Live a little

Preparations for the wedding were almost complete. By this time, the Hallows had collected so much food that their larders were practically full to bursting. The wine cellar had been fully restocked with several casks of wine and mead still fermenting to be ready in time for the reception. The gardens and greenhouse were overflowing with flowers and foliage to decorate with, and the final decisions had been made on the guest list to the ceremony. Currently, Briar was getting fitted by Plague for some final alterations on their wedding attire, and his own fitting would be sometime in the coming days. But for the first time in a while, Artorias could breathe a sigh of relief and relax.

Heading down to the kitchens to find himself some breakfast, Artorias followed the pleasant aroma of cooking meats into the kitchen where he spotted a very familiar autumnal woman at the ranges and hearths, cooking her heart out. For a brief moment, Artorias just watched Lia go about her work, humming to herself as she went. She had become the Hallows' de facto chef simply out of her passion for cooking and her tenacious work in the kitchens, which had essentially become her own personal workshop. When he entered, Lia paused to greet him with a smile, which he easily returned and tipped his head to her in greeting. "Good morning, Lia." It did his heart good to see the once-slave happy and thriving in the Hallows. It reminded him of what Sirius had taught him: a slave was whatever you made of them. Artorias had freed her and given her the means to build a life all her own, and that was exactly what she had done.

Amidst his mental musings, Artorias hadn't noticed Lia pick up a strip of frying meat, then huck it backwards—straight toward his face. Amber eyes blinked, and thanks to his augmented perception, Artorias' reflexes responded with a rapid snatch of his jaws towards the airborne meat. He caught the flying bacon in his jaws, blinking in surprise as he tried to process what was happening only to find himself holding a piece of food hanging out the side of his mouth, the salty flavor of the meat hitting his tongue and making him hum in delight. Artorias flipped the food up and caught it more gracefully this time, able to get it all in his mouth and swallow it down in a couple of bites. "That's really damn good!" he said with an impressed chuckle, coming around the counters to stand beside the smaller woman and see what Lia was up to. "Is all this just for breakfast? You're cooking up a storm in here!"

"Artorias"