Castle kitchen

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

Description coming later))  

[Red Gypsy]

Cynthia was laughing softly as Lareth pushed her into the kitchen where Hal was waiting with the head chef. Thankfully, both of them liked her, otherwise she'd be a bit worried about both of them standing there like that.

"So what do you have planned for me today, Hal? I hope it's something with a bit more flavor this time," she commented, looking a little plaintive. Apparently it was just enough for the chef to relent to her and even look sympathetic at her even though it appeared Hal wasn't buying it at all.  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

Hal simply smiled and the head Chef stepped away to grab the food from nearby. Sometimes the cook was scared of Hal. The man could be ferocious and the cook did not like how Hal hid himself behind a smile. Last time he got Hal mad, Hal smiled at him.....the cook shook his head dismissing the thought.

"My dear, everything has flavor. You just don't like the rabbit food I am making sure you eat. We don't want anything to heavy for your stomach. We need for you to heal a bit more before you can have something meatier."

Lareth coughed as he looked away getting a disapproving glance from Hal.

Hal shook his head and smiled as he bowed out of the way allowing the cook around him to place soup in front of her on the table. Bread was also served along with some juice. He nodded to the cook who hurried away.

"A nice veggie soup is tonights dinner with fresh bread. I have fresh squeezed juice and water on standby.If you do well with the veggies we shall see of a lighter meat....like fish or chicken next time."  

[Red Gypsy]

Hot Champion_of_justice

Cynthia gave a soft sigh at the soup but gave in, knowing that it was better than fighting the older demon. Her eyes did light up at the mention of fish in the near future, remembering that old recipe for wrapping it in herbed clay and burying it in hot coals to cook...

As Lareth pushed her over to the table, she noted that he was eating the same thing she was and wondered if that was done to keep her from snatching anything from his plate. Knowing Hal, he'd planned it just for that reason.

As it was, she finished the meal quickly and gave a delighted sound when the chef placed a spiced baked apple in front of her, giving him a grateful look. Hal couldn't complain about the dessert. It was fruit. It was soft. It was healthy.

For her part, it also had flavor. She loved it. When it was gone, she wiped her mouth and smiled at all of them, "Thank you... I'll be looking forward to the fish, though," she said simply, wrinkling her nose impishly at Hal, which he only smiled at.

She knew she was probably heading back to bed at this point and knew she needed the rest, but couldn't help but wish that she could spend more time with Lareth. She really did hate being injured like this, having to rely on others to take care of her, unable to move as she wanted to... But she was accepting it better at the moment than she normally would have...  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

"Master Lareth will be helping you to your room to look over the outfits I picked out for you for tomorrow's trip. Please choose one that you deem is usable."

He looked to Lareth.

"I also made arrangements for tomorrow regarding Tamlin. I do hope you will be there early."


Lareth nodded and scratched his chin.
"Of course Hal. You can count on me."
Lareth only smiled as Hal seemed to calm down and not be as agitated. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

"I do hate to leave you both, but I must be turning in early since there is much to do tomorrow. Please sleep well Cynthia and I will see you at dawn Lareth."
Hal bowed to them both and left them to their own devices as the chef cleaned up the dishes.

Lareth scratched his pointed ear.
"Shall we go check out your outfits for tomorrow? I'm sure there is quite a few for you to choose from."
When he got the ok, he took her back to her room.  

[Haeo]

Ost arrived in the castle kitchen with soft steps and the good luck to be alone. The only good fortune to touch his path in months. He quickly and quietly assembled a small meal from mixed-up leftovers in an old wooden bowl and left for the main castle grounds to find a place to follow his orders without relaxing his vigilance.

((Exit to Lareth's Castle))  

[Sorrybutgoodbye]

"you don't have to call me Lady, Yamille is just fine" Yamille said following him to through the halls to the kitchen. The place still looked the same to her and it was good to see the hell hounds still remembered her too. Will after the trouble she made with them I am sure there keepers did too. "So Ost was it?" she asked looking at him, "This is my first time meeting you here so Hey I am Cynthia." She did not mind meeting new people it was just running in to old exs she minded.

Red Gypsy

Haeo

 

[Red Gypsy]

Devossy

Haeo

Cynthia turned from where she was trying to negotiate with the chef and smiled when she saw Yamille and Ost. The chef immediately turned and collected a meal for Ost that would be considered decent for him and set it on the table with a look that spoke volumes if he turned the meal down.

Cynthia, however, moved to give Yamille a big hug, "I've missed you Yammy..." she said in a soft whisper before pulling back from the hug, "We can talk later though. Right now I have to figure out how I'm going to convince the chef not to retire on me... We have no one to take his place yet.

"Not only that, but Hal tried to deliver two letters to you from Anube. Luckily, though Hal managed to spell them so they'd go back to him if they got lost," she told her then passed over the two letters she'd collected a bit earlier and had Yamille sit down at the kitchen table near Ost while one of the undercooks set a cup of warm tea in front of her and a plate of apple scones.

Then, while Yamille read both letters, Cynthia went back into the negotiations with the chef...  

[Sorrybutgoodbye]

Yamille chuckled as she gave her best friend a hug. "good to see you too Cya and are you making people want to quiet again" she said joking. Sitting down she opened the first one wishing she had see Hal but she was sure to see the old man around here at one point. As she read the first letter her eyes went wide as she read that Blade wads with twins and she was going to be a aunt. She thought this was some joke for Anube and Blade had just become mates and where not together that long. She put the first one down before picking up the second one which made her curse for this one told her Blade had been attack and the twins lost. "*%##%^&*$#%$^&**" yamille swear not caring if her language was nice or not., "I went from being a aunt to having my sister in law attack and the twins lost....so pretty Anube is having it hard. I guess I need to write him back and see how him and Blade are doing."

Red Gypsy

Haeo

 

[Red Gypsy]

Devossy

Move Blade and Anube as you need to in the VI garden. K?

Haeo

When she heard what Yamille had to say, Cynthia's hand went directly to her own belly with an expression her face that was both sad and happy. She looked up at Yamille, "Go to them, Yamille. I will be here for you to return to. They will need you, though..." she said softly and moved to give her a kiss on her cheek.

"We can talk later, Yammy. There seems to be a great deal of that kind of loss in the last few months. Only yesterday, Wren, our elven visitor, lost her own twins in an attack. And..." she hesitated to say anything about herself just yet, not sure how to bring that mess up.

She just shook her head with a small smile, "No, you need to go to your brother. He needs you," she said a bit more firmly.  

[Sorrybutgoodbye]

Yamille Smiled a bit as she got up and gave Cynthia a big hug and kiss on the cheek as she teard up. She just got back to see her friend and now she was running off to go check on her brother. "I promise I will be back as soon as I know those two will be all right" she said, "have word sent to the drow kingdom I have a friend Cis there and he needs to know I will be going to check on family." She smiled as Dagra came out of the shadows. She smield and bowed them one last kiss before she went to Darga who pulled her in to the shadows and left with her ((exit))

Red Gypsy

Haeo

 

[Haeo]

Red Gypsy

Devossy

Ost acknowledged Yamille with a deep nod and smooth formality. "It is an honor to meet you, Yamille." His proper decorum was as well trained as his self control. Neither one slipped easily or often, especially in the kitchen where he greeted Cynthia with a deep bow but said nothing. His earlier outburst was still fresh in his mind and he chose to lean toward caution even more than he used to.

Ost had developed a kind of reputation in the kitchen. He never seemed to care what he ate, neither liking nor hating anything and never making any requests. The chef did not like him and usually felt under appreciated in his presence. This could make Cynthia's negotiations harder. But, while Ost was usually unreadable, he did know how to push the right buttons sometimes. He had a vested interest in aiding the woman he most respected. So, as he began to eat, he paused. He blinked a couple times with his mouth full of food. Then he smiled and began to eat more quickly than usual. The food was good. But, it was always good. He knew that the chef would notice the appreciation though and that it would improve his mood if nothing else. Sometimes, subtlety is all it takes to tip the scales.

He was not oblivious to the conversation between the two ladies but it was mostly personal and not any of his business. There was no way that his present rank would allow him to be of great service. Not now. Perhaps when the king found time to instruct him in what he needed done... perhaps then.  

[Red Gypsy]

Haeo

The chef seemed briefly mollified by Ost's unusual pleasure over the food. But that didn't seem to matter to him at the moment. The second he turned back to Cynthia, he went back into his tirade about the 'stress' of serving the king.

Then he said those fateful words, "I quit!" very clearly, dropped his apron on the table, and went right out the back door.

Cynthia stood there for a moment in shock, not sure how to handle this one. She turned to Ost and summoned a smile for him, "It wasn't you he was complaining about, my friend. Something happened with the staff that frightened him. But no one will tell me what it was, so I can't do anything about it," she told him softly then sat down in one of the chairs to prop her chin in her hand with a lost look on her face.

"I have no idea how to tell Lareth that his chef just quit. Or where we're going to find another one..." she added, clearly lost on this one. Not that she was expecting Ost to solve the problem for her, but she simply knew he was a good listener for such problems...  

[Haeo]

Red Gypsy

Well, that didn't work as well as I hoped... but at least he was... mostly respectful in quitting. Ost thought as he finished eating and listened to Cynthia. He had a clearer feel for some aspects of the King's behavior than she did it seemed. But, that was as the King wished it to be. He wished to shield her from the ugly side of rule. Ost knew that she didn't really expect an answer from him. He wasn't a specialist in aquiring help. But, there was one thing that came to mind.

"The King does what he chooses, Lady Cynthia. It is for those who are lesser in rank or power to either accept and follow, or move to a safer distance." He looked straight at her with his usual calm. But, he was not happy to see her so confused so he decided to do his best to give her enough of a push to keep despair from setting in. Besides, he hadn't cooked in a long time; his current duties did not allow the distraction. "Perhaps a couple of the kitchen staff with a little guidance could fill in until a proper chef can be found? They must have noticed enough during their work to at least craft a passable meal or two."

Ost might have had more to say but he suddenly stopped and turned his head toward the castle entrance. A couple people had just arrived by teleportation. He felt their disturbance in the wards but did not feel any urgency or danger in them. So, while one of them was definitely a potential threat there was no present justification for him to go to meet them. Besides, he sensed that they were seeking the King. If they were enemies in disguise then they would be in greater danger by far when in the King's presence.

((Edit))  

[Red Gypsy]

Haeo

Cynthia gave a small nod over that, "Very true, Ost... I guess Lareth is just going to have to make do without his favorite meat rolls for a while. Lucas was the only one who knew the recipe for them," she gave a shrug over it all and looked at the other kitchen staff.

"Can the rest of you handle things for the most part without him until I can find another chef?" she asked them all then watched as they looked at each other for a long moment.

She gave a sigh of relief when they all nodded and returned to their tasks. She turned her clear green eyes back to Ost with a half smile, "Well, that'll do for a little while. I've taken care of the rest of the castle staff, but we're down by half at this point. Getting more staff in is going to have to fall on Hal's new assistant's shoulders, though," she stood and crossed to give him a kiss on his cheek, "I'm going to go lay down for a little bit. Thank you for listening, Ost..." she said softly to him before she headed out of the kitchen to go to Lareth's room to do just that.