Melting Snow

Two

Hello once again, guys! Here's chapter two, and I think this is where it really starts to get good! Let me have those opinionated comments! haha. 

I also want to dedicate this chapter to starsglintingabove for the amazing cover she created! It's awesome! 

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Melting Snow- Chapter 2

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            If I had been looking for a way to escape Mohan, I never would have found it. It seemed that no matter where I went, or who I positioned myself around, Mohan would somehow make an appearance. Not a big one, and never close enough to say anything to me, but just enough to where I would see him and wonder what was going on in his mind.

            That was what I wanted most of all, I believe. To know what he truly thought of me, and why he kept popping up in the most ridiculous places. It was hard to imagine it might not have anything to do with me, for multiple reasons. First, I had never seen him before that day, meaning that our paths never crossed without some sort of intent. And second, there was a part of me that wanted him to be specifically following me. But the other part of me told its sad counterpart that it was insane and I moved on.

            When I turned thirteen and began my first day as official cook, I tried not to think about what all my job would entail. I didn’t think about how I would be as all other cooks and present my dishes to the king directly, meaning that I would be on display for the entire royal table. And I certainly didn’t think about how that would include Mohan.

            I took my time with the main course that day, working on a chicken dish that took nearly four hours to complete. Desserts were made and ready, and I had a group of servants chopping up fresh vegetables and another one kneading dough for fresh loaves of bread. But the main dish I did alone, without any help, no matter how many times anyone asked me.

            There was one girl, a tall, skinny red headed girl that must have been no more than a couple of years older than me. No matter what I instructed her to do, she always ended up hovering somewhere near me and watching my every move. I couldn’t quite say that she was bothersome, because she didn’t do anything that got in my way, but having her shadow fall over me caused me slight annoyances until I finally said something to her.

            “Are you honestly that quick at your job, or are you leaving it early to come back over here?”

            She looked slightly taken aback, but then it seemed to literally roll off her shoulders. Her little head shook, and her mouth curled up into a smile. “I’m quick. And there are so many extra workers today, since the main dish is only being prepared by one, that nobody is letting me do anything. I’m the youngest; or, at least I was. How old are you?” she asked me seriously.

            I glanced over at her for a second before I turned back to the sauce I was boiling. “I’m thirteen.”

            “Quite young to be in charge of the kitchen,” she wondered aloud.

            A knot formed in the base of my throat. Nothing came to my mind to say, so I mainly focused on forcing the knot back down into my stomach. It wasn’t too much of an improvement, but it would have to do for now.

            The tall girl noticed my silence and began questioning me again. “How did someone so young come to such a high position?”

            The knot grew in size, and my stomach started to churn. “My father used to be the king’s cook, and he taught me quite a lot of things. King Richard liked him, and so he offered me the job when I finally came of age.”