I followed Lady Uma's brisk footsteps as she walked to the general dining hall. There was little activity at this time of the night and most of our patrons were already getting ready to leave.
Carriages pulled by horses or Pegasi, revved up just outside in the lamp-lit darkness.
I was hardly ever in the main dining hall because I did not need to come here. I worked mostly in the kitchen. Now, I studied the large hall. Its high arched roof provided enough room for Fae to flutter past without causing traffic to one another when delivering meals and drinks. The roof was high and domed, lamps lit by dragon crystal hanging at the top part, illuminating the hall.
Tables and chairs arranged in orderly fashion to reflect an ingrained classist structure filled the hall. According to the class of the patron, the tables and chairs differed in their comfort, service delivery and their arrangement and positions.
We reached the Elven woman who was the head of the royal kitchens. Her table was at a reserved area, complete with a cubicle barricade for privacy. The Elven woman was olive skinned as all elves were, but with black short hair that buzzed around her head.
She sat with two other courtly people, a man and a woman who she exchanged conversation with over their wine.
"Here she is," Lady Uma announced. "You had asked that I bring her. Any complaints you might have of the meal, you had best directed them at her."
The head of the royal kitchens turned to face us.
"Complaints?" She said, "No. The meal was scrumptious."
I let out a huge sigh of relief then. I must have lost a pound coming here, dreading a complaint.
"Then why did you ask that I bring her?" Lady Uma asked.
She, as much as I, did not know why the noble woman had invited me. If she wasn't to lash out complaints, then Lady Uma felt she should be the primary agent to be given such praise; any praise.
"I am very pleased with this establishment," the head of the royal kitchens said. "I will spread the word that in Fae Boulevard, there sits an establishment with such fantastic service. I only asked to see the cook because I wanted to give her a job offer."
"Job offer?" Lady Uma spat out thoughtlessly, it seemed, because she only just realized what she had heard seconds later when she said: "You seek to employ her? In your service? In the Royal kitchens?"
"Yes, if that is fine by you," the noble woman said.
"Why not?" Lady Uma responded. "I cannot for my own good refuse an agent of the Emperor, can I?"
"Good." The Elven woman turned to me. "My dear, you look quite...small. How old are you?"
"Two decades," I responded.
"Oh," the head of the Royal kitchens said. "You will feed and clothe well in my service, do not worry. An opportunity presents itself to you. If you take it, you stand to lift some generations after you out of certain wretchedness. You are human, correct?"
"Yes, your ladyship, "I responded.
"You are quite pale for a human," The Elven woman said.
"She has always been a bit of a freak," Lady Uma cut in then. "An oddity. I treat and feed her well, but it hardly shows. She almost always looks ill."
The head of the Royal kitchens nodded only slightly. She turned to me. "I am Lady Froya Celeste and the head of the Royal kitchens of the Imperial Palace. A spot amongst the kitchen workers has opened and I seek to replace the former who was dismissed. Would you like to take the spot?"
Now this was a trick question. Lady Froya did not of course expect me to reject her offer and yet she asked me if I wanted said offer as though I was in a position to reject it.
Lady Uma knew this assumption on the elf's part and that was why she did not dare contravene the elf.
"I'm not sure," I said then. "I have worked with Lady Uma here for some time and she has been very gracious to me. I couldn't possibly-"
"-No. Go," Lady Uma said quickly as Lady Froya's gaze turned to her when I mentioned her name. "This is a great opportunity that you should not squander on me. Will you really reject such an opportunity? "
Lady Froya turned to me. I blinked. "So it is settled then," she said. "I will be here at sunrise tomorrow, bright and early to take her with me." She stood up and those who had come with her got up too. "I will see you tomorrow. A pleasant rest to you, Uma."
"And to you dearest Lady Froya," Lady Uma said then. "Your presence in my quaint, little establishment is well-appreciated. I will wait for you to come take the girl tomorrow."
And when the Elves headed outside to their waiting Pegasi-pulled carriage, Lady Uma went after them, seeing them off.
When she was back, the establishment was already closing. The Fae girls were clearing the last of the tables and no one else but the Lady's employees were inside. Keira flipped the sign at the glass of the front door from 'Open' to 'close.'
Lady Uma slammed the door shut behind her as she stalked towards me, pushing Keira out of the way. I had stood by the tables ever since the discussion, watching the Elves and Lady Uma through the glass.
Lady Uma marched to where I stood. "How. Dare you, Avril!" She snapped. "Despite all I have done for you. You would really leave me, wouldn't you?"
"You said it would be a great opportunity," I reminded her. "You asked that I accept the offer."
"Seven hexes! I was only being diplomatic. Why did you not tell her that your heart belonged here?" Lady Uma said, stewing in her own fury.
If my heart did belong somewhere, it wasn't here. But the lady did not have to know that, self-deluded as she was. I was not in the mood for another altercation at this time. I just wanted some sleep.
Lady Uma's voice grew louder in the dining hall as a few Fae girls paused in their work to stare. "After all I have done for you, is this how you repay me? I took you out of the streets and provided you shelter and food; gave you work. All of you! Avril, you dare make a mockery of me. Girls, behold this ingrate!"
Lady Uma stomped to her private cubicle area which led farther inside to her personal apartment, leaving me to the questioning gazes of the Fae girls around me.
They began to chatter, making up their own theories about why the lady was furious with me. Their voices nagged at my brain, incoherent as they were because of the distance between us. A headache stemmed from somewhere in my head.
That night, those nightmares came again: the ones with the formless and dark phantoms dragging and pulling at me, their fangs bared.
I was used to these dreams by now; still I tossed and turned until dawn emerged.