Love, Tea & Scones

Tea and scones

Steam wafted off of the boiling hot stove as Terra carefully took out a tray of freshly baked scones that would soon be put in the display case to be sold to customers in less than an hour's time. Terra carefully placed the hot tray on the oak wood cutting board and she pulled off her oven gloved. She could hear her grandmother moving about in the pantry in the café, most likely looking for some cinnamon to make cinnamon rolls to be served around lunchtime. Terra took off her soft baby blue apron and placed it on the counter next to the oven gloves. She caught a glimpse of herself in the window glass. Her long straight brown hair was beginning to spill out of the loose ponytail she had hastily put it into that morning when she had rushed to get everything in the café ready before it was time to open, Terra had overslept that morning. Luckily her grandmother was up and was already rushing about the place as she usually did to help Terra with preparing the scones, fresh bread and muffins to put in the display case at the café's counter. Terra's leaf green eyes darted around the small kitchen to make sure she had everything ready to go. Terra noticed some flour on her skirt and used her hands to brush as much of it off as she could. She didn't have time to go and change, she had a café to run and customers to serve.

"Granny did you put the coffee on the stove?" Terra asked her grandmother quickly as she noticed a few large teapots on one of the stoves, Terra's voice was light and sweet which fit her personality perfectly. Terra was known for being kind, generous and honest. "I did my little petal!" Terra's grandmother confirmed with a dotting quality to her tone. Terra was her favourite grandchild as she was the only one to take over the family business when Terra's grandfather travelled to the other side. Helga, Terra's grandmother, was sad that her husband's time in this world had come but she knew she would travel to the other side and be with him again soon. Before she made the journey herself she wanted to make sure Terra would be alright on her own since Helga knew no other family member would help Terra if she needed it. Terra's parents went missing when she was small, some people in the town speculated that they were captured by humans and killed but there wasn't much evidence to support this theory. Since that unfortunate day Helga and Marvin had raised Terra in the café and were very proud of the young woman she grew up to be.

Helga worried about Terra, she was passionate about her work and Helga loved her greatly for that but Helga noticed that Terra had some trouble in balancing her personal life with her work life. Terra struggled to have a long term meaningful relationship since she was so busy managing the café. Helga worried that Terra would be smothered by how much work went into managing the café on her own when she was gone and would never find the time to find her soul mate. Marvin was Helga's soul mate and Helga wanted to help Terra find a love as strong and as happy as her and Marvin's was. Only thing was that Helga didn't know how to help Terra.

Terra loved her job and she loved the café dearly. It was her home and she hoped that one day in the future that this would be where she would raise her own family. Terra also loved her grandmother dearly and was saddened by the fact that her grandmother was making plans to soon depart to the other side. Terra knew that she didn't have much time left with her and wanted to make every second count that she could. She missed her grandfather terribly even after he left for the other side ten years ago. The age elves reach maturity is fifty years and most elves would stay in this world for at least one to two thousand years. After that and they would feel tired in their soul and they would know it was their time to make the journey to the other world. Terra couldn't see herself finding any romantic partner in the near future. She was far too busy trying to manage the café and she would need some time to adjust when her grandmother was no longer there to help her.

It was just after the lunchtime rush when a group of five royal guards walked into the café. "Good afternoon gentlemen!" Terra greeted them in her usual warm and friendly way "How can I help you today?". The royal guards bought their lunch one after the other and Terra was kept busy for a few minutes as she rushed to fill a few ceramic tea cups with different teas and she placed one coffee mug with the four teacups as the royal guard with the auburn hair wanted black coffee. Three of the guards wanted treacle scones and the other two wanted ham and cheese sandwiches. Terra gave the guards what they ordered as quickly as she could without breaking anything and as she was handing out the food and drink she managed to catch a part of their conversation.

"Did yea hear about that there competition that his majesty is hosting in about a month's time?" The auburn haired guard asked the guard with the dark brown hair in pigtails. "That I did Freddy, that I did and about time too I was about to loose me mind with how much those pesky advisors wouldn't shut up about how his majesty has to get a move on and produce an heir!". Freddy the guard chuckled into his coffee as Terra moved away and walked into the kitchen. She found her grandmother writing something on a long piece of writing parchment. "What are you writing Granny?" Terra asked her grandmother curiously as she peered over her shoulder to look at the parchment. "My will Petal, it's about time I did it since I wouldn't want to leave all yous fighting over my belongings when I'm gone!" Helga revealed quietly as she signed her name at the bottom of the parchment and quickly rolled it up and tied it with a green ribbon.

"Petal you look like you have something to say!" Helga stated as she looked at her youngest granddaughter expectantly. "Oh I just heard some royal guards talking about a competition that will be happening next month for King Gael to find a wife!" Terra told her grandmother excitedly. Terra didn't have many friends her own age as she was always busy helping out at the cafe when she was younger, but also because there just wasn't many elven children born around the same time as her in her little town so some children were too far ahead in their mental development to be friends with her and some of the children were too far below her own mental maturity so she couldn't make any good friends. This lead to Terra viewing her grandmother as her best friend and Helga knew that and was as equally worried about Terra's future when Terra didn't have any true friends of her own to talk to.

The competition put an idea into Helga's head. What if she signed Terra up for it, even if she didn't win maybe she would be able to make some friends around her own age. Maybe Terra would find her soul mate through the competition, Helga didn't necessarily imagine someone as sweet and loving as Terra being married to someone like King Gael. The stories Helga had heard about him made her reconsider what she was planning to do, surely Terra would be miserable with someone like him but Helga reassured herself that Terra would never win the competition as there was sure to be some high born nobles entering it and they were more likely to win than Terra was.
Helga just had to hope that no one would take advantage of Terra's kindness and use that against her. It broke Helga's heart to imagine how hurt Terra would be if someone she thought was her friend stabbed her in the back over some man. In the end Helga made her decision, she would put Terra's name on the competition sign up sheet when it became available, it would be for her own good Helga told herself as she watched her granddaughter attend to the customers in the café.

Helga knew that if Terra was picked to compete then she would have to find someone to temporarily replace her until it was time for her to come home. It looked like she would have to get one of her other sons or daughters and a few grandchildren who didn't have much important things to do to help out as long as Terra was in the competition. Helga just had to pray to the gods that she wasn't making a mistake she was going to very sorely regret in what was to come.

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I hope you enjoyed reading this first chapter, I would love to know how you feel of Helga scheming to put her granddaughter in the competition!