SECRETS OF EXOCLYUS

18: TRAGEDY OF GREED

TWO YEARS AGO

Organising the Duren sand festival was always a hassle to Stella, despite this being the fourth year in a row of her being incharge of it she still felt like she was handed the short end of the stick concerning royal duties.

Certainly welcoming other kingdoms was often a problem because sometimes representatives reach here already too drunk to stand, or there might be the unfortunate bad blood between two or even three royals, but her mother always manages to keep the peace by either talking it out in a civilised manner.

Or by being even more frightening than her visitors.

Either way most were friends of Querzant and knew how to act accordingly, so the queen's job wasn't as stressful as having to deal with the preparations for the biggest festival of the kingdom. Even with several managers Stella had to deal with the bulk of the work, which meant she checked on the animals at the petting range, made sure torches are primed with crystals that would turn the flames blue when the time was right, and finally the food.

The food was always the most difficult task.

"What do you mean the chickens aren't roasted?" Stella demanded as she gestured to the many empty tables that were awaiting many citizens of the kingdom. "We are only an hour away from letting the people in and you tell me the best part of their meal is still being made?!"

"The chefs are overwhelmed by the other things being cooked, Princess Stella." The main chef explained in a timid voice. "They're new hands, they underestimated the extent of how much work there is."

Stella rubbed her temple as she tried to figure out how best to deal with the situation, if mother heard of this she would flip and Stella wasn't prepared to deal with that tonight.

"Are all the remaining chickens prepared to be cooked?" She asked and the main chef nodded. "So I'm guessing the problem here is cooking them all at the same time without shattering the fire stone that powers all the stoves?"

The main chef nodded again. "Yes. We're versed in flame magic, your highness, but not at the needed level to stabilise a hundred stoves at once."

"Get all the other meals ready to be served the moment mother starts the festival." She ordered. "I'm going to that kitchen to sort this problem out, if mother comes this way stall for me."

"I should make the Queen wait?"

"If you don't we all suffer her wrath." Stella warned then walked into the royal kitchen, the workers there were about to stop their work and salute her but by making her eyebrows burst into flames they immediately understood her anger and continued doing their jobs.

Stella stepped into the next room where a hundred Desert chickens, often the size of large dogs, were waiting on individual grills all connected to a large fire crystal that had yet to be ignited. She knew how to operate it, but considering she didn't have time she needed to hasten them up by pouring in her own magic.

"Aid me, Solaris." She prayed then pressed her palms against the red stone. The trick was regulating fires across the room, she needed to concentrate, really concentrate, if she was going to do this properly.

With closed eyes and gritted teeth Stella began cranking the flames up to the needed temperature. She made sure not to light her clothes on fire as she cooked, but she couldn't do much about the heat that was making her sweat.

The good news was that she was doing well, she could smell the chicken's lovely scent filling the kitchen, the bad news was the heat, it was choking her, no matter how hard she tried to filter the air through her lungs properly like her uncle taught her, the heat just felt overwhelming.