Helping in the kitchen
Michael James Watson
Stepping into the archway of the kitchen Alex sees the daily business is slow. Kitchen staff are in a deep cleaning mode around the room which can only be done when something isn't coming on hard like a grand feast or a public execution. In one corner usually used for staging courses for massive feasts a dozen cooks are sitting around cutting vegetables and and sorting them for pickling. Carrots, onions, broccoli, peppers are cut and waiting in jars. Dart of Hale seems to be looking them over and has jars of spices before him. He picks from them and puts it in a large pot on the table, mixing the brine. He with draws a cup, sips, then passes it to the others who pass it among them. Alex notes it because she sees a couple elites sitting at the pickling tables, a thing she did on occasion. Its hard to guess if they are on duty as protection or off duty learning to cook in Margot's kitchen. Many an Elite who cooked while in the field learned here. It occurs to her she isn't an Elite anymore and while she could sit with these familiar faces she would be doing it as a royal not as a serving Elite. In another area near a hearth Margot calmly stirs a pot making her famous onion soup. A hip pig, an extremely large race of pigs, slow roasts in the hearth. She looks up and smiles. "Alexandra! How lovely to see you!"
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex leans in the archway against the post, where she arrived with a smile, it fades after seeing and realizing change of status within the so familiar castle, it just feel weird. It is not that she is sad about it. It is just a bit of he rlife upside down. Where she thought she had reached nearly the top of what she could become a protective elite, she overshadowed for her feeling all her accomplishments. Not wanting to walk around like a sour-faced grumpy person, Alex takes a deep breath to banish her thoughts and puts on a smile again. Especially hearing the voice of Dame Margot. "Goodday to you Dame Margot, You asked to see me? My apologies it is only now and not earlier. "
Michael James Watson
"I didn't exactly ASK to see you. Just suggested you drop by when you had time and so you have." She pushes a 20 lb sack of onions to her. "Can I see your Rasak knife please?" Taking the knife she runs her hand over it and it shifts. It turns into a replica of her good onion chopping knife. "Now it has a useful shape rather then just killing ones. Now, start chopping those. 100 lbs at least. Then I have carrots and garlic. I have imposed my reign of terror on you as an Elite but its just a whisper compared to the degree of domination I must use to make a royal jump. Caine hasn't come into my kitchen himself more then once in a year for a thousand years. He always sends staff." She smiles, chuckles at her jest. "Now....What plate do you have and what would your like in your next plate?"
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex nods "And so i have. I like visiting the kitchen though to be fair it feels very different now. And it shouldn't logically, i am still the same person, but it does feel different." Taking the knife she just starts chopping onions. After she had informed what size and shape the onion should be chopped. "It is a shame Caine doesn't come here himself that much. There is always something to do. Maybe he doesn't like the strict reign you have here, feeling it as competitive against his own strict rules." Alex clearly relaxes a bit more as she helps out in the kitchen this just feels familiar now. "May i ask. Did you know of my mom and Brand?"
Amber Bronkhorst
"What plate? Oh you taught me how to make the omelette. And for my next plate? Hhhmmm i do not know. Something easy for on the road. " Alex smiles
Michael James Watson
"Caine doesn't come here because when he was 30 he beat the hell out of one of my staff. I returned the favor and afterwards made him chop onions 18 hours a day for a year. He complained to Oberon threatening to go off into shadow till I calmed down. Oberon told him that if he left one minute before I felt his punishment was done then he could go out into shadow and never return. a few centuries later he backhanded a maid who rebuffed his advances. I cast and impotence spell on him and told him that the more bags of fiery calrobon black peppers he cut for me the sooner his little soldier would come to attention. Once he through one of my good china plates at a waiter at a fest, breaking his nose and the dish. I made him grind pepper 18 hours a day for 3 months. He told Oberon he was Pussy Whipped by me and Oberon said he should be so lucky then assigned him to stable cleaning till he could mind his manners. There are more of those but they stopped after Harla became Queen." "Traveling food? Alright. How about Sausage and cheddar Hardtack? Pair it with hard boiled eggs, some mixed cheese slices, and mustard. We'll put a banana, and bundle of grapes and a couple of wedged oranges and a wedged lemon and a wedged lime on the plate too.. That makes a nice traveling meal. "
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex her eyes widen as she listens to the tales of Caine. She does keep chopping though. A moment she bites her tongue not knowing if she should laugh or be concerned. When she settles a soft spoken. "He was a real brat in those days it seems. " Chopping faster now as she gets the rythm and movements in her hands again a slight smile. "Well i should not hear more of them i might view Caine after that in a different light. Though years can change a person. " Her words trail off. Does she also mean her father with that she wonders herself. "I am happy that when serving here in the castle as guard i was told to always be respectful and kind. But that was my luck of starting my.... Career, i suppose, where i have. " Hearing the suggestion for the plate she nods happily. "That sounds great, thank you Dame Margot."
Michael James Watson
"Caine...is evil. Lets not beat around the mulberry bush. He is loyal to Amber, after his fashion, and there are few moral absolutes when it comes to the complexities of the royal family and their archetypal natures. But Caine is evil. His concern for the life of others is nearly nonexistent. ITs fair to say he is my least favorite of Oberon's children." She looks up and smiles, shaking it off. "Now, did I know of Brand and Fres? Of Course. They were not just an item. They were a couple for many years. After a hundred years or so the differance in age matters less and less among immortals. Did I know that you were a scion of Amber? Yes. Though i suspect Brand didn't know since you were not around the castle much. Fres stayed away after you were born. Random knew, so did Arloxedra, Vialle, Benedict and Julian. Its why you spent a summer in Amber with the Rangers that included a 3 year tour of the surrounding defensive positions that the Rangers oversee in the company of Prince Julian." " But beyond that it was not advertised. You are stronger then most Amberite natives but Fres isn't originally from Amber anyway. Your strength and Endurance could be explained as normal for Fres' race. She may dress frilly now but she was Deirdre's Elite. In fact the whole idea of having Elites with royals may have started with Fres, though Random made the position more formal. Deirdre found her in shadow, pushed her through the military. You should also know the Fres and Deirdre were a couple as well, for centuries, in the early days. "
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex drops the subject Caine as well just not a fun subject to talk about. While chopping she listens to Dame Margot her knowledge about her existence. A soft smile as she recalls what her mom had recently said. "That age matters less and less i can understand. As far as i understand mom they are not really together anymore but they also are... Guess it is complicated. And frankly none of my business. Just like the relations she has had. And will have. I told mom today as well. She should be happy, she deserves to be. If that means she stays with Brand on his good periods. Then she should. if that means she will stay single or find another. Fine. But love is important." With a slight frown she looks more intensely to the onions. Realizing she is not following her own advice at this moment or has not accepted love for a while. A soft sigh she then continues chopping again picking up the pace. "Well i have been more in Amber. I eventually became a guard here in the castle ofcourse and an elite. But why was that tour with Prince Julian of importance? Do not get me wrong i was thrilled i was send with the rangers. But i start to notice some things that make more sense now. Of course i knew of my mom her past and her being a highly educated militant woman. So naturally she introduced me to it to see if it would stick with me as well. I do get now why i was quite early in my elite training in the Nasty Place. As Prince Benedict knew. Was the tour with Prince Julian also to measure me up?"
Michael James Watson
"To measure you up? Not it wasn't about judging you. That's not how the elders think really. The trip with Julian was to make sure you had certain talents. You were around 15 subjective years at the time. You hHad spent maybe two years totally in Amber. You could have grown up as a city girl. Random wanted you to have the kind of skills many of them had and that he had to learn painfully later. Random was a city boy after all. So you learned horsemanship from Julian and Duncan, camp craft, wildreness survival, and most importantly, Julian was the first person to put a bow in your hands"
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex smiles recalling that time with Julian and the rangers. "You are right, it was the first time i shot an arrow from a bow. And it felt so natural. A bow never left my hand after that. " She beams up to Dame Margot, "Perhaps i should, now i know. Thank Prince Julian for that lesson and opertunity. With all the trips and excursions i was send on here and mostly in shadow. I learned alot, and it truly formed me to who i am. Of which in all honesty i am very happy with who i became." A slight chuckle escapes her "It is kind of King Random to make sure i grew up well. Even if it would not even come to light who my father is. I am grateful the way i grew up, the lessons." With a softer voice she says. "Even the broken heart. That to formed me. " Quickly she plasters her smile on her face again "And i am grateful for your cooking lessons. They are highly valuable and make sure while on the road i eat well. When i remember to eat, that is."
Michael James Watson
As time and chatting goes by she teaches you to make sausage and cheddar hard tack, puts together the plate and empowers it. She softly and politiy urges Alex on her way
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex grateful thanks Dame Margot several times and then bids her a pleasant day and a good day, before she finally gets herself towards the library.
