The Seaglass Lounge wasn't just a guesthouse—it was a statement.
Its wide doors opened to a rush of cool air tinged with salt, the floor polished so smooth it almost reflected the sea outside. Pale blue walls faded into white ceilings, like foam meeting sky. Balconies opened directly to the cove, where moonlight danced over the water in broken ribbons.
On the low table near the sitting cushions sat a woven basket tied with green ribbon. Marron set her bag down and peered inside.
Three small parcels of chocolate disks lay wrapped in palm leaf paper—one milk, one dark, one white. A small cluster of sea grapes glistened like deep green pearls, still on their curling stems. Nestled at the back was a slender bottle of wine so deep in color it looked almost black.
She read the label aloud, voice catching slightly:
"Prepared from blueberries grown in Snakewater Cove. Aged in caskets found in the Royal Palace cellar."
"Blueberry wine," Mokko mused, setting the cart brake before joining her. "Never had that before."
"Neither have I," Marron said, picking a sea grape. She popped it into her mouth—and immediately paused.
The burst of juice was sweet at first, but it carried a faint, surprising saltiness, like it had absorbed the ocean air. "Oh. These are…different," she murmured, offering one to Lucy.
The slime absorbed it happily, humming. "Tastes like the sea."
Marron smiled. "That's exactly it."
+
Snakewater Cove grew fields of bright red poppies for their flowers and tossed the seeds aside after replanting. No one had thought to use them for food.
The next morning, she walked into the vast snakekin gardens and asked a florist if she could take some of the poppy seeds. There were three of them, busily replanting, watering, and fertilizing the rich red poppies.
But when they heard her request, all three stopped what they were doing.
"Whatever for?"
"I wanted to cook with them."
One of the snakekin florists laughed. "You want to cook these? They aren't so appetizing, but...sure. We always have more than we need."
The second florist handed her two small pouches. "You don't even have to trade us anything. Taking them away is enough payment."
"Are you going to start your own poppy garden?" the third snakekin asked, curious.
"No," Marron said with a little grin, "I'm going to make them delicious."
The florists looked at her like she'd lost her mind, but said nothing. This girl was a guest at the Seaglass Lounge, and they'd heard the Queen speak about her.
As Marron left, she overheard the tallest snakekin.
"Well...if she did manage to make something out of them, how about we visit her stall and try it?"
Thank you. One chance is all I need!
+
The magic scroll vendor was already setting out his wares when she arrived. His stall smelled faintly of old paper and sun-bleached rope.
"I'd like to show you something," Marron said, pulling her mixing bowls from the cart. The man raised a scaled brow but didn't object.
"All right. This is for the wood-smoked pork recipe, yes?"
"Yes," Marron said, a little breathless. "I'll show you something that can be made with poppy seeds."
She zested fresh Snakewater lemons, their bright scent curling into the air like sunlight itself. She whisked them into butter and sugar, folded in flour, eggs, and the poppy seeds. As the batter thickened, the seeds speckled the pale yellow like tiny ink drops on parchment.
The cake baked in her portable oven until the crust turned golden.
Perfection. The smell of citrus and cake had already attracted a small crowd of snakekin, wondering what she was doing.
"Those speckles in the yellow cake...are they...?"
"Did she make this man a cake using poppy seeds?"
"...you can cook them?!"
Marron smiled. "Yes, you can cook with them. Here," She cut a slice, the crumb soft and fragrant, and offered it to the vendor. "in exchange for the wood-smoked pork scroll."
Aware of their small audience, the merchant accepted the plate of soft yellow cake. "Mm. We shall see about that."
He took one bite and stopped moving.
Then his forked tongue flicked against the rest of the cake. "Mmm...it really does have the poppies. They aren't just for show. And not bitter either."
He took another bite, but swallowed slowly, as if he were savoring the flavor.
Then he looked at her with genuine astonishment.
"You made this from…throwaway seeds?"
"Yes. And lemons you already grow."
A long pause. Then he ducked under his stall and came back with the brittle parchment, rolling it carefully before handing it to her. "This is a worthy trade. With this, we can use up the seeds we normally throw away."
Ding!
[Cooking Knowledge +5]
[New Recipe Acquired: Wood-Smoked Pork]
[Snakekin Reputation +10]
After that exchange, Marron and Mokko traded slices of lemon poppy seed cake for various fruits. One of the snakekin even offered fish eggs--a jar of bright orange-colored spheres covered with cloth and twine.
The fresh assortment of food never failed to make Marron smile.
"I can't wait to see what we can make from these."
+
Back at the Seaglass Lounge, Marron cleared the welcome basket from the table and set the scroll down with both hands. The parchment was thin, almost fragile. She eased it open, the ink faded but still legible.
The recipe called for some...unusual practices.
Moonlight smoking cycles.
Cliffside oak wood.
Salt curing in phases timed to the tides.
And the handwriting—measured, deliberate, ceremonial. It tugged at something in her memory.
She copied every detail into her notebook, tracing the letters once before setting it aside.
+
That night, by lamplight, Marron wrote:
Lord Jackal,I've acquired a recipe worth uniting two tables—the wood-smoked pork of Snakewater Cove. My plan is to combine it with apples and pastry into sausage apple rolls. Something both clans can claim as theirs.
The Queen says you are the best cook in Whisperwind—and that your sausages have never been matched.
I think you should prove her right.
She sealed the letter with melted sugar and sent it off with a snakekin courier before she could overthink it.
+
Two tides later, the courier returned with a small crate. Inside, wrapped in linen, lay coils of perfectly cured sausage, their smoky scent curling into the air like a promise.
The note read:
Since she told you my secret, I'll tell you hers—she makes fruit-flavored wine, and she's the best at it.
The sausages you now hold have been curing in my cellar for months.
Use them well.
Marron's hands tightened around the crate. Between the Queen's orchards and the Lord Jackal's cellars, she had the heart of both worlds in her kitchen now.
Ding!
[Key Ingredients Obtained: Whisperwind Sausage + Snakewater Apples]
[Special Recipe Unlocked: Sausage Apple Rolls]