[ She clucks a little thing, pushing the melting butter around the pan, amongst the syrups and honey, stirring it together, into one thick rich syrup. ] You most definitely will not find it a gift at all by the time I've put you to work.

[ It's not - much. It's tiny steps, as little as anyone could give, but for her - her and pride and the way she never did learn how to forgive, it is everything. He could take it or leave it as it stood. Take this as just a brief moment, and look no more into it.

His question though gets a dismissive flick of her hand, it is certainly nothing she learned here. ]

Shingada Pithacha Sheera. [ She says it carefully, so he could follow along with the words. ] It is a sweet from my home. All women learn to cook when they marry, and it no different whether you a queen or a - [ pauses on the word to switch across. ] - of the lowest caste. It was one of my husband's favourites. When we married, I was quite young and had spent most of my childhood playing rather than learning such things, but it was the first thing I learned how to cook for him.

[ A warm memory, drawn up just the same as it had been for her. Of a different time, a different place. Where she was devoted only and wholly to such pieces of contentment. ]