NOTE: 18+/Mature Content-This is entirely a work of fiction and makes no reference to real people. All characters involved are over the age of 21 and are consenting at all times. Comments/feedback are much appreciated, I love to hear your ideas :)
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I have a revered role in the Queen's circle, although its mainly because I have failed upwards in a sense. My time in the castle began as a servant in the royal kitchens and I was only hired because my aunt was already working here and put in a good word for me. Unfortunately for me--and even more so for my aunt's reputation--I am a horrible cook and was even worse at serving.
A month ago today, Aunt Roma pulled me aside before I began the dinner shift and from the stern look she wore that accentuated her years of service, I knew it couldn't be good.
"Eleanor, my dear niece, I love you so much and that is why I got you this job here. But as your aunt it is my responsibility to tell you this...you're a shit cook and I can't even begin to imagine you as a server. Again, I love you, but you are definitely going to be fired tonight by the servant manager."
Aunt Roma was always blunt and I appreciate that.
"That's fair, I know my skills and have been struggling since I started here."
"Yes dear, it is always good to be honest with yourself!", she said with a warm smile.
Ever since my parents had passed 6 years ago on my 16th birthday, Aunt Roma has been taking care of me. They had taken the cart and our 2 horses to visit the market to sell our produce and stock up on supplies. However, nearly a fortnight had passed without their return and nobody at the market had heard from them. I tried to keep hope that someday they would return, but as the years went by, it was easier to accept their deaths.
My only problem is that I am now 22 years and a quarter, and Aunt Roma doesn't have the room nor funds to keep providing me room and board--given my now 6 younger cousins. So without this job I am left with nothing.
I am jolted back to the present as Aunt Roma shouts for me as the dinner shift is about to begin. I am late, again. Honestly, I can't blame them for firing me. I run into the kitchen through the servant's entrance and find myself bombarded by chaos. The whole area was boiling as soups bubbled away, 3 roasts broiled in the ovens, and the frenzy of cooks were stirring, beating, kneading, and chopping. Orders were being shouted by the head chef and every word uttered by all else were barked to be heard over the orchestra of the kitchen. On top of this, the area was rather dimly lit considering all of the candles and fires, but we managed.
"BELINDA! WHERE IS BELINDA?"
The servant manager, Mr. Glenshire, was met with no response and for good reason. Belinda was my only friend here and I was her closest confidant. She had ridden of into the sunset with her beloved, Samson--a groundskeeper--and will likely never return. I can only dream of such an escape, and hope that one day I will too be rid of this dreadful village. Of course, I would never tell, but this meant that we would be short on serving staff.
"YOU! ELAINE! YOU'RE SERVING TONIGHT", Mr. Glenshire shouted as he tossed Belinda's old uniform at me. Is Eleanor that difficult to remember?
It felt as though my heart was trying to make its own escape in that moment. The pounding in my chest was unrelenting and my stomach was suddenly buzzing with a swarm of flies. Being fired was one thing, but making a mistake while serving in front of the royal family would end hellishly. Glenshire ushered me into the servant's quarters to change and I complied mindlessly for my thoughts had left me to fend for myself.
Before I knew it, I was holding a scalding pot of starter soup with only a soft and ornate cloth shielding my hands, shuffling down the hall towards the dining room. The crimson red carpet with an intricate silver motif was a refreshing change from the uneven stone floors in the servants areas. Instead of stone walls with exposed wooden supports, these walls were smooth and painted a cream shade. I was in the middle of this line of servers and everyone else seemed to be managing perfectly. I, however, felt as if my hands would fall off if I held this pot for another moment. In my misery, I did notice that my pot was cast from a different type of metal and had a bronze sheen. I only noticed this as servingware for the royal family was exclusively silver or gold.
Before I could give it anymore thought, Glenshire was opening the massive dark oak doors to the dining room and as they creaked, he gave me a chilling glare that said, "Don't fuck up". Er, probably more like "Perfection is all I shall accept", as Glenshire detests foul language.
We all strode in, as quietly as possible. Mainly, our goal is to get in, be as unnoticeable as possible, and to get out. In unison, we stopped behind a seated royal, turned to face the table, then leaned in between them to offer soup. To my horror, I realized that the royal I was serving was the Queen. Queen Alta. I froze with the ladle partially dipped into the pot of soup. She had nodded in confirmation, but I couldn't move.
"Go on, then."
Queen Alta's words were startling as I never imagined she would speak to me. My hand jerked and I spilled the soup on the table. I managed to spill the entire pot. In front of the Queen. Yes, I am definitely done for. Curses, Belinda.
I squeezed my eyes shut in anticipation of yelling or being whisked away to the dungeons. Although all I heard was a loud sizzling and crackling followed by a collective gasp. It also smelled of...burnt wood? Slowly, I opened by eyes and saw a smoking hole in the table where the spilled soup was. My jaw hung open as I had no words for this--whatever this was.
"Praises! Praises, servant! You have saved my life in the absence of the royal taster."
The Queen locked eyes with me as she looked up and while her words were gratuitous, her eyes were almost sinister. I shuttered. The room was filled with applaud from the royals and silence from the servants.
"Glenshire!"
"Yes, your highness?"
"For saving my life, I will reward this servant with a higher position. This servant, what is her name?"
"Elaine, your highness."