The Knight's Mysterious Maid-Chapter 251: Late night talk (4)

Rafael disliked that the only thing he could gather for her were pastries. Since they went to the ball, the cooks had no reason to cook them dinner since there wasn’t a guaranteed time they would return. There were only pastries his mother liked to eat around noon that were put away.

Rafael joined Annalise on the floor and watched her devour everything she could get her hands on. If he knew she was this hungry, he would have started something proper for her to eat when they returned home. He could have gotten some of the food made for the knights or seen what the knights who returned with them planned to cook.

"Would you like me to cook something for you?" Rafael asked as he doubted she would get full by eating pastries.

"You can cook and it won’t taste awful?" Annalise asked.

"I don’t travel with chefs when I go around the kingdom. I am not the best cook in the world but I can put together something with taste. I learned from my father and when my mother attempted to make us dinner," Rafael replied.

"I feel like I have struck gold by being with you. You are handsome, your body suits my taste, you know how to use a sword, and you can cook. I should just marry you right now," Annalise joked.

Rafael took her word seriously. She would prefer the chef’s cooking over his since his cooking was simpler, but if she wanted to eat something made by him, he could try to cook more often and continue to learn. Whatever it took to get her to stay by his side.

"I’ve told you about my grandfather. It is time you tell me more about your family," Rafael said, curious about the people Annalise grew up around. What was her mother like? Did she look more like her mother or father?

Annalise held out her fork with a piece of cake on it to offer to Rafael. "My family isn’t like what you made up in your head. My father is tall like you are and he seems scary to anyone meeting him for the first time, but he is sweet. He is most likely to shed a tear between him and my mother, but he is a petty man."

Rafael accepted the offering of cake despite the fact he wasn’t a fan of sweet things nor did he like eating at this hour. "And your mother?"

"I told you that Beatrice reminds me of my mother. She would love for me to get married, although she doesn’t say it much. She is a kind woman but if you mess with her family she will turn aggressive. Like any mother I suppose. She has allowed me to be as I am and though I have given her many frights in my youth, she always smiles when I get near."

Annalise smiled as she remembered something from her youth. "I remember when I was trying to climb a tall tree and the branch I stepped on broke. I ended up falling, but my mother caught me. Instead of scolding me, she showed me how to do it and then stood back to watch me try again. I am confident because the two of them have always aided me in completing what I wanted to do."

"How did they react to your love of snakes?" Rafael asked.

"They don’t think anything of it. My mother spends a lot of time around snakes. It was my grandmother who helped create the love I have for some creatures. Creatures that are sometimes misunderstood. My grandmother is quite the character. She moved away from us but when I am home, I visit her often," said Annalise.

Annalise was right that her family was not like Rafael thought in his head.

"What of your brother and his mother?" Rafael asked, curious about how the brother she always called a bastard fit in.

"Oh," Annalise said, putting a fork full of cake into her mouth to give her time to think. "Thomas lives with his mother, but he comes to visit us often. My mother likes him and so does my grandmother. We all get along. There isn’t any fighting in my family. We are big on protecting each other."

"I see. It is good you come from a family where there is only love. Slow down before you choke, Annalise. There is no one here to fight you for the food," Rafael said, pulling the tray toward him to stop her.

"I know my limit of what I might choke on. Have you already forgotten? I am starving and I have made up my mind that I never want to attend a ball again. It does not suit me and I am sorry if it will offend you when I say that I don’t want to attend another even if it is by your side this time. I felt out of place and I dislike it," said Annalise.

She wasn’t amused by the music, the dancing, or interested in watching others courting each other. She certainly wasn’t a fan of the dress and shoes. fгeewebnovёl.com

Annalise only liked the dress she wore because it was a gift from Rafael and she didn’t let it show how uncomfortable standing around people she didn’t know she was since she was standing next to Beatrice who offered so much time to get her ready. How could she face Beatrice being disappointed that she was not having fun?

Seeing Beatrice sad was like being stabbed over and over again.

"There aren’t any more balls for us to attend here. We’ve received invitations but we were always only going to attend the one tonight. The only other ball I attend is the one for the king’s birthday or Edgar’s birthday ball held by his grandmother, Rose Collins. I do not enjoy balls or gatherings unless it involves my knights or friends I care for," Rafael said, sharing Annalise’s sentiments.

"People around you must find you strange. There are many around you who would do anything to be in your position. To be close to the king and have powerful friends yet you prefer to stay from everyone and just be a knight. As a friend of the king, you could ask for anything. Have you ever asked the king for something?" Annalise asked, putting down her fork as she was finished eating.

She picked up the glass of what smelled like apple juice to drink and then she would finish it all with a glass of water.

"No," Rafael replied. "I don’t need anything from him. I don’t ask my other friends for anything so why him? I am satisfied with what I have."

"If I wanted something from the king, would you get it for me?" Annalise asked, deciding to test him now in case she might ever need his help in the future. She could use Rafael to speak to the king who was always in the palace these last few years.

"No," Rafael honestly replied. He didn’t know what she wanted, but even if it were something small, he wouldn’t ask Tobias for it. He would rather get it himself. "I don’t ever want to abuse my friendship with him even if it is over something small, but what could you possibly want from the king?"

"Nothing. I wasn’t being serious," Annalise said, looking away from Rafael to the fire in the fireplace.

"I don’t normally walk up to the king and ask him for something. He always feels like everyone wants something from him so he appreciates the people around him who want nothing from him."

Annalise smiled, knowing he thought she was upset with his answer. "I am not angry with your answer, Rafael. I like that you were honest. You shouldn’t change how you are with the king because of me. I truly like that you are not a fool in love to do everything the woman you love asks of you. Other than getting me food when I ask. We are to have our own thoughts and stand on them. I am tired now."

Rafael looked at the empty plates he could carry out in the morning right after he would wake up Annalise. He pushed the tray out of the way and pulled Annalise by her right foot so she would be closer for him to scoop up. Now that she was fed, it was time for them to go to sleep since there was a long day of shopping with his mother awaiting them.

Annalise once again enjoyed being carried by Rafael and then resting on his chest once they laid down on the soft bed. His chest was much better than the soft pillows.

Annalise wanted to continue their conversation but found it hard to keep her eyes open now that she was full and soon fell asleep.