Page 73 of Beauty At Stake
I didn't like the fact that he called it “not so spicy” instead of mild. That concerned me.
“Uh, do you have amildoption?” I asked. “I'm not big on spicy food.”
The kitchen went silent.
I looked around. All the workers were staring at me. “You see, ever since my last pregnancy, spicy food hasn't . . . you know what? I'm sure whatever you make will be fine.”
“No, no, no.” Krittin waved. “We make special for you. Mild.” He looked at the kitchen and spoke in Thai.
The cooks looked at each other as if they didn't understand.
“Like for tourist!” Krittin said. “Make all our specials but put extra coconut milk and just tiny bit curry paste. The Queen's taste got sensitive from baby!”
That seemed to do the trick. They nodded and got to work.
Star chuckled. “We like things spicy. You can make some dishes normal.”
“Oh good!” Krittin called out more instructions in Thai. He laughed and slapped Star's shoulder. “Demons like it hot, eh?”
“Of course,” Star drawled. “The hotter, the better.”
“Come, come.” Sasi waved us into an office and then at some chairs and a couch. “Please, sit down. You want iced coffee or tea?”
“No, thank you,” I said. “I'm fine.”
“I'll have an iced coffee,” Star said.
“Good!” Sasi hurried away. “I bring some snacks too.”
After she left, Ravee said to me, “I'm so sorry about that, Your Majesty.”
“Not at all. I'm pleased to meet more of my people. I don't get to meet a lot of Unseelie on Earth.”
“Thank you. You were very kind to them.” She looked out the office doorway. “They work hard, but they love it. They love feeding people. And they couldn't cook this kind of food in Unseelie.”
“Why not?” I asked.
She looked at me.
“Why can't they cook Thai food in Unseelie?” I tried again.
“The ingredients aren't the same.”
“Import them.”
“No one would buy it if we did.”
“Are you sure? The dining room was packed with fairies.”
“Those are locals.”
“And there aren't any Fairies from Thailand in Unseelie?”
“Oh. Well, uh.” She frowned. “I guess there must be. I, uh. I think we assumed that a Thai restaurant wouldn't do well in Fairy.”
“I think it would do very well. I think the Fairies in this region of Unseelie probably cook a similar type of food themselves.”
“Similar, but more Fey.”
