King of Alacrya

Chapter 3: The Chef

Note: Sue me for using the same trope in another one of my stories. I just love it so much!

Tessia was hungry.

Starving.

Her stomach was so vocal about missing dinner that Tessia stood absolutely no chance of falling asleep because of the noise. It was approaching midnight when Tessia reached her breaking point and threw the white covers off herself. She stealthily tiptoed out of her room and poked her head out into the corridor that led to the rest of the Palace. She could hear footsteps in the distance which made her act without much forethought. She hurriedly stepped into the corridor and turned in the direction away from the audible pacing from the nearby hallway.

Tessia would tell anyone that she used logic, common sense and knowledge garnered from her numerous years of experience as princess of Elenoir to try and find the kitchen in this castle.

In all honesty, though?

Tessia pretty much let her stomach lead the way, her food-deprived mind just barely managing to keep track of the various twists and turns she took in her hunt for something edible.

It was after four right turns, two flights of stairs, another right turn, and then a left that Tessia's nose twitched and sniffed, smelling a waft of delectable cooking that made her stomach roar in desperation. Tessia found herself in a dimly lit corridor, with dark wood panels up to the waist, creamy plastering from panels to the ceiling, and cold wooden floors that made her toes curl inwards to limit exposure.

"-so what do you think?" Tessia practically jumped into the air upon hearing a voice approaching from further down the corridor. It was then that Tessia had the sudden realization that anyone she ran into wouldn't really think her desire to raid the kitchen was either believable or a good enough reason to be wandering around the Palace.

"They shouldn't be here." A second voice replied bitterly while Tessia dashed from door to door, jiggling the handles to try and find an unlocked room.

"Yeah, but if they weren't here, the Palace wouldn't need so much extra staff and I, personally, quite like getting paid...", The original speaker justified with a teasing tone that was followed by an annoyed grunt.

The Palace workers were seconds away now and Tessia quickly moved to hide in the next doorway along, knocking loudly against the dark wood when she pressed her back to the closed door. She hoped the slight depression caused by the doorway into the wall would provide suitable cover if a miracle occurred and the two speakers didn't turn down into the hallway and instead merely walked by.

"Okay, I see your point. But I swear... if any of them try something untoward or speak negatively regarding His Majesty-"

Please don't turn down here, please don't turn down here, Tessia begged of whatever deity would listen as she pushed herself harder against the door and closed her eyes awaiting the inevitable.

"Spiders in their beds?"

"I was thinking scorpions... but spiders work as well."

Laughter followed and reverberated down the passageway. Tessia was just about ready to step forward and accept her fate when everything went sideways.

Well, not everything.

Just Tessia.

"Woah!" Tessia yelped as the door she had been resting the majority of her weight against swung open behind her and she fell backwards, landing painfully on her back.

Tessia groaned, her hands moving to rub the back of her head where it had connected with the grey-tiled floor she was now lying on. Her eyes, which had been closed, blinked blearily open to take in her surroundings.