The Guardian Chef

***(Bassilla's POV)***

The wind blows caressing the delicate petals of the flowers and carries their sweet scent. The cloudless blue sky allows the sun to shine on those flowers I love so much. I remember it.

This is the place I've always loved since I was a child. The place our family used to go on those rare times when we could spend time together. Our secret place where we could act like a normal family.

"Hahaha!"

"Now I'll get you!"

The voices of two children. A voice that is nostalgic and at the same time, it is not. I turned to where they came from and saw them. Even if they looked like that, I can't forget any of them: my father is playing with my little sister while my mother looks after my little brother, in the shade of a tree. My brother Valerico and my sister Cordelia play chasing each other.

"Dad! Mom!"

Next to me, another little girl passes by holding wreaths in her hand and walking towards my father. I saw him smile as he looked at the newcomer. Once in front of them, the little girl raised one of the wreaths and placed it on my father's head then did the same with my mother, receiving a caress from him and a kiss on the cheek from her.

The little girl turned to me... no, I turned to myself.

"How long do you want to continue?" she asked

That colored world suddenly turned gray and the little girl in front of me grew to be an exact copy of me. She was gray, tired, and in pain.

"Do you want to continue suffering?"

Behind her, another memory appeared. In the center of a large space, there is a small closed coffin with white flowers resting on it. I saw my mother in tears, leaning on that little coffin as my father held her and could barely restrain himself. My brother and sisters were there too... I was there... in tears. The funeral of my younger brother Fulvio.

He died of an illness... and now it seems to be my turn.

"The illness prevents you from doing what you want." said my gray copy at my side "What is it you want?"

I want to get out of the castle. I've always wanted a normal life and to go to school. Meeting new people and maybe, finding love.

“But the disease prevented you. It stole everything from you. Your dreams, your desires... even your brother." she turned to me "Why continue to suffer?"

Yeah. Why? I've always wondered. What's the use of the life it's making me live? What good is it if I can't live life?

"You're tired, aren't you?"

Yes, I am tired. Still, I don't want to leave this world.

"Why not?"

Because my family would be sad

"Do you think that?"

She's right. My family has always supported me and went out of their way to help me recover from this disease. For 10 long years... I persevered, waiting for the moment when I would be healed. But even if I was sick, I was not blind. My family was always worried about me, whenever I got sick, they were always worried because they thought my time had come.

It just doesn't make sense. It would only be a relief to them if I got it over with.

"That's right."

That gray world began to get darker and darker. I sat down clutching my legs. I felt as if someone had taken my back.

"That's it... let yourself go."

I closed my eyes. It no longer makes sense to continue. Mother, Father, Valerio, Cordelia, Atia... I believe that I will precede you. I will wait for you on the other side together with Fulvio.

I no longer felt anything and I no longer felt the other myself I have talked to so far. I feel cold... I feel darkness... I feel sleepy... is this what it feels like when you die?

"Do you want to die?"

A male voice spoke to me. As clear and warm as it is reassuring.

"Who are you?!" asked the other me. I noticed a hint of terror in her voice

"You be a good girl and step aside for a while."

I felt the snap created by the fingers and suddenly, I felt warm. An affectionate, safe, invigorating warmth. I felt like my life was burning up again. The sleepiness of a while ago began to subside. I opened my eyes: it was all white and in front of me, there was a figure... a man with golden eyes and tousled hair as blue as the night, wearing a worn cream cloak and black clothes. At that moment, he seemed like a giant to me.

"Is it your true desire to die?"

"If I left now, both I and my family would end the suffering."

"At what price?"

"Huh?"

“Are you willing to stop suffering just to make your family suffer even more? Are you willing to leave without saying goodbye? Are you willing to give up your identity just to stop suffering?"

His words were one pang in my heart after another. I was sure I was ready to leave. Of not wanting to suffer anymore. But now he's asking me those same questions, so why... why do I doubt the answers I gave to these questions?

The man held out his gloved hand to me. He wanted me to take it, to grab it. I looked into his golden eyes again... I found them beautiful. There was no hesitation, no doubt. They were the eyes of a person who has no intention of giving up anything. The eyes of someone who knows what he wants.

"Who are you?" I asked timidly

"Does it matter?" he asked "Does it matter who I am, if you don't even know whether to get up?"

'Why should I tell a dead woman my name?' that was what he meant. It makes no sense that I, who am dying, know his name. The hand he held out to me was an invitation to resume living.

Shyly, I grabbed his hand. Is very large. When he squeezed it, there was no trace of strength in his grip... it was light and delicate. Giving a sweet smile, he helped me up and when I stood up, he put his hand on my head and started stroking it.

"Good girl." then he turned to a point in this white space and continued "How about a chat?"

At that point, two sofas and a round table appeared, with sweets and tea prepared on top.

He handed me his arm and when I accepted it, he accompanied me to the side of the sofa and made me sit down. He poured a cup of tea, added milk and sugar, and after mixing it, handed me the cup.

"Ah... Thanks." I thanked taking the cup

With a smile, he gave a little nod and then poured himself a cup of... of... what is it?! The liquid that came out of the teapot was very dark brown almost black, with a strong, bitter scent. It was very different from tea

"What is that?"

"Hm? Oh! This is coffee. A drink that has not yet been discovered in this world." he began and then sat down "Or rather, I don't even know if it exists in this world." he said with a chuckle

Although slightly off-putting, I took a sip of Tea...... Is this... apple? The fruity, sweet taste of the apple slid down my throat, and despite seeing it, I didn't taste the milk. I looked at my cup and noticed: the orange-yellow of the tea that was served to me had turned into a bright red. How...

"How is it possible?" the man asked me attracting my attention “Simple because we are inside your mind. What you want becomes reality here."

"Inside... my mind?"

"Yes and no. Hahaha." he chuckled embarrassedly. “Come to think of it, it's slightly more complicated. Let's say this is a place where our minds come together and we can both make our will come true."

"I-I understand..." I didn't understand anything!

“Hahahaha! Well, it doesn't matter at the moment." he chuckled as he took a sip of coffee

Suddenly, the white world around us turned tinted and I found myself back in that flowery field. However, there was something different. I could smell the scent of flowers and the breeze of the wind, as well as the singing of birds and the rustle of grass...

"A nice place." the man began looking around "Does this place exist in the real world?"

"Y-yes." I replied agitated "This place is located near the royal palace and is a place wanted by my great-great-grandfather to be able to spend time with his family"

"Hou." he exclaimed interested "You just had a lot of good times here."

"Yes... the most beautiful of my life..."

From that simple question, we started talking. I told him about my short life, about what I like, what I don't like, about my admiration for my family, and much more. I don't know him, yet it comes naturally to me to talk to him and he too, told me about his life.

After that long chat, that relaxed atmosphere that had suddenly created itself changed. He became serious and I began to feel some tension.

“Why do you want to die?... Wait, I reformulate. Why do you think you want to die?"

"Huh?"

His question is... strange. I don't want to die, but do I think I want to die? Why do you think this? Why this question? After all I...

"...I want to live."

"Hou." he exclaimed leaning his back against the backrest "So why did you tell me you don't want to suffer anymore?"

"Because I'm weak." I looked down when I said this “I've always been weak. I've been weak ever since my little brother died. And the culmination was this disease."

"So what?" his question made me lift my head "What's wrong with being weak?"

"I'm... I'm a burden..."

"For who? For what?"

"For my family... for my beloved big sister, for my mother, my father, my big brother, and my little sister."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I know it is."

"Have you ever asked them?" leaning his elbows on the table and joining his hands, he reached out to me "Have you ever looked them in the eye and asked them?"

"No... but I'm sure..."

“Then it's a lie. Yours lie." his tone was harsh “You are telling yourself lies, an excuse just because someone or something convinced you of this. Are you weak? It is a lie. Are you a burden for your family? It's a lie. Have you no reason to live? You have dozens of reasons to live."

"But..."

"Don't accept it!" the man suddenly snapped “Don't listen to what is killing you! Listen to what your heart says!"

"My heart?"

“We are all weak. I am weak... I am full of weaknesses... but I don't accept that I am what I am and that that, is what I'm doomed to be!" he began pointing to him “I'm fighting...  I'm always fighting, I'm struggling and kicking at those weaknesses, to change them. To stop them! Sometimes I win... sometimes I don't. And yet, every day I get back up to move forward... to overcome those weaknesses as I strive to be just a little bit better..."

I don't know for what reason. His words inflamed my heart... my whole body began to tremble with excitement. I don't know what was going on, but every single word of his was destroying any belief that I believed was true.

The figure of that man screaming at me for being weak, I found him proud and reassuring.

“Do you want to give it up to this... disease? Do you want to accept your weaknesses?"

".........No"

"I did not hear you." his face was very close to mine "Do you accept them?"

My face felt warm. Apart from my family, no one had come that close to me. Feeling a little ashamed, I turned my head away, but his hand took my chin and forced me to look at him. His expression looked furious, but his eyes weren't.

"Look me in the eye and answer me." he began in a calm tone "Do you want to die?"

"... no... No... NO!" I yelled “I WANT TO LIVE! I WANT TO SEE THE WORLD OUTSIDE THESE WALLS! I WANT TO FALL IN LOVE! I WANT TO SEE MY NIECE, NEPHEW AND MY CHILDREN GROW! I WANT TO LIVE!!!"

That scream... those statements of mine... had exploded inside me. I jumped up when I screamed and felt like I was just born.

The man took a step back. He smiled. It wasn't a polite smile, there was no satisfaction or falsity. It was a sincere and happy smile.

*Tu-thump*!

My face felt even warmer and suddenly, just looking into his eyes made me... happy. This man that I don't know... made my heart beat so hard that at any moment, I thought it would explode.

"So you wanna live huh?" he began by standing in front of me and pointing to me “Then prove it. Not to me, not to your family, not to your kingdom, not even to Aphy. Prove to yourself that you want to live. Face it. Face what ails you and defeat it."

That colorful world began to disappear and slowly became gray, dark again.

Hearing footsteps, I turned around and saw my gray self again. She was expressionless but for some reason, I sensed fear coming from her. When I turned around again, the man was still there and with a nod of his head, he told me to go and face her.

"Will you watch over me?"

"I have no intention to leave." he said leaning against an invisible wall "I want to see with my eyes the moment when you will come out victorious or defeated."

He pointed to me again. Or rather pointed to my heart.

“I will not intervene because this is your battle. Everything that happens will be a consequence of your choices... a consequence of your feelings."

It all depends on me. As he said, I decide on my future. I decide if I am weak or not... I decide whether to continue suffering or to defeat this disease.

I started to turn around but stopped.

"Your name..."

"Hm?"

"I don't even know your name..."

“Ah. Forgive me. My name is..."

***(Graeval's POV)***

"... Graeval?" Lilith called me noticing that I was back "How did it go?"

Opening my eyes, I walked away from princess Bassilla who was still sleeping peacefully.

Due to the situation of before, I couldn't dwell on these details but I must admit: Bassilla is a beautiful girl, with long light blue hair typical of the royal family, the oval face is delicate and looks like it was modeled by an artist, with a weak body from the time spent fighting the curse, but that retains her fresh femininity. Maybe, in a few years she could compete with Lilith's beauty, but in my eyes... I turned to my wife, who was looking at me with a questioning expression Lilith will remain the most beautiful woman in the universe. I thought, smiling.

"Then?" Sarity urgently asked me “How is her highness? And the curse?"

Lilith knew from my smile how it had gone. She took my hand and although Sarity was there, she raised the iron mask to cover our faces as we kissed. When she parted her lips from mine she said softly

"You did well."

Taking from her the mask, I put it on, and then I opened a portal that would lead us to an isolated alley near the inn where we are staying. Lilith raised her hood again to cover her face and gently took my hand.

Before going through the portal, I turned to my childhood friend who insisted on knowing what the conditions of her highness Bassilla were.

"Tell her family, that her highness Bassilla is a strong girl."

"What do you mean by that?!"

"Who knows...?!" I smiled as I turned