Shards

Chapter 33 - Preparations

With Key's mission completed. It was time to execute the next one.

Ice.

Ghost lingered patiently in a corner of the large busy kitchen. For the past few days, he had purposely come at the busiest time to collect their meals. The other guards, maids and servants all had their own allocated mess areas but Shuang's two bodyguards had sometimes been overlooked. Since they were only temporary and not part of the roster, they were told to collect their meals at the kitchen. They could have whatever was extra or leftovers.

The days of dining with Shuang was long over. In fact, the Shards had been banished from her presence since her failed confrontation with her father. Now, they loitered outside her rooms within listening distance.

Meals and accommodation had not been discussed in the contract. The fact that they had been given a tiny room to share made Key indignant but Ghost accepted the slight without complaint. They were being paid a huge sum and Lord Zhai's petty retaliation was meaningless to him. Furthermore, they would not be using the room much as their job would require them by Shuang's side. Still the older Shard had grumbled at the unfairness.

Usually they took turns but since Key got hurt during Shuang's pilgrimage, Ghost was the one going to the kitchens for food everyday. As the master of the House and his esteemed guests took precedence, he was forced to wait longer than usual for their meals. He made good use of the time. It was the perfect excuse to hang around the busy kitchens and make friends with the servants there.

He had taken the time to survey the kitchen, noting where ingredients were kept and who was in charge of what. Ghost also heard many things including the preferences of the Zhai household. Recently he had turned his attention to the guests' palate.

The Head cook was busy supervising the main meals. The assistant cooks had to ensure everything else was perfect. Each esteemed guest had their own whim and the kitchen staff were bending backwards catering to them. They would not shame the Ruling House for lacking anything.

"Lord Heng likes sweets. Add more sugar to his portion."

"Lord Fu likes his meat spicy. Use the rare spice from the new supply."

"The Ji family who just arrived prefers fresh vegetables and fresh fruits. Make sure there is an extra fruit basket in their room. Also make sure it is always full."

A servant nodded and quickly left with two overflowing baskets.

Ghost glanced at the lad but continued listening taking note of who like what.

"What about the bridegroom?"

"Lord Zhang?"

The Head cook paused to think. "Nothing from him and his entourage since he came. I guess he is not fussy. His delicate sister did ask for a steady supply of hot water for tea. That's all. She brought a whole variety with her from their island."

"They sure drink a lot of tea," remarked an assistant.

"Never mind that, its nothing compared to the rest."

"The young masters have a sudden craving for roasted venison. Add more firewood to the roasting pits before mounting the bucks. The three bucks from last month's hunt should be well seasoned by now."

"You! Go check the wood supply. And you go check on the meat."

Lesser cooks scrambled to obey the order. Roasting whole bucks took hours. If they were not ready for tonight's feast, heads would roll.

"Lord Wen doesn't like nuts. So none for his dessert portion. Serve him the berry pastries and honey cakes instead of the nut snacks."

"Lord Li's wife is with child. She requested some of our famous sweet sour candies. You start on it, might as well make more. She will probably request more later."