Sometime after Chapter 11. Ash

"You know, I've come to realize that baking is the most therapeutic thing I will ever do."

"Really? Don't you have access to a ton of relaxing things like massages? Or scented baths?" I giggled.

Anna rolled her eyes. "I do, but I don't like them," she replied. "Call me the spoiled queen if you will, but some luxuries just aren't meant for me."

"How befitting of a queen! You prefer the labors of the kitchen to the relaxing elements of a spa!"

The brunette stuck her tongue out at me. "Quiet, you," she teased. "You enjoy my company."

Indeed I do...

I've developed a close bond with Lady Anna ever since we met. Whenever I needed a helper in the kitchen, she was the first person I asked; even though she was the queen. I've even taken her almost like an apprentice. I loved teaching her new things about baking and watching her thrive. I was so very proud of my friend.

However, I felt like our bond was deeper than what it was on the surface.

Years ago, I had a friend who I loved as a little sister. I taught this enthusiastic little five-year-old how to bake. She learned so much in the few months that I knew her. When she left my family's inn, we promised that we would see each other again. And in Castle Ylisse, nonetheless.

I knew that the queen was that enthusiastic little five-year-old from 15 years ago.

The parallels between the two were uncanny. They had the same hair and eyes. Our five-year difference in age matched up perfectly. They were both named Anna, for goodness sake! But what really sold it for me was her baking style. 

Before I started teaching her new things, her recipes and techniques were similar to mine. Some of the things she baked were identical to my recipes. No one knows those recipes except for my family and little Anna.

The only issue was her amnesia.

Anna had no memory of her past life prior to meeting her husband. Including any memories of me. As I grew up, I kept the memory of Anna in the back of my mind. Our promise to meet again in ten years at the castle always stuck with me. Reality checks were constantly brought to my attention about the situation. This little girl probably wouldn't even remember the whole ordeal, amnesia or not.

That ten-year promise was broken, obviously, and I didn't really care at the time. Still, I always remembered.

And now she was back.

She may not remember me or what we've done together, but I could not care less. Anna was the same little girl from 15 years ago. It was only my hope that someday she would remember me. She would call me Ashie once more.

I hadn't told her about our past in fear that it would drive her away. I wanted her to genuinely remember me.

"Hey, Ash? You're lost in thought again." Anna waved her hand in front of my eyes.

I snapped out of my thoughts, cheeks flushing. "Oh, I'm sorry." I looked down at the bowl of half-mixed strawberry cake batter in my arms. "I seem to be doing that a lot, these days."

The queen smiled at me. "Don't worry about it. I do the same," she sighed. "Except Chrom always teases me about it."

My lips turned up into a grin. Anna had grown up to become a strong, confident young woman. She went through hell in order to be with the man she loved. Now, the two were happily married. Pride swelled in my heart. "Well, that's marriage for ya!"

She nudged my side. "You may be older but I'm wiser when it comes to marriage!" she laughed.

I resumed mixing the cake. "You've only been married for three months!"

"And those three months are more than you've ever had!"

I rolled my eyes. "Alas, the struggle of being a bachelorette."

Anna began to take the ingredients for the frosting out of the cupboards. "Don't worry," she quipped, "you're going to find an amazing girl who loves baking just as much as you do. You'll bond over croissant making techniques and make a whole feast of sweets for your anniversaries, only to find out she's done the same."

I laughed as my friend told the tale of my future love story. "I'm looking forward to it!" Truth be told, I did not care if my love liked to bake or not. The only thing I did care about was if she loved me and was happy. Of course, she would have to have a bit of a sweet-tooth.

I placed the cake in the oven, a wave of hot air blowing on me as I closed the door. As I stood up I saw that Anna had a sorrowful yet happy look in her eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked, crossing over to her.

My friend shrugged, flinching back as powdered sugar flew out of the mixing bowl. "It's nothing."

I laid my hand on her shoulder and gave her a look that I knew could make her open up. There's something on your mind and I'm going to figure it out, dammit.

Finally, she began to laugh, shaking my hand off. "Fine, fine. I was just thinking about how nice it'll be to teach my children how to bake, that's all."

"Oh." My heart dropped a little bit. Right, of course. What was I thinking? Of course, she and Chrom are trying to have kids. Why did I think I would have her all to myself when it came to baking? I mean, she wants a child of her own to love and raise and I want that for her, but I can't help but feel a little sad about it. I won't see her as much once she has a kid...

Now it was Anna's turn to comfort me. "Hey, don't worry," she said. "I still have a lot to learn from you. Plus, I'm sure my children would love to bake with their Auntie Ash."

My smile returned as warmth filled that jealous space in my heart. "Thank you, Anna." I bit my lip nervously. "I just want to say that I am very proud of you. You've made tremendous progress since I started teaching you. I really, truly am proud."

She smiled back, setting her mixing bowl down. "And I'm proud of you for being such a great teacher and friend." She brought me into a hug, which I gratefully returned. 

A few moments later, we separated. "Sorry to ruin the moment, but can you grab some of the food dye from the cupboard?" I giggled, scratching the back of my head.

Anna rolled her eyes and went over to the cupboard, using a stool to reach. I began to prepare the icing. "What color did you want, Ashie?"

My heart stopped.

Ashie.

Did she just call me Ashie? Did she remember something about me?!

I snapped my head over to her. "Wh-what did you just say?"

She eyed me warily. "I asked what color you wanted," she replied. "You ok, Ash?"

I shook away all of my thoughts and flickers of hope. "Y-yeah, I'm good. And red, please." I released a hearty sigh.

All I can do is wait and hope. Someday, my friend will remember me. I know it. Even if it takes 100 years. Until then, I can only continue to nurture this bond.

*****

In case I already said that you'll never see Ashie again, I was lying. I'm always lying. I'm too attached to her as much as you are. XD So little fun fact: I'm heading to band camp. Yay! *please send help* Kidding, it's fun. XD Originally, I was really stuck with this Prompt and then I decided to throw Ash in there cuz that's what I do when I have no ideas: throw a random character in there and hope for the best. It's better than killing someone off. I'm in a mood, today. XD Thank you so much for reading and look forward to reading more!

Next Prompt: July 25th - Animals

Link: https://youtu.be/evHwVpyrXds