Seeing the nobleman burst out of the servants' entrance nearly sent the kitchen boy into a panic. He had only been working in the castle a couple of days and had no idea that the nobility would ever use the tunnels.
Should he bow? The tray of food in his hand might clatter the ground. Already his knees were shaking from being startled.
"Carry on," the page boy stepped aside, holding back the swinging door for the servant to pass by.
Gulping, the boy nodded his head and entered the passage, trying not to turn his back on the nobleman or his servant.
Rose averted her gaze to alleviate as much of the young man's discomfort as she could before hurrying onto the landing.
'Of all the places to end up…' Rose fanned her face. 'At least it smells good.'
Heat funneled in through the kitchen and down the hall, bringing with it the smell of all kinds of delicious goodies.
The princess realized just how hungry she was. When was the last time she had eaten? Time had gone very quickly since she had awoken. No wonder she was feeling lightheaded!
"Can I help you?" Someone peered out of the kitchen.
Rose managed to duck behind the pillar before the voice manifested into one of the cooks. She eyed the pageboy carefully.
"Yes, actually," Caitlyn cleared her throat. "You see…I ,um, do not seem to be a good fit as an errand boy. My, uh, bum leg won't let me move as quickly as I'd like." The brunette tapped her left leg twice.
The cook furrowed her brow. Clearly she did not like where this was going. Why should she care about a washed-out page boy?
Caitlyn tried to recover quickly, "But I'm a hard worker! That is why they did not dismiss me outright. I was told to come here and see if the kitchen might be in need of another hand."
The cook called to another. A large man in a formerly white apron came and poked his head out into the hall.
Looking at the spry pageboy, he wiped his hands and scowled. "Will your pay be coming out of the kitchen's allowance?"
Caitlyn was unsure of how the funding in the castle worked, but it would make sense that any of the kitchen staff would be paid from their allotted amount. However, she suspected that the head cook would either turn her out as soon as she said yes—leaving Rose alone and hiding, or begin to haggle a fair wage, which would delay her more than Caitlyn was willing.
"No, Master Chef. I was hired by the general fund of the palace so I believe that should remain the same no matter where I work," Caitlyn had no idea if there was a general fund and neither did the burly man.
He shrugged. "I'm not saying no to free labor. Get changed and we will put you to work."
The female cook smacked her lips in approval. She hoped the boy was as hard working as he claimed.
"Over there," the woman pointed her spoon towards a closet. "Don't harass the ladies and do as you are told. Come back as soon as you have changed." The woman did not wait for an answer, for which Caitlyn was very grateful.
The brunette's voice had cracked more than once in the exchange, and she wasn't sure how much longer the facade would hold. Turning back to where the princess had hidden, Caitlyn realized that Rose had managed to slip into the robing room unseen.
The lady followed after her mistress. The room, shielded by a curtain, was filled with a myriad of uniforms and aprons.
"Are you in here?" Caitlyn whispered, knowing that anything louder would likely be heard.
From the racks of clothes, Rose emerged in a hastily donned server's uniform. It fit much better than Ethyn's clothes and had a kerchief to hide Rose's long blond hair. The princess was hastily braiding the golden strands to tie up under the headscarf.
The make-up Rose had donned to look more masculine had been rubbed and smudged, giving the princess a dirty complexion. 'Get changed,' Rose mouthed.
Caitlyn shook off her daze at the princess's transformation and scanned the racks. The lady changed to match her mistress as the noises of the kitchen continued to fill the air.
Pulling back the curtain, Caitlyn suddenly took a step backwards into Rose. The princess yelped, but covered her mouth as soon as she saw the cause of the sudden movement.
The servant from the stairs was bringing back the tray of food which had been meant for Rose. The chances that the girl would recognize the ladies in their altered form was not necessarily high, but it was certainly a possibility.
"Suze! What took you so long? And what are you doing coming back with that blasted tray full?" a voice boomed.
Suze shrank back slightly. "Sorry, Boss. The princess was not in her room, and I couldn't find her. She doesn't seem to be in any of her usual places."
Boss sighed. "Nothing to be done about it. I'll be done with the king's tea in a moment. I have to brew the medicine and then you can take it up to him. I trust you'll actually be able to accomplish that."
The head cook did not really sound angry. He must have been used to the royals' confusing eating habits. Maybe he figured Rose had eaten somewhere else in the palace where he had already sent food.
"I will get it done with bells on," Suze promised.
"There's my girl," the cook approved. He began to hum as he worked.
Rose felt that something important had been said. It tingled in the back of her brain like a limb that was coming back from slumber. Unfortunately, she did not have time for it to fully awaken.
"Here ya go, Suze. Tea brewed exactly to the doctor's orders. Take good care of this for the king." The cook's gruff voice seemed quite gentle when he spoke about his creations.
Suze began to answer him when another group passed the robing room and entered the kitchen. Soldiers.
"All staff are ta report ta da throne room. Da king has an announcement dat he wants everyone ta hear," one soldier said as he motioned everyone out of the room.
Rather than question, the staff seemed overly eager to comply. Were they afraid of the soldiers or excited by the prospect of going to the throne room?
A large number of workers filed out of the kitchen and down the hall. "Anyone else here?" a soldier asked the cook.
Seeing no reason to lie, the cook shrugged. "Just the new hire in the robing room," he answered blandly as he left without bothering to look back.
Hearing the head cook's words, Rose ducked into the clothing racks. She motioned for Caitlyn to follow. But the lady in waiting could not.
If no one were immediately found, it was likely that the soldier would go rifling through the clothing and find them both. Caitlyn would protect her mistress.
Fortunately the cook had not indicated that the new hire was supposed to be male, so when the man pulled back the curtain and saw Caitlyn dressed as a serving maid, he did not seem surprised.
"Everyone is required in da throne room," he repeated the other soldier's words.
Curtsying, Caitlyn emerged timidly from the robing room and joined the group. Soon enough the kitchen was entirely devoid of people.
Rose was alone.
When she was sure the coast was clear, the princess ducked into the kitchen and grabbed the tea and tray. She didn't have a solid plan as she looked down at the steaming liquid. All she knew was...
She was running out of time.