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Blue Lions Week, June 7: Monastery Life
When Dimitri asks her about a favor - not as a crown prince and one of his subjects, but as classmates, as a pair of people who've helped tutor one another in their weakpoints before - well, of course Mercedes says yes. At the very least, she's more than happy to hear Dimitri out.
That doesn't mean she isn't at least a little surprised when Dimitri takes a deep breath and asks, "Do you believe that you could use a common weed in recipes?"
Mercedes pauses, and presses a fingertip to her cheek. "Well, this is something of a surprise... I didn't think anyone in the nobility, even Faerghus nobility, would be interested in eating things like leaves." That's the kind of thing people who don't have money or titles or a reputation do. "Is this some sort of new trend that I haven't yet heard about?"
"No... It's nothing like that." Shaking his head, Dimitri crosses his arms. In the back of her mind, Mercedes decides he's pouting. "It's simply that Dedue and I are having something of a - minor disagreement."
She clasps her hands together. "Really? That's surprising to hear!"
Because if there's one thing that's certain in the world, it's how careful Dimitri and Dedue are with their friendship. Dedue agrees with Dimitri, staying by his side, and Dimitri sticks just as close, so protective that she's overheard Kingdom soldiers and knights speaking in... less than positive terms about it. (They speak a little more positively after Mercedes has very politely reminded them of the kind of love and understanding the Goddess embodies, and that they are on holy grounds.)
Even Dimitri seems to understand, sighing. "Well, it's not that unusual, although things have certainly grown quieter between us since we've started attending Garreg Mach... But, well, we are clearing out the weeds on the training grounds, like the Professor asked of us. I brought up, in a purely conversational manner, how weed can occasionally be used as food." A pause, and he purses his lips slightly. "I was not suggesting we eat the weeds right then and there," he stresses to her gently, as though his honor has been trod upon. "I was simply saying it was something that could be done."
Mercedes covers her smile with one hand, eyes sparkling in amusement. "Of course," she giggles, and bites back more of the same when Dimitri's shoulders slump like a child that knows he isn't being believed. "And so now you want to prove him wrong?"
"If he is going to tease me so terribly about it, then it is really the only course of option," Dimitri says with a nod. He sounds so terribly serious about it as well. "However, I am not much of a chef, or a baker... I was hoping that perhaps you might have an idea on if this endeavor could be made possible."
It's a good thing that he clarifies baking is also an option, because Mercedes has never really counted herself to be a particularly great chef. For that sort of thing, she'd really have to direct him to Ashe. But there's probably a reason he came to her, and not the best archer in the Blue Lions. Pressing her fingertips together, Mercedes beams. "You know... If you show me which weeds you were talking about, I'll see what I can do!"
Thanks to the diligent work of Garreg Mach's students, there are no weeds to be found inside the grounds themselves, but that's alright. They flourish just outside of the church walls, with Dimitri able to lead her to them quicker than a heart can beat.
They're nothing special, really, and there's a comforting familiarity in that. Just a sturdy little flower kind of thing that determinedly grows wherever it can. Sometimes that just means on holy grounds, or in the way of everyone's feet as they try to practice wielding a weapon. Certainly they're plentiful outside of the church, which explains why they keep getting in so easily too. This works out perfectly for them. In no time at all, they have a basket absolutely full of the stuff, and can slip inside back to the dining hall.
"You can add this to shortbread, and it's a rather nice snack," she tells Dimitri as the two of them get to work, plucking the petals from the flower. It almost makes her feel like a little girl again, telling fortunes by which petal would fall first or last.
Hopefully their fortune for today is that Dedue likes the treats they make for him.
Dimitri is a good worker in the kitchen, so long as he has someone at his side and instructions that he can follow. Not as many things break, either. Maybe he'd be happy as a chef, Mercedes ponders while she handles the knifework, dicing up petals and rosemary alike. He seems a little more at peace as he mixes together flour and sugar, salt and Parmesan to follow. Maybe it's something he and Dedue could do together... or maybe it's something they already used to do together.
In her experience, most nobility doesn't really know how to cook well, and it takes them a little bit to adjust. Dimitri doesn't seem to have that problem, the need to have a recipe before him aside.
"I know a lot of people with the money to care about these sorts of things don't really like this plant," she says, as Dimitri gathers the leaves and stems they didn't use. The dough, combined with butter and honey, quietly chills in the cold shadows away from all the oven and stovetops. "They're sturdy, and they spread so easily while not being the kind of pretty flower people want in their gardens. But I don't mind them at all, you know." She smiles up at Dimitri. "They'll make wonderful shortbread cookies."
Dimitri smiles back at her, flour still clinging to his knuckles here and there. "I don't mind them either," he says. "But I know they can crowd other plants, like vegetables, so I can't blame Dedue for thinking of them as just weeds."
"Oh, but you'll still insist on proving him wrong in how edible they are, won't you?"
"Of course," Dimitri says, and his boyish smile makes him seem a little more his age again. Or maybe a little younger, given back the years that were stolen to him from tragedy.
That's the sort of thing Mercedes wants for herself, sometimes. She's glad that another can have it, even if only for a moment.
Actually baking the shortbread cookies takes really no time at all, and they make quite the nice sight when they're all backed away in little bags. Dedue is their prime target, of course, but Mercedes and Dimitri drops a few off with all of their close friends in the Lions house: over on the desk Annette and Ashe are using to study while Sylvain tries not to be too obviously helpful, near the stables as Ingrid brushes down her pegasus, by Felix's change of clothes as he stubbornly ignores everything else in the favor of training. The cookies aren't too sweet; hopefully he doesn't have any complaints about them.
It's only Dedue who they tell the secret ingredient to, when they finally arrive at the greenhouse with some compost material and cookies in their hands. It's hard to read his expression, as usual, but he still accepts one cookie from the extra large bag Dimitri made for him. Just a nibble, his eyes closed, before he makes a small noise of acceptance. "It is delicious, Your Highness."
Dimitri puffs up in pride. "Of course! As I said."
"Yet they are still weeds."
A laugh bursts out of Mercedes, made all the worse bay Dimitri's positively flabbergasted expression. She laughs until tears spring to her eyes, until her stomach hurts, and feels as warm as the flowers basking in the sun. Soon, they all bask in the sun as well, sharing cookies between them.
That doesn't mean she isn't at least a little surprised when Dimitri takes a deep breath and asks, "Do you believe that you could use a common weed in recipes?"
Mercedes pauses, and presses a fingertip to her cheek. "Well, this is something of a surprise... I didn't think anyone in the nobility, even Faerghus nobility, would be interested in eating things like leaves." That's the kind of thing people who don't have money or titles or a reputation do. "Is this some sort of new trend that I haven't yet heard about?"
"No... It's nothing like that." Shaking his head, Dimitri crosses his arms. In the back of her mind, Mercedes decides he's pouting. "It's simply that Dedue and I are having something of a - minor disagreement."
She clasps her hands together. "Really? That's surprising to hear!"
Because if there's one thing that's certain in the world, it's how careful Dimitri and Dedue are with their friendship. Dedue agrees with Dimitri, staying by his side, and Dimitri sticks just as close, so protective that she's overheard Kingdom soldiers and knights speaking in... less than positive terms about it. (They speak a little more positively after Mercedes has very politely reminded them of the kind of love and understanding the Goddess embodies, and that they are on holy grounds.)
Even Dimitri seems to understand, sighing. "Well, it's not that unusual, although things have certainly grown quieter between us since we've started attending Garreg Mach... But, well, we are clearing out the weeds on the training grounds, like the Professor asked of us. I brought up, in a purely conversational manner, how weed can occasionally be used as food." A pause, and he purses his lips slightly. "I was not suggesting we eat the weeds right then and there," he stresses to her gently, as though his honor has been trod upon. "I was simply saying it was something that could be done."
Mercedes covers her smile with one hand, eyes sparkling in amusement. "Of course," she giggles, and bites back more of the same when Dimitri's shoulders slump like a child that knows he isn't being believed. "And so now you want to prove him wrong?"
"If he is going to tease me so terribly about it, then it is really the only course of option," Dimitri says with a nod. He sounds so terribly serious about it as well. "However, I am not much of a chef, or a baker... I was hoping that perhaps you might have an idea on if this endeavor could be made possible."
It's a good thing that he clarifies baking is also an option, because Mercedes has never really counted herself to be a particularly great chef. For that sort of thing, she'd really have to direct him to Ashe. But there's probably a reason he came to her, and not the best archer in the Blue Lions. Pressing her fingertips together, Mercedes beams. "You know... If you show me which weeds you were talking about, I'll see what I can do!"
Thanks to the diligent work of Garreg Mach's students, there are no weeds to be found inside the grounds themselves, but that's alright. They flourish just outside of the church walls, with Dimitri able to lead her to them quicker than a heart can beat.
They're nothing special, really, and there's a comforting familiarity in that. Just a sturdy little flower kind of thing that determinedly grows wherever it can. Sometimes that just means on holy grounds, or in the way of everyone's feet as they try to practice wielding a weapon. Certainly they're plentiful outside of the church, which explains why they keep getting in so easily too. This works out perfectly for them. In no time at all, they have a basket absolutely full of the stuff, and can slip inside back to the dining hall.
"You can add this to shortbread, and it's a rather nice snack," she tells Dimitri as the two of them get to work, plucking the petals from the flower. It almost makes her feel like a little girl again, telling fortunes by which petal would fall first or last.
Hopefully their fortune for today is that Dedue likes the treats they make for him.
Dimitri is a good worker in the kitchen, so long as he has someone at his side and instructions that he can follow. Not as many things break, either. Maybe he'd be happy as a chef, Mercedes ponders while she handles the knifework, dicing up petals and rosemary alike. He seems a little more at peace as he mixes together flour and sugar, salt and Parmesan to follow. Maybe it's something he and Dedue could do together... or maybe it's something they already used to do together.
In her experience, most nobility doesn't really know how to cook well, and it takes them a little bit to adjust. Dimitri doesn't seem to have that problem, the need to have a recipe before him aside.
"I know a lot of people with the money to care about these sorts of things don't really like this plant," she says, as Dimitri gathers the leaves and stems they didn't use. The dough, combined with butter and honey, quietly chills in the cold shadows away from all the oven and stovetops. "They're sturdy, and they spread so easily while not being the kind of pretty flower people want in their gardens. But I don't mind them at all, you know." She smiles up at Dimitri. "They'll make wonderful shortbread cookies."
Dimitri smiles back at her, flour still clinging to his knuckles here and there. "I don't mind them either," he says. "But I know they can crowd other plants, like vegetables, so I can't blame Dedue for thinking of them as just weeds."
"Oh, but you'll still insist on proving him wrong in how edible they are, won't you?"
"Of course," Dimitri says, and his boyish smile makes him seem a little more his age again. Or maybe a little younger, given back the years that were stolen to him from tragedy.
That's the sort of thing Mercedes wants for herself, sometimes. She's glad that another can have it, even if only for a moment.
Actually baking the shortbread cookies takes really no time at all, and they make quite the nice sight when they're all backed away in little bags. Dedue is their prime target, of course, but Mercedes and Dimitri drops a few off with all of their close friends in the Lions house: over on the desk Annette and Ashe are using to study while Sylvain tries not to be too obviously helpful, near the stables as Ingrid brushes down her pegasus, by Felix's change of clothes as he stubbornly ignores everything else in the favor of training. The cookies aren't too sweet; hopefully he doesn't have any complaints about them.
It's only Dedue who they tell the secret ingredient to, when they finally arrive at the greenhouse with some compost material and cookies in their hands. It's hard to read his expression, as usual, but he still accepts one cookie from the extra large bag Dimitri made for him. Just a nibble, his eyes closed, before he makes a small noise of acceptance. "It is delicious, Your Highness."
Dimitri puffs up in pride. "Of course! As I said."
"Yet they are still weeds."
A laugh bursts out of Mercedes, made all the worse bay Dimitri's positively flabbergasted expression. She laughs until tears spring to her eyes, until her stomach hurts, and feels as warm as the flowers basking in the sun. Soon, they all bask in the sun as well, sharing cookies between them.