Torches of flaming fire aligned on the brick walls inside the Palace of Grand, the late night supposed to be engulfed in silence. Yet along the dim corridor, the king himself marched all the way towards the luxurious kitchen, his shoes clicking with each step.
The muscular Royal Cook spun around, prepared to fend off the unwelcomed guest during his important moment of whipping a new recipe. Although, the second he saw the majestic crown and the extravagant furry cape, he stifled a gasp.
"Your Majesty!" he bowed as quickly as how he was taken aback by the presence before him. "How may I serve you?"
The king smiled at the loyal subject. His fingers-enwrapped by rings of garnet, diamond, tourmaline, and studded with minuscule pearls-traced the wooden table at the center of the room while he eyed every fresh ingredient that was obtained from selected regions of the kingdom. "Tell me, what is thy name?"
"Fa Mushu, sire." The cook answered earnestly.
"How long have you been serving us, Mushu?" he carried on, picking a sack of flour for further scrutiny before putting it back.
Mushu paused for a bit. Through and through, he rehashed the years of his service to the Grand family, counting down under mumbles. "Nearly fifteen years..."
King Eldred nodded with patience. He fiddled with a tray of fresh eggs on the counter this time, placing it again to where it was displayed. "Have you ever made a pie, Mushu?"
"Why, yes, Your Majesty. I've made all kinds since I was a wee lad."
"Good."
The cook watched the aged man circle around the kitchen, also noting how he would examine the ingredients used to make a pie. Mushu was flabbergasted by the situation until the king's hand landed on an unexpected fruit. Rowan Berries.
Rowan Berries were also known as Mountain Ashes because of its leaves that have a similar appearance to that of ash. They would be found way up north of their land, where a cool mist hovers along dark pine trees.
There was a foreboding feeling rising in the Royal Cook's stomach.
"My friend! I ask of you a certain dish, a dish unlike any of your creations." The king scooped some of the berries that had a similar look of a tomato. Only they were smaller, had a bright red color, and were bound to each other. He took it from the handwoven basket into his palm and he raised it forward, making sure Mushu saw the necessary berries for the delicacy.
"Tomorrow evening, when the illustrious sun sinks into the horizon and darkness dominates the sky, you shall serve seven delicious pies of this ingredient to my seven adorable sons."
Mushu was startled by the king's random order. It was a challenge even for a skilled professional like him, because he was aware that he would be handling a dish with dangerous levels of toxicity. The thought of making a mistake and accidentally summoning death to the dining hall was horrifying enough.
He nodded anyway, unnerved yet devoted to His Excellence. He already imagined hours of practice, which meant there might be no sleeping for him tonight.
"And, one more pie for the honorable Painter who always joins them at the table," the aged man added, a fleeting shine of evil in his pupils, "hers must be special, so I want it...fresh."
The cook's spatula dropped, his face pale.
"B-But, Your Majesty!" he couldn't help but interpose, "Rowan Berries should be thoroughly cooked for it to be edible! If not, it would be considered poisonous and humans who consume it would be-"
YOU ARE READING
Slowly and Painfully ー ✓
Fanfiction[COMPLETE] ❝Seven princes stood before me. But which of them is the one I seek?❞ Briar Rosette, a curious girl of the 21st century, was somehow captivated by one of History's greatest mysteries. It was the tale between the Painter and the Musician...
