Castro Pudding
The recipe for Castro Pudding, invented by a cook who worked for the Castronian king's mother-in-law, Lady Sala, became famous for nearly sparking a civil war.
Not long after the marriage of King Tokei to his distant cousin, Nalia, it became apparent that the terms between him and his new mother-in-law would not be amicable.
The first rumors of an argument between them surfaced only a week after his marriage. Although the facts of the argument were never fully confirmed, it is said that she demanded that if their first child was a daughter, she be allowed to raise her as her own. Neither the king nor his wife agreed with this, but Nalia, much calmer than her husband and knowing how to handle her mother, was not as upset as the king.
The next argument did not occur until a few months later, for Nalia, with great wisdom, had kept her husband from visiting her mother for as long as possible. However, it was a requirement that anyone related to the royal family gather for the Royal Gala, which took place at the start of every year.
That argument began in public and lasted for a full ten minutes, although what exactly it was about is still a mystery.
Nalia convinced her husband that, for the peace of the country, he and his mother-in-law should make a statement of reconciliation. This truce lasted for nearly five years, mostly because the two avoided each other whenever possible.
When their first child was born, a daughter, the king and his wife went to visit Lady Sala, having already agreed not to argue.
While there, the cook served Castro Pudding, one of Lady Sala's great prides. The king, enjoying it nearly as much as his mother-in-law, requested the recipe. She, seeing a chance to get revenge on him for not letting her have her granddaughter, told him no. The argument that ensued was loud, and not even Nalia could get the two of them to stop.
When they left, the king was furious and demanded an attack on Lady Sala's kitchens by his soldiers to seize the recipe, now feeling that her defiance would inspire others to rebel against him.
However, a servant who overheard the plan, seeing a chance to earn some coin, informed Lady Sala of the scheme. She hid the recipe and, in revenge against the king, attempted to kidnap the baby princess.
The country began to take sides—some saying that the king was a fool for getting angry over such a trivial matter, and others agreeing with the king’s perspective, in which he saw it as a challenge to his authority that might destroy his kingdom.
In the end, no lives were lost during the battle over the recipe that took place a few days later, for Queen Nalia, with great annoyance, stood in the middle of the battlefield and demanded that they stop. The king and Lady Sala refused and commanded their armies to attack, but Queen Nalia pointed out to the fighters that it was foolish to fight over a silly recipe. When the two leaders commanded the people to fight, many hesitated, and a great number left outright.
In the end, Queen Nalia told her mother that if she caused any more trouble, she would stop intervening and let her husband banish her from the country for all the chaos she was causing. She managed to convince her mother to sell the recipe to the public at an outrageous price. The king bought it after much grumbling, and even now it remains a staple in the country. The original recipe sits in the Tevell Museum in the capital of Castronia.
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