Before the dawn of the next day, Riya had gone all out to fly in the city's best decorator from a neighboring town just to revamp the décor of the house for the arrival of the alpha and his queen.
When the other occupants of the house woke up the next day, they woke up to a new whole sitting room. The space, that was once warm and cozy had now been transformed into a majestic chamber fit for a monarch. The walls, now adorned with rich tapestries depicting the blue moon story, which was the story of the kingdom seemed to whisper an history of grandeur. The floor, polished to a high shine, reflected the light of the crystal chandelier, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the room.
Plush velvet drapes, embroidered with gold thread, framed the windows, while the furniture, reupholstered in the finest silks, seemed to glow in an air of opulence. The fireplace, once a warm and inviting focal point, had been transformed into a grandiose masterpiece, with intricate carvings and a mantelpiece that seemed to rival the grandeur of the throne itself.
The room was filled with the sweet scent of freshly cut flowers, arranged in ornate vases and placed upon gleaming silver pedestals. Every surface seemed to sparkle, from the polished marble tables to the glittering diamond – encrusted candelabras. Even the books on the shelves seemed to have selected for their ornate bindings and gold – leaf pages, rather than their content.
In the center of the room, a grand throne – like chair, upholstered in the finest purple velvet, sat atop a dais, as if the waiting for the alpha himself to ascend. The air was thick with anticipation, as if the very room was holding its breath in preparation for the royal visit.
Anna checked the time on her phone and realized it was just some minutes past the hours of eight in the morning; how had Riya achieved this overnight. She still remembered all of them laughing and shouting over a movie they were watching in the in – house cinema around twelve hours ago and now this?
The sweet smelling aroma of the sitting room was complemented by the mouthwatering scents wafting from the kitchen, where a symphony of culinary delights was being prepared. The air was filled with the savory aroma of roasting meats, the sweet scent of freshly baked pastries and the tangy smell of exotic spices.
In the kitchen, the head cook with instructions from Riya was busy preparing a feast fit for an alpha and his queen. Pots and pans clanged as chefs expertly sautéed, simmered and seasoned a variety of dishes. The sizzle of meat on the grill and the gentle simmer of soups and stews created a soothing background hum, punctuated with the occasional clattering of a spoon against the side of a pot.
Georgia couldn't help but greedily looked at the direction of the already set dining table, where some already complete dishes were arranged artfully and garnished with fresh herbs and edible flowers. Steaming trays of freshly baked bread and delicate pastries sat on racks, waiting to be served. Meanwhile, other dishes were still in progress, with chefs carefully plating and garnishing each one to perfection.
The scent of roasting meats wafted from the oven, where a succulent beef roast and a juicy pork loin were slow – cooking to perfection. The aroma of freshly baked apple pies and lemon tarts filled the air, making Anna and Georgia's mouth water in anticipation. The kitchen was a flurry of activity, busier than General Hades' fiftieth birthday celebration as chefs and kitchen staff moved with precision and purpose, their face focused on creating a truly regal dining experience.
Riya darted across the room and Anna caught hold of her by the wrist, "Riya, what's all this?"
"What does it look like?" she answered with another question, rolling her eyes.
"Well well, who's in charge of the apple pies?" Anna asked with a disgruntled expression.
"Apple pies? I think that's Lita, why do you ask?"
"We need to make sure that the apple pies are made properly and in the most hygienic of conditions," Georgia answered, knowing where her friend was going.
Clueless that they were trying to get to the pies, she pointed the direction of where it was made for them, "you go right down the kitchen, you'll see Lita by the oven. Please make sure they are royalty standard," she asked and hurried upstairs, her hair bouncing.
The two friends hurried to the direction she had given them, hoping to fill their appetite with the inviting pies. They met the maid, who identified as Lita and bowed her head in shocking reverence as soon as she saw them. The amount of respect shocked Anna and she had to ask, "have we met before?"
"Yes."
"Where?" she asked, eyeing the baked apple pies.
"I was the girl with the claw issue, you helped me gain admission to the infirmary and I was given a VIP treatment while I was there."
"Oh, that was you. Is your name Lita?"
"Yes ma," she brandished her name identification tag.
"Wow, you make inviting, mouthwatering pies," Anna told her, trying not to sound interested.
"Thanks for the compliment," she appreciated, smiling widely and added, "If you don't mind, would you like to taste them and give me an honest review?"
"Of course. What harm would it do to do you one more favor?"
She put on the mittens gloves from the kitchen base and brought out one of the pies from the oven, handing over two forks to the both of them.
They both dug in and brought it to their mouth, the impact of the flavorful pie touching their tongue in an explosive burst of flavor. Each flavor, scent and spice added to the pie seemed to all rush into their sensory departments all at once, creating an otherworldly reaction that they could quite describe.
Lita watched them as they shuddered on the first bite and wondered if she had done anything too wrong. Have I added too much salt? Too much sugar? Too much apple juice? Too much dried fruit? Or have I added too little of the above substances? She asked herself as she looked at them over again, trying to gauge their reaction.
She checked her measuring instruments as was sure she had added the right quantity of everything, just as she been taught at the academy over and over again. She had never made a mistake with apple pie, but then she had never been asked to bake a pie for a baron, talk less the alpha himself. She knew there was ninety percent chance the alpha wouldn't take a second look at the pie but then she knew it could also be inversely.
Riya in her amazingly vast expanse of knowledge had performed a little survey, asking each cook where they exceled the most. She had assigned everybody to their area of specialization skimming a little side on where they were too thick and vice versa. Lita had been lucky enough to be the only assigned to the apple pie because she liked doing it alone as she believed that too many hands ruin the broth.
They took another forkful and was still unsure of how to describe this amazing work of art. They knew they had to give her the proper rating in a way that wouldn't ruin their steeze or make her lose composure.
Mistaking their reaction for something else, Lita attempted to save her face and her reputation, "How about I pack this and one more and have it delivered to your room upstairs?"
"Have it delivered?!" Georgia asked in feigned anger.
"I'm sorry ma, I will bring it myself." She said, bowing her head.
"Good, be fast, I have some other things to do, just make sure you finish baking all the pies and get to me upstairs," Anna advised.
"Make sure to come discreetly, we don't want your boss to think you're under capable," Georgia added.
Lita knelt down and bowed her head slightly in respect. They stepped out of the kitchen, their head held high over a mission accomplished. As they stepped out of the kitchen, they ran into Riya who was coming from the room upstairs.
She happened to see them and instantly understood the look on their faces.
"Anna, Georgia, what have you done?"
"What do you mean by what have we done?"
"I can see the mischievousness written on both your faces. You have done something naughty, haven't you?" she asked, moving close to them and toning her voice like her late mother's, "Anna, you know I can always see it in your eyes when you do something," she moved closer to Anna like a tiger about to pounce on its prey then switched to Georgia, "You always look too innocent, but I will still get to the root of the matter,"
They knew she was right, they had done something naughty.