Dinner was quiet, with half the girls missing it felt empty with so many seats bare. No one seemed too eager to chat.
Still scarred from this mornings incident, I didn't dare look the princes way. Instead focusing on the hot meal in front of me that I was picking at with my fork.
Harry and Meghan were still here with their family, sitting up beside the royals with their children. They were now just going to stay at the palace until the winter festival when all the other European royals come to celebrate.
Daisy beside me was whispering excessively, to no one in particular, filling some of the silence.
I didn't take interest in her topics of choice, random fashion magazines and concerts.
"Hey, Isabelle."
A new voice called and I turned to see Princess Charlotte waving to grasp my attention.
I asked her what was going on and furrowed my brow in question. She was smiling and clearly holding in built up excitement.
She just mouthed, "Meet me after dinner."
So with that my mood lifted slightly, Charlotte's smile sending me newfound energy.
The meal was over quickly and I made my way to the princess.
"Isabelle, are you planning on doing anything for the rest of the day?" She asked, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet excitedly.
"No, why?" I said, still looking at her confused.
She took my arm and we started to head out the door, "Well I had an idea that we could do a bit of baking, you like baking don't you?"
I nodded, "Love it."
She grinned, "Wonderful, I asked the kitchen staff and they said we can have an hour to make whatever we want. See I was thinking desserts-"
"That sounds wonderful." I say and she laughs leading me off to a place I hadn't visited before, the kitchens.
Usually the staff were the only ones allowed in here, but I see they had cleared 2 work benches for us, the basic ingredients set out on the shiny silver bench tops.
"I wanted to try make cookies, I think choc chip would be nice." She says, grabbing two aprons from a rack and tossing one over to me.
I catch it, put it over my head and tie it up "I'll make some cupcakes then, vanillas a simple flavour so I can do that." I say, remembering a basic recipe that will help me do what I need to.
"Great, we don't have recipes so let's just wing it." Charlotte said, proud of her enthusiasm.
I nodded and faced my work station, familiarising myself with the equipment.
I began by preheating the oven below my bench and searching the cupboards for a cupcake tray, which I lined with patty pans.
I started my cooking by collecting my dry ingredients, flour, baking powder and salt, putting them all into a bowl.
Without turning around so not to lose focus on my baking I said to Charlotte, "How's it going over there?"
"Good." She said confidently, then adding, "I think. It's not going terribly so that's a start."
I laughed, "Awesome."
I got back to my cooking, adding butter and sugar together in a separate bowl and beating until a smooth enough consistency.
I raided the fridge and took out the carton of eggs, removing two from the box and adding them in as I whisked the mixture. We had no time for room temperature today.
I also added vanilla before turning down the speed of the beater. Adding the flour in portions I combined the mixture, also including milk to the batter.
As I was coming together I heard a yelp from Charlotte's side of the kitchen.
"You ok?" I ask as I continued to whisk.
"Yeah, fine, just got a fright from the mixer is all, I didn't know I had it on high." She said and I giggled, knowing that was something I would definitely do.
Then I divided the mixture into the patty pans and was finished with that. Putting the tray into the oven finally I knew it wouldn't take too long to bake.
I peeked over at Charlotte's bench, and she seemed to have a solid chocolate chip cookie dough coming along.
She was rolling them up to try and make cookie shapes.
"You might want to flatten them down slightly so they don't rise too much when baking." I say, pressing down one of the ball of dough on the tray.
"Thanks." She says, finishing the last bits of dough and putting them on the tray.
"I'm going to make some buttercream frosting." I say, quickly clearing my bench and grabbing the icing sugar and butter again.
"Ok. Hey, I could melt some chocolate, they could be half dipped!" Charlotte said, so proud of her idea.
In that movement I saw the enthusiasm like a kid, and I remembered she was younger than me, but it was a refreshing kind of energy, radiating off her in positive waves.
But it was cute, her passion and curiosity for simple things.
As the princess searched for some chocolate I got 2 cups of icing sugar, sifted it and set it aside.
I added 2 sticks of butter to a separate bowl and use the mixer to soften. As I mixed I added vanilla extract for flavour and blue food dye for colour.
Then I slowly added the sugar so it didn't puff in my face, although I did get some on my hands, then I finished with a touch of milk.
It came out a reasonable consistency and a nice pale blue colour. I fished through the baking supplies until I came across a piping bag and filled it with the mix.
I looked to Charlotte and she had successfully melted some milk chocolate for her cookies and was munching on a spare piece.
I could smell the cupcakes now and I looked to see they were pretty much done. So, with a pair of flower patterned oven mittens Charlotte had handed me, I took out my cupcakes from the oven.
Double and triple checking I had turned off the oven, I filled up my sink with soapy water and put in all the dirty equipment.
I then iced my cupcakes with the frosting as Charlotte got her cookies from the oven, and I heard her groan.
Her cookies had gone a lot flatter than it looked like she expected, "Too much butter." I say looking at the way they spread.
"You really know your cooking, what can't you do?" She says with a laugh, "Seriously, you can ride a horse pretty well, you're a musician, awesome with technology, fantastic when it comes to archery and you bake."
She lists off all the things on her fingers and then gives me a hug, "See, your talented enough for the both of us."
I laugh, "But you have your own talents." I say and she laughs like I'm joking.
"Clearly not cooking." She says, looking at her cookies with her hands on her hips, "But I suppose I should chocolate dip these before it hardens."
I nod and continue with my own cupcake decorating. I swirl the icing around and flick it off on the top of each cake.
Once done I choose the least appealing one to eat, also setting one aside to leave for whoever might clean up this kitchen after them.
Charlotte did something similar, putting a plate down and adding a cookie to it.
She had worked out to cover the less good looking side of each cookie with chocolate and now they looked quite tasty.
"How about we give these to the other selected? And maybe my brother might be interested in a cupcake you made." Charlotte says and I nod.
"Yeah good idea."