The Royals

Chapter 25

She let that thought sink in as she finally dug into her food. 'Hey, what happened to the stew?' she called to the guard. There's barely a good-sized spoonful covering the bottom of the bowl.'

'You'll have to take that up with the prince. Seems to be having a bit of trouble gettin' supplies.' He lowered his voice. 'Word to the wise, half-breed. Just let him know how much you enjoyed the soup.'

'You talk too much, Ivan,' muttered his companion. 'Next you'll be telling her about his run-in with the cook.'

'Don't need to, Lyam,' said the other. 'You just did.'

They can't truly be this inept, Kate thought. Still, she was never one to miss an opportunity. She joined in the conversation as if they were all comrades. 'I know a thing or two about my brother's odd eating habits. Come on, I'll trade you one for one."

The same guard who'd brought the food came back to stand by her cell. 'There you go again, trying to prattle your way free of here. I'm tellin' you it won't work.' He crossed his arms across his chest. 'But I'm willin' to listen to a good story."

'You know he only eats fish?' Kate asked.

'Go on,' Ivan said, not admitting to what he did and didn't know.

.'The head cook had a terrible time finding something he'd eat. Poor Dragon Prince couldn't manage to keep the food down.' She laughed and it seemed genuinely funny to her.

"That's nothin',' said the guard.

'I'll wager you can't do better.'

'What've you got to bet?' A nasty grin spread across his face.

'Watch yourself, Ivan,' the other guard warned. "The prince won't want her damaged.'

. 'Mind your own business, Lyam.'

'Just so's I don't have to cover your hind when the prince comes hollerin'."

Ivan puffed up his chest. 'Never mind him,' he told Kate. 'Let's just say you and I have a private understanding."

The princess gave him an enigmatic smile. "So what's your tale?'

'Fish isn't the half of it. Won't eat soup either.'

Are we talking about the same man? Kate thought, 'Why not?' she asked aloud. The guard c****d his head sideways. 'He's your brother. Something to do with an incident twenty years ago. Poured soup all over the king.

' We can't be talking about the same man - can we? .

'Anyway, now we're low on supplies like I mentioned and the cook tries to stretch the food a little.' He chuckled. 'Picture this. The prince has a terrible temper, right?"

'Right,' said Kate, meanwhile thinking, he does? '

The cook's afraid he's going to lose his head, but he figures it's better than slow starvation while no one eats 'ceptin' the prince, of course.'

'Of course.'

'So he wants to apologize by puttin' this note on the silver dinner-tray. Figures he'll soften up the prince before he eats."

'Your shift, Ivan,' Lyam called from the alcove.

'Yeah, I know. Go warm up a wench for me.'

'Find your own, you lazy bugger.' He turned, climbed a few stairs, and stopped. 'Ivan, you're going too far. Don't come ask me for protection later.'

You worry more than my mother, Lyam.' The warning must have bothered him though because he frowned and lowered his voice. "There's the prince sittin' in his padded chair doin' some princely thing. I'm just inside the door, protectin' his highness. Along comes the dinner-tray.'

"Over there"," he says and waves a hand without looking up.

'The cook clanks the dishes when he sets them down. Poor fool freezes stiff as a dead bird 'cause he knows the prince don't abide clumsiness either.'

'Another one of those long-ago incidents with the king,' Kate said, as if she had any inkling of what this man was referring to.

'Right, you got it. So the prince must've been in a good mood. All he does is let out one of those tolerant, put-upon sighs and he says, "One of the worst things about this absurd war is I keep losing my help. Go away before I have your hand chopped off." The cook heaves a relieved breath and starts to leave.

'And then the prince sees the tureen of soup with a note. He picks it up and reads it aloud just to be sure everyone knows why the cook is going to die.'

'He's going to die for a few words on paper?' Kate asked. However, she realized that sort of thing happened often in the capital.

No, for the soup. We were discussin' eating habits, remember? By the Sisters, half-breed, are you really that slow-witted?'

'Only when I'm hungry.'

'Huh,' Ivan grunted.

'What'd the letter say?"

'Nothing much.' The guard stood a bit straighter and added a haughty note to his voice. "It went something like this. "My humblest apologies for serving you my finest soup. With The Cliffs on half-rations, I have been unable to secure supplies and therefore have had to concoct what I could from diminishing private sources."

'Well, the prince does not live as the rest of us do. He threw the bowl at the wall. "That's what I think of your soup!" he shouts. "I do not eat soup. Ever! See that you find supplies or next time it will be your head that shatters."

'The cook meanwhile stands in the doorway with his eyes as big as royal coins. The instant he hears the words "next time" he figures he's safe and backs into the hall.

'After the cook's gone, the prince is still ravin'. "No one puts me on half-rations!" he yells. "I pay plenty for the best food in the capital." This goes on, but he calms down after a time. Finally, he looks up and says to me, 'Find me something I can chew on.'

'As I'm digging around in the kitchen, I'm thinkin' the prince's connections must be dryin' up if the cook is desperate enough to risk his wrath. That spells trouble for you, me, your friend down there, mine upstairs. Everyone.' He pointed at Kate and himself, then spread his hands to encompass the others. I'm thinkin' you might be able to help me. And I could help you,' he added meaningfully.

'I see,' Kate said, but she was less and less sure that she did.