Under One Banner

Chapter 11

After James had finished serving Soren and his wife, Conrad didn’t join them for the mid-day meal, he headed back to the kitchen. He looked at the huge stack of dishes and sighed. He looked up as he heard his name being called. There was a boy in the kitchens, his uniform showed that he was a messenger. One of the staff pointed James out to the boy. Koen intercepted the messenger before the boy could get to James. James watched from the corner of his eye as Koen asked the boy a few questions before he let him go to James. James quickly ducked his head and concentrated on washing the dishes, pretending he hadn’t heard his name being called. 

“James!” Koen shouted. James whirled around. 

“Yes, sir?” James asked. Koen tapped the boy messenger on the shoulder. 

“Master Conrad requested that you bring him and his friends the mid day meal in his quarters,” the boy reported. The look of dread crossed James’ face, but he swiftly covered with a blank mask. 

“What does he want to eat?” Koen asked. 

The boy shrugged. “He did not specify, he only specifically demanded that the serf James serve them.”

“Alright, James, get a tray, you’re serving them,” Koen said. James took a tray and followed Koen as he loaded up the tray. Koen looked at the amount of food on the tray and frowned. 

“That may not be enough,” he looked around for the messenger boy, but the boy had gone. 

“I don’t know how many friends he is with, I don’t want to give them an excuse to hit you again,” he said. James looked at him in surprise, he did not expect to hear that out of the cooks mouth. 

“What? You think I like having a beat up serf working for me? You move so slowly because you are sore!” Koen said. James nodded, he should have known Koen wouldn’t be saying that because he had any bit of fondness for him. 

“I’ll send another with you, in case, but you will stay so they have someone if they need anything else,” Koen said. James nodded. 

“Rayan! Get over here!” 

Rayan came over promptly. “Yes, sir?” he asked, looking at James, who kept a blank face, and then at Koen. 

“Help James take the mid day meal to Master Conrad, don’t stay though, James will be serving them,” Koen ordered, gesturing to another tray. Rayan took up the tray and he and James left the hot kitchen. 

“Finally, I’m glad to be out of there!” Rayan said gratefully, breathing in the cooler air. James stayed quiet, he wasn’t looking forward to serving Conrad and the others. 

“You alright?” Rayan asked as they walked through the castle halls. 

James shook his head. “No.”      

“What?” Rayan asked. 

“Con- Master Conrad and his friends find any opportunity to smack me around, for no apparent reason other than that they have nothing better to do and it amuses them,” he said, his voice angry. He stopped suddenly, looking at Rayan, his eyes wide. 

“Oh no,” he said. 

Rayan looked back at him, a question in his eyes. “What is it now?”

“You, I’m already in enough trouble, now you are going to go tell someone higher up that I was bad mouthing my masters, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice angry, but his eyes were scared. 

Rayan frowned and shook his head. “I wouldn’t James.”

“Don’t lie to me! I know what you are doing, just leave me alone! Just tell me so I can be expecting it!” James exclaimed.