt to seize power. Still, delivering a gift like this was letting your enemy know that he was still remembered, that he still had support. She sighed. Certainly, Ür had no idea of ​​that. Apparently, Noa had a lot to learn.

She stared at the sweets with an emotion that was not common to her... She rarely let herself be carried away like this... Slowly, the emotion became a lump in her throat, and she let out a bitter laugh. Zezé continued to cook at the Palace. Nothing had changed. Not even the cook! Her entire family had been murdered and they were simply replaced. And now those buns that were sure to be delicious were in front of her and she didn't have the heart to eat them. She even believed the story. But she wouldn't bet her life on it. Hannah was a threat to so many, her royal blood was rare, enemies crossed borders to harm her, and it would not be a poisoned loaf that would kill her. The last Maël killed by a bun? Even she would laugh at this end.