Chapter 34: St. Nicholas, Part 3

Before either of them could speak, a sharply dressed elf woman, with long black braids and a red and green dress came out of a door in the back of the room.?She carried a silver tray with two steaming red mugs. "May I offer you some hot cocoa?" she asked, stopping next to Serendipity.

"Oh, thank you," Serendipity replied, taking the nearest mug off of the tray and raising it to her mouth carefully. She had not had hot cocoa since before her father had died, as her mother didn't allow her any sweets of any kind, and she was delighted to see there were several marshmallows floating atop the thick liquid. Taking a small sip, she closed her eyes in delight; never had she tasted such a rich, thick, chocolaty beverage. "Oh, my," she whispered before taking another sip and setting the cup down on a knitted square she could only assume was designed for such purposes.