Page 10 of The Broken Elf King
“For now, until the king can get someone else,” Mrs. Tirth explained.
The chef held the plate out to me and I took it, eyeing the delicious meat pie slice and fruit compote.
“How much do I eat?” I asked Mrs. Tirth.
“A large bite, but try not to disturb the food too much. It must still be presentable. If you notice anything bitter or foul, speak up. If you feel sick, dizzy, or off in any way, say something immediately.”
Nerves rolled through my stomach. I was about to taste food for poison. Suddenly my job didn’t look so rosy. Though it could be worse. I could be washing dishes like the girl at the back of the kitchens. I remembered her from yesterday, the one I had conversed with. We’d never even traded names.
Taking the fork, I dug under the beautiful browned top crust and poked a large hunk of meat and potatoes dripping with gravy. I was careful not to disturb the top crust, but I made a point to cut into the bottom crust. If the crust were poisoned I’d have to sample it to see.
Placing the food into my mouth, I chewed slowly. A burst of flavor splashed across my tongue, peppery, creamy, and delicious.
“Yummm,” I moaned, and the chef perked up, looking pleased.
“Bitterness? Throat burning? Dizziness? Stomach cramping?” Mrs. Tirth asked.
I shook my head and then she pointed to the fruit compote.
I was handed a fresh fork and grabbed a sizable chunk of melon dripping with honey. I popped it into my mouth and chewed. Sugary goodness filled my mouth and I waited for any taste of bitterness, but there was none.
Mrs. Tirth consulted a pocket watch. “One more minute.”
It hit me then—They’re waiting one minute to see if I’ve been poisoned.
My heart picked up as I too waited for any symptoms. After a moment, she looked me over. “Good?”
I nodded, giving her a thumbs-up.
“You are to serve him the plate. If a waiter does it, you have to taste it again,” Mrs. Tirth said.
Wow. This guy was paranoid. I knew most kings and queens were, but this was next level. I nodded, grabbing the plate, and then Mrs. Tirth pointed to two double doors. “Brief him for the first meeting over breakfast. And good luck! I’ve got to run,” she said, and then took off, leaving me holding a plate of poisonless food and the stack of notes from last week’s meeting.
Walking across the busy kitchen, I neared the double doors and a waiter opened it for me. He was holding a plate almost identical to mine.
Raife was sitting at the head of an extravagant table just inside of the room. Alone.
I eyed the waiter suspiciously.
“Ihave the king’s food,” I said loudly and forcefully. Why did he have an identical plate? Was he going to switch them last minute? Was I going to foil an assassination plot on my very first day?
The waiter nodded. “And I have yours.”
Heat crept up my cheeks and I muttered an apology, stepping into the room.
“Good morning, my lord,” I greeted the king, who was looking over some parchments.
He stared up at me, his eyes slowly raking over my dress in a way that caused even more heat to creep up my cheeks.
The waiter placed my plate in front of the seat next to the king and left.
I set down the plate I held in front of Raife. “No bitter taste and no sickness have befallen me,” I told the king before sitting beside him.
He nodded, leaning forward to smell the food slowly. As the realm’s most powerful healer, I knew he could smell most poisons, but I also knew there were a handful of odorless ones.
“Did you think the waiter was trying to poison me?” he asked suddenly, and I swallowed hard, knowing I couldn’t lie to him.
Great, he’d overheard me.
