Dignity. Control. Restraint.
These were things I would never have with my Fae co-workers. Daily, they pushed me to the limits of my patience and it would take all my self-control to not lose my mind in anger. Anger was too amorphous: it clouded one's thinking and made it difficult to make the right decisions, whatever they were, anyway.
Fae were fluttering about me, not working, but gossiping excitedly, but what did I expect? Lady Uma's Food Palace's main kitchen was always like this: filled with Fae who lazied more than worked. It seemed that I was the exception to the rule. I and one other human, that is.
Having gotten this job, I was determined to keep it. I've done even more strenuous work for less and this was a job I hoped to do till I retired, as laughable as that sounds. Work did not come easy; not for humans in a predominantly Fae Boulevard. It got tiring having to combine three persons' jobs-because most of the Fae kitchen help were usually more interested in gawking at some nobleman than work- but I had to make do.
"Lilac, now would be a good time to pass me the rosemary," I said, my slight frame over a steaming pot of soup.
"On it."
I waited. Nothing.
And then I turned. About four Fae girls were gathered around a small bracelet of emerald stone on a countertop. The closer I got to their group, the more I could see the light bounce of it and make it release a small sheen.
"It may be fake. Imitations travel quickly across the kingdom these days."
"It has to be real."
"Did you get it from a nobleman?"
"Aye. Look."
The girls turned in the direction Keira pointed, through the slightly open door and I saw the supposed gifter of the jewel: some nobleman across the far front counter who sat with another nobleman of equal age, as they discussed over wine and a full bronzed turkey.
"Oh. He's a little old," Lilac said then.
"Father of two," Keira replied. "They're still young. Just little children."
"Urgh. He is married then?" Lilac said again.
"I don't mind being a mistress, if I were you," Zephyr said dreamily. "You will be set for life. You won't slave under her royal snobness, Lady Uma, for a single minute!"
I wondered whether I should interrupt their conversation now. There was work to be done.
"I have dignity," Keira said then. "I won't let a married man court me."
"Return the gift," Zephyr taunted.
"I won't. It's mine."
"There goes your dignity," Evrin responded.
"Ahhh...to be a nobleman's mistress," Lilac said then.
"Or one of the Emperor's rouées," Zephyr said excitedly. " A life of pure luxury."
"Don't cast your hopes too high. You might never reach them and might crash to a depth your wings cannot brace you for."
"You're cruel, Evrin."
"Realistic, my dear."
The Emperor's Rouées were a few Fae women who served the pleasure needs of the Emperor: the royal courtesans who satisfied the Emperor whenever called upon. They lived in the Imperial Palace and enjoyed a host of benefits, including high stations and a fat allowance. They were however not to conceive for the emperor and so their tubes were tied off. They were Fae and so lowly to the Elves and should not even dream of birthing the heir to the Elven throne. The heir would come from an Elf and most probably, a princess from one of the neighboring kingdoms or some noble woman elf.
I knew all of this. This was not the first time there would be this discussion in the kitchen. I resented everything about the Emperor and the Elves but I never said so- that would be sedition and seriously punishable by the Elven laws- and so once again, I was going to have to tolerate another discussion on the Emperor...or not.
"Lady Uma, when did you get here?" I said loudly.
Wings flapped and obscured my vision as the girls separated, flying quickly back to their stations.
Having separated, blue and purple and golden hair shaking in the air, they turned to look at me who stood quietly, a guilty smile on my face.
"The food needs serving and I'm still waiting for the rosemary, Lilac. It's at the topmost shelf and I would not have bothered you, but I'm flightless, you see-"
The girls blinked, looking behind me and seeing no one- especially, Lady Uma, our employer.
"Avril, you-" Keira was barrelling toward me, her thin, arched brows furrowed in anger when the door that connected the huge kitchen to the main dining hall opened.
"Who wants to lay a hand on Avril and why?"
Sage entered. She was the only other human who worked for Lady Uma. She stood up for me like an older sister would even though we were practically the same age: I was two decades old and she had two more years added to that. She had been here longer than I and many of the girls had.
"She just lied to us that the Lady was around, how dare she?" Keira asked. "She tricked us."
"I did hear the Lady leave her private cubicle on my way here and so I suggest you get back to work. She might head here and heaven knows she will not like all the orders lying around. Our patrons are hungry!"
Keira burned daggers into me, angry somewhat that I had taken the attention from her and the jewel which was gifted to her by her noble man admirer.
"Keira," Sage said then, "get back to work. Are you still furious? Can you really stay cross at this little creature?"
I was this little creature.
And I resented that description.
"You're only a few inches taller," I told Sage as Keira grabbed a tray and gathered up some orders. "Don't feel so smug."
"I don't look defenseless and weak, at least," Sage replied. "You looked like you would cry when Keira was coming at you."
"I did not!...But angry Fae are scary," I admitted.
"Run along, little one, your brew is burning," Sage said.
I resented that too, but then I rushed to the sizzling broth and dashed for a spoon hastily.
Lilac fluttered down from the tower shelf above the kitchen area with a jar of dried rosemary leaves in her hand. She tsk-ed as she watched me bring down the pot. "You just burned today's special."
"It's redeemable," I said.
"You would not mind if I let the Lady know then?"
There was a warning in my gaze. "I ask you not to. She will overreact like she always does."
"Make it worth my while," Lilac said as she shrugged, her purple hair moving with the motion.
"I don't have anything you might want. I haven't even received my coins for this month."
Lilac reached for my hair and unrolled it from its hair pin. The pin was crystal and dotted with about five small sapphire stones. It was the only thing of worth I had-and that too, little worth-and she wanted it.
I snatched it back. "I cannot give you that."
"It is only a hairpin," Lilac said, irritatedly.
"It's the only thing I have from my parents, whoever they are-" I said.
"Why are you so touchy about this hairpin?" Lilac asked then. "You never let it out of your sight. You don't even let anyone look at it."
"Let it go," I snapped.
"It is quite worthless anyways," Lilac said. "Those tiny blue stones are most probably fake, and not sapphire."
Lilac turned to go, and then quickly, she turned back and snatched the pin from my hand and made to fly up with it, but then I grabbed onto her leg, stopping her. We struggled like this: she trying to flutter away and I, restricting her until I finally pushed her down and grabbed the pin from her hand. She dove for me when I heard a familiar voice.
"What is the meaning of this nonsense?" Lady Uma said in all her plump, elite Fae glory. "Why you good-for-nothing girls will get it today for turning my kitchen into a fighting arena. Are you turned gladiators now? How dare you?"
"Avril burned the special," Lilac gushed then, pointing a finger at me.
Lady Uma's gaze moved from the charred food remains in the deep pan to look at my face.