Silver Star
Outfit: Summer Fit
Equipment: Lightsaber, Bracelet, Earrings, Seer Stone, Engagement Ring
Companion: Isari
Tag:
Tigris Aphra
By the time the sun dipped low over the Eshan horizon and the silver grasses outside turned dusky violet, the Vale homestead was transformed into something magical.
Inside, the living area glowed with soft lamplight and warmth from the hearth. The table — usually modest and rustic — had been stretched and covered with a fine embroidered cloth. And atop it sat a feast worthy of legends.
There were golden roasted root vegetables glazed with honeyed spice, glistening in earthenware dishes. A deep green stew of nettles, pulses, and mountain herbs simmered gently in a wide pot, its steam fragrant with garlic and crushed lemon seed. Paper-thin flatbreads brushed with rosemary oil were stacked high beside bowls of beet hummus and smoked aubergine dip.
Stuffed pastry parcels filled with warm spiced lentils and crushed nuts gleamed with a brushed glaze; bundles of pickled greens wrapped around seasoned rice and dried fruit were arranged like little flower buds, sprinkled with toasted sesame. Nearby, a tray of blistered cherry tomatoes, caramelised onions, and soft herbed cheese lay nestled atop a puffed tart crust, the aroma intoxicating.
Freshly churned butter in carved bowls sat beside braided seed bread still warm from the oven, and there was soup — three kinds: a creamy parsnip and white pepper, a fire-roasted red pepper bisque with a citrus swirl, and a wild mushroom broth rich with umami, floating with golden dumplings.
At the centre of it all was a glistening tower of layered vegetable terrine: alternating slices of charred squash, roasted eggplant, sun-dried tomato, and soft herb cheese, garnished with edible flowers and microgreens. A small bowl of sharp, dark plum chutney accompanied it.
Mariana, cheeks flushed and apron slightly askew, bustled from one end of the table to the other, placing the final touches.
"You’ll be needing a caterer, won’t you?" she grinned, not waiting for a reply. "I’ve already started a list for the wedding. Chandra still has that cake recipe from Tessa's handfasting, and the orchard down in the valley has some fruits that would be perfect for the jams, and—"
"Mama," Eve gasped, utterly in awe. "You didn’t have to do all this…"
"Nonsense," Mariana said, waving her hand and brandishing a long-handled spoon like a general preparing for battle. "You’re engaged! Let a mother celebrate properly. Now sit, eat, and let me fuss. That’s my job."
Eve laughed, cheeks pink, and looked across the table to Tigris with a giddy grin. Their fingers brushed under the table. In the glow of firelight and laughter, Eve felt a kind of joy so full, so deep, she could barely breathe from the sheer beauty of it.
And then they feasted.
The food was not just delicious — it was healing, sacred in a way only love and family can make it. Each bite tasted of memory and home, of the promise of new beginnings. Of a wedding to come, and the life they’d build together — one golden, honeyed spoonful at a time.