When James mingled around in the castle's kitchen, he managed took note that Scarlet was going to have tea soon. He suddenly volunteered to serve the dish out to the Lady Captain in waiting.
And he was relieved that only Scarlet was present at the dining table.
"The pleasure is mine to serve you, Captain", James humbly acted.
"So what are you going to serve? Did you prepare them?"
"Well, I was only helping. But I'll be serving you a bowl of hot broth with fine noodles imported from the Rise Continent."
Scarlet looked on as James explained one by one the dish he would serve her.
Then, out of the corner of the room, the big door reopened and came filing into the room were Princess Fina, accompanied by Zuber. Then, Jackel and Neville followed suit. They both looked a little bit haggard. Either they were not easily accepted by the people or they had a rough horse ride. But Dylan was nowhere to be seen.
As these people took their seats around the very wide and long dining table, servants came out from another door to tend them.
But James was rather alarmed at the number of people who came for tea. He recalled that the kitchen cook told him that the people of the castle wouldn't come for tea this early, or was he played by them? Or was it an unfortunate circumstance that somehow people were eager to have tea around this hour?
"What are you having there, Scar?" Fina was curious as she took in the wisp of the steam coming out of the bowl of broth and noodle served in front of Scarlet.
Scarlet smiled at Fina's query, "Your suitor here made me a broth. Isn't he considerate?"
Fina was impressed as well.
But these exchanges did not sit well with James.
It was even worse when Scarlet offered to Fina to taste instead his cooking.
"I think I can get the other cook to prepare another one just like it for Princess Fina", James tried to reason his reluctance to pass the dish to Fina.
"But I want to taste the one served to Scarlet. After all, you specially served her, James", the Princess remembered his name, "I'm jealous", Fina almost pouted. For others spectating this, it was rather endearing seeing a childish act portrayed by the Princess, but James had never felt so alarmed.
Scarlet noticed the nervousness in James' expressions. It only added to her amusement.
"Well, you can't deny the Princess's order", said Scarlet, as she lifted the bowl and passed on to another servant's tray for him to bring it to Fina's side.
James sighed in relief, but Scarlet caught on.
"Oh, I almost forgot. The sauce", Scarlet raised the small plate filled with a paste-like concoction. "This should add flavor".
James's eyes widened in frantic. How to overcome this?
"I-I think Your Highness should taste without the sauce first. The broth itself already has strong flavor", James tried again.
Scarlet merely looked at him and Fina too.
"Very well, James. If you insist", Fina, to James's relief, agreed and took a sip of the broth.
Apparently, everyone in the room somehow waited, anticipated as Fina finished her sip and slurp of the broth and noodle.
"Emm, it's good!" Fina declared.
The other three suitors presented glanced at James, impressed and envy.
"I think you can finish the rest, Fina", as Scarlet said this, she swiped a bit of the sauce onto her finger.
While that was part of James's intention, he did not foresee that there would be guests to witness. His franticness returned when it was subsiding just now.
"Um, Captain, I think you shouldn't be tasting the sauce on its own..."
But Scarlet already licked it when she turned to him, challenging, "And why not, Doctor James?"
He failed to respond.
The other men had figured out as well what was James' intention of this whole thing.
But Scarlet was still there, awaiting his response.
"B-because sauce are always consumed to be complimented with something. Rarely it is eaten alone", he was surprised he could still come up with a reply.
"Well, the sauce did ease my headache from training you lot", Scarlet scraped the sauce in the small plate there, which was true, whatever concoction inside the sauce somehow eased the feverish and nauseating poison she was suffering just now. But she knew that was not James' intention at all. But she played along.
"Well done, Doctor", the other men looked up to hear Scarlet's first compliment towards a person. Even James was at a loss for words. "The Princess is impressed with the dish and I'm healed by this concoction", she lifted the small plate to show, or almost to taunt him. James only gulped.
Scarlet wiped her mouth a bit, then she stood up. "Since I have my fill, I'll take my leave", she turned to Fina and gave a small bow which Fina nodded in acknowledgement. Then, she turned to James who was still standing there, pale as ever. "You look a little sick, Doctor. Why don't you have a seat and dine with the rest of them?" He managed to nod and slowly settled into a seat, but as he tried to compose himself, Scarlet managed a whisper, "I applaud you for your effort, assassin. But try not kill me in front of the Princess..."
It was not the revelation that she knew he was going to poison her that scared him. It was the thought of another young lady who might kill him instead and she was sitting at the far end, commanding the table, and in the future, commanding the nation.
The rest of the tea time was peaceful and somewhat tense. While the Princess made her usual cheerful talks, getting to know each of the men who were present with her, all the men were not at ease. And they all felt rather sympathetic towards James, for he was obviously restless. If the rest of the suitors could guess that James had attempted to harm the Captain, then, the Princess would not be foolish to think otherwise as well.
In fact, as everyone had finished their small meal, Fina addressed James again.
"Thank you, Doctor. Or should I say, Majes the Assassin".
James froze. He could not look at anyone. The other suitors were silent as well.
"For you are renown for concocting various kinds of poisons and are responsible for various accidental deaths of various officials in this court", Fina explained. "I do have to thank you for getting rid of some of the rotten men in those ranks", in which Fina truly did feel indebted to him in some ways. He helped to be rid of corrupted politicians who could never repent until they see hell for themselves. "But if you kill my Captain, my future General, I won't hesitate to behead you", and that last sentence came out cold.
Blood drained further from James. He was definitely sick.
The other suitors were just as terrified. They were withholding their gulps if they could.
And as the evening sunlight descended further in between the mountain's horizon, and the light shining through gradually faded from the dining hall, all the men there noticed. They did not miss it. The cold glint in the Princess's eyes.
****
"What were you thinking?" Neville was the first to exclaim as the four men reached the common room.
"I did not expect that the Princess would be there!"
Neville shook his head at this brashness. The day had yet to end. "You do know we are in a castle where the Princess basically lives here".
Then, a clicking resounded as the doorknob of the room turned to reveal Dylan who had just returned from his strolls around the nearby town, "What I miss?"
"James here tried to poison the Captain", Jackel answered.
Dylan let out a whistle. Unlike Neville, he was impressed. "Whoa, so how did it go?" He even approached James and patted him firmly on the shoulder, acknowledging his wits.
"The Captain knew", said James.
"And even the Princess", Neville added, annoyed.
That widened Dylan's eyes for a moment, only to rouse laughter from him instead. "Amazing man, you're still here standing despites pulling that off. Brave."
"I merely attempted. There's nothing exceptional about this", James tried to brush off. Though he was slightly comforted by Dylan's comment.
And as the remaining five men tried to discuss further, another knock resounded but rather harshly. Without waiting for the men to respond, two guards rushed in and reprimanded Dylan.
"What the- " the guards immediately slung across their arms against his elbow, tugging and pulling him outside. "Unhand me, you fools! Don't you know who I am?"
"Apology Sir, Princess's order", one of the guards replied.
And before any of the men could do anything to Dylan, the door shut behind him.
Neville only sighed further.
Seemed like he could not see through three months if the rate they were cut down was this fast, almost like this battle royal is just for show.
He glanced at Zuber, Jackel and James. They were quiet and pensive as well after seeing Dylan just now. He recalled the things Scarlet mentioned last night, how they all, whether directly or not, had a hand in corruption.
And he wondered, if they were all not innocent enough to be the Princess's Consort, then who could?
****