My hair was a disheveled mess from the freedom from a pin as well as the little fight. My pale blonde hair; silvery, dropped to my waist, short as I was.
My eyes were a dull blue in the light of the dozen lamps that illuminated the large kitchen. I moved my hand behind me to gather my hair and wind it around the hairpin, moving the hair from my dark brows, outlining my oval face. I had full but small pale pink lips and they moved quickly as I began to gush my apologies to Lady Uma while Lilac stood and watched triumphantly.
Lady Uma was infuriated and it showed in her tone. "Annoying little fly. You dare waste my food?"
"I promise it was indeliberate-"
"When is it ever deliberate?" Lady Uma thundered.
I said nothing.
"You will eat that and only that for your dinner tonight. You will not taste any other thing," Lady Uma said, giving her judgment. "And every single cost from that wasted meal will come out of your pay for the month. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Lady Uma. I do," I replied.
"Now get back to work! And if you burn one more thing, you're out tonight. On the streets. Do you hear me?"
I set to work. There were a few more dishes to be made. There were about five cooks in Lady Uma's kitchen and I was one of them. The rest of the Fae help were kitchen hands or servers or bartenders or even bakers when there were special orders. Lady Uma was a successful elite Fae woman and her establishment showed that much. She was harsh with everyone of us- I suspect that that was how she managed to keep her business afloat- but I felt she was fond of me somehow.
Not the fondness from those who saw me as slight and weak and took it upon themselves to either bully or defend me; but a sort of fondness stemming from the fact that she considered me an asset. I have heard her say once that I was her best cook- to some other Fae woman, a friend of hers.
I was not supposed to be privy to that conversation I suspected, because she screamed her lungs out when she caught me overhearing. She was fond of me, if only for that singular reason stated. She had threatened to throw me out...on the streets...eleven times this year.
Thankfully, I cooked the next meal without incident and the servers took the meals to the patrons.
Activity was slowing in the kitchen as it was growing dark already, evening already done with. The establishment would close for the night in a few hours. There were only about six Fae in the huge kitchen despite all the twelve Fae hands employed by Lady Uma- Sage and I making the total hands fourteen- the others in the main dining hall serving meals or drinks.
Sage entered the kitchen then with an empty tray which she placed on a counter. She sauntered up to my side.
"The Imperial guards shut down the bakery just opposite, earlier this evening," Sage said. "You like their bread."
I did. It was nice of her to tell me. I would miss them.
For a few years now, Sage has been as close as a friend to me ever since I came into Lady Uma's service. When I only just arrived and was the object of bullying because of my naiveté and innocent features, she had been my own personal guard. I would appreciate her for it for the time to come.
"Why would they do that?" I asked. "They are a legal business. They received a permit from the Imperial agency-" I was saying in outrage.
"Taxes," said Sage. "They have gone up and so the owners can no longer afford it. And you know that it is a human establishment- which means they pay even more. Survival of the fittest."
I did not reply, my annoyance mounting. Another reason I patronized the establishment only opposite was because it was a human establishment. It was owned by a wizened old man and run by him and his small family. I used to have to sneak in their baked goods into the employee's dorm of Lady Uma's Food Palace because the Lady did not like us patronizing the competition.
"Someone should have done something," I was saying.
"It is none of our or your business," Sage informed me. And then, an afterthought: "Uma should be happy. Better to get rid of the competition, eh?"
"They were no competition," I said. "They were just a small bakeshop. The lady shouldn't have considered them that."
"Aye. But she did." Sage turned to the door and caught sight of the Lady approaching. "Speak of the devil," she said under her breath as she rushed to get her tray and go back to the dinning hall.
Lady Uma entered the kitchen and snapped: "Cooks!"
I and Four Fae girls rushed to meet her, standing at attention before her and bowing our heads slightly.
"We have a special guest all the way from the Imperial Complex," Lady Uma announced to all five of us. "She is the head cook of the royal kitchens. We are to prepare a meal for her. I want to know who will not fail me. If I should face ignominy as a result of a poorly implemented dish, I will throw the culprit out and deny them pay for the last month. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Lady Uma," we chorused.
"Now who will it be?" Lady Uma said thoughtfully.
"My lady, I am prepared to bring your good name even more accolades. I will personally quit my job if I should fail," Eleni said then, her face brimming with utmost respect for the lady.
Lady Uma shook her head, disinterested. "Not you."
"Lady Uma, perhaps you might consider me then," another Fae cook said. Jo . "I have been with you for a very long time. As you know, your interests are my interests. I have no reason to put you to shame."
Lady Uma shook her head. "Avril!"
I did not expect her to say my name and so I flinched visibly as I pulled myself from my thoughts.
"A three-course with an exquisite stock and a full goose," Lady Uma said.
"You asked for volunteers, your ladyship, " I said quickly then."With all due respect, I did not volunteer."
If my means of survival was on the line then, it made sense to not push my luck.
"Avril..." Lady Uma said, taking a deep breath in as she pinched her nose. "Upset me one more time and you're gone...!"
...Out on the streets, I completed in thought.
Twelve times this year.
I set to work quickly and asked the other Fae cooks to get me ingredients from the tower shelves- made that way to conserve space and hold more items, but strategically putting me at a disadvantage: I had to depend on Fae to bring me sacks of flour or spices at the shelves feets and feets above me.
This meal would take the whole of two hours to prepare because of the size and complexity of the patrons. I turned my mind to the cooking to be done.