I decided to do another for challenge number 1. This is the story about Kris, that had everybody laughing. Mercedes owns all. One-shot like all the Challenges.
Stuffing
Kris sighed as he walked down the hall to the kitchens. It was his turn to help there and he hoped he could do it, at home he never set foot there, so this was new teritory for him.
He thought longingly of the book he had left in his room, it was a new one on the history of the Karsite war and he had just started to get into it. He sighed again at the entrance of the kitchen as the helper's who had been talking and laughing stopped and stared at him.
Great, he thought to himself, more attention. He couldn't help his looks and he had never tried to use them at court like some people he knew, he would rather stay at home with a good book.
He stood there uncertainly until a man with kind eyes walked up to him "Are you one of my kitchen helpers?" he asked.
Kris nodded, that must be Mero, he thought.
"What experience do you have in the kitchen?" Mero asked.
"None sir" he said softly.
Mero shook his head "Then I'll have to give you something easy" he said, leading Kris to a table with a hand to his back.
"Here" he said handing Kris a chicken.
Kris took it gingerly "What do I do with this?" he asked.
"Pluck it clean and when you are done, I'll tell you what to do next".
Kris nodded and sat, pulling out feathers as he listened to the other girls and boys gossip as they worked. He had always been a little shy, being sheltered on his parents estates. He had never even been to Haven until his uncle Orthallen had taken him in for the summer, it had been a shock to everyone when he had been Chosen.
Finally he finshed with his task "Sir" he said, gaining Mero's attention.
"Yes" the man asked.
"What do I do next?" he asked.
The man handed him a knife "Here, cut the head and feet off then, stuff the bird when you're done dressing it" he said, pushing a bowl of the stuffing over to Kris.
He turned to give orders to a girl at the other end of the kitchen and Kris started to cut, yuck, he thought to himself, finally done, he cut into the bird and stared at the insides, confused.
He got up and carried the bird over to Mero, where he was talking to one of the girls, she smiled at him and he smiled shyly back as he waited for Mero to finish before asking "Sir, How can I stuff this bird when it's full?" he asked, showing the man the birds insides.
The girl started laughing and when the other's asked what was going on, she told them what he had said, soon they were all laughing and Kris turned bright red, He wasn't sure what he had said, that was so funny.
Mero looked at his confused face and took pity on him "Son, you need to clean the insides out first before you stuff it"
"Oh" he said, embaressed.
"Don't worry about it" the girl said. "We all have something we haven't done before".