Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to all of you guys. I wanted to get this out earlier, but have been a bit busy. Whatever. So, this stands at a little under 13k. This is what everyone wanted, yes? I'm already excited for the next chapter...as all of you should be! Get ready for all the awesomeness.
Also, 300 followers, 250 faves, 130 reviews? You guys are amazing! Okay, let's get to it!
"Here's the last one."
"Yeah, thanks."
Shirou grunted as he picked up the last barrel of wine, feeling the muscles in his arms stretch and tighten as he tried to balance it in his arms. Splinters of the wooden barrel stabbed and pricked at his hands and he barely managed a nod at the man who had brought in the last of the goods. The redhead frowned and hefted the barrel upwards for a better grip before finally making his way back towards the kitchens. He couldn't see over the barrel, so he had to try looking around the barrel's right and left to see in front of him. Luckily, the cart had been fairly close to the doors heading into the east wing, so he wouldn't have to walk too, too far.
After walking down the long corridor, he went directly into the winery and lifted the keg up onto one of the resting stands. Sighing as he leaned against the stacked keg, Shirou wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He righted himself and looked around the room. Many of the stands still remained empty, though Shirou wasn't sure if that was the norm or not. He turned around and headed out of the room, back down the hall, and back outside to see if there was anything else that needed assisting. He wasn't the only person rushing back and forth to get things done though – all of the other servants working in the kitchen had been racing to and fro with barrels and kegs of other things, putting them in place and then coming back out for more. The rush had only begun about a couple hours earlier once the supply carts had finally made their way through the castle gates.
Shirou frowned as he walked outside, his eyes gazing over all of the white covering the ground as far as he was physically capable of seeing. On top of all of the servants, there were also all of the mages out and about, melting down as much snow as they could with simple fire magic. They couldn't melt down too much of it because then the castle would have flooding to deal with as well, so that made things a bit complicated. It seemed they were focusing primarily on creating the primary path from the outer gates to the main doors. The squires and pages, on the other hand, were clearing out the training fields on the other side of the grounds, as most, if not all, of the servants were focused on dealing with the supplies. A decent majority of the soldiers were out helping the villagers shovel away snow or making a path around a couple of kilometers long leading up to the city gates. The knights, for their part, were personally directing groups of soldiers in their particular endeavors, as specifically commanded by the king herself. And speaking of kings...
He looked over at the blonde walking steadily across the extensive castle grounds. As far as he knew, having only taken glances at her every so often while he worked, she had been making rounds all day, personally ordering people to do certain things, like shoveling or assisting the merchants and suppliers. King Arthur had been in the thick of things as usual, and had hardly been a few motions away from taking to a shovel herself. Shirou had seen her disappear down into the main city every so often before coming back up and directing soldiers elsewhere. In other words, she was definitely keeping herself as busy, if not even busier than everyone else.
Shirou turned away and jogged up to one of the merchants who was taking inventory of the items he had left. The merchant glanced up at him once before turning away from the cart.
"I'm from the kitchens. Are there any more items left that need to be taken away?"
"The kitchens?" the man inquired. "No, those are all done. We lost a lot of cargo with the storm, so that's all we've got for His Majesty, unfortunately."
"How much is 'a lot'?" asked Shirou, frowning as he looked at all of the wagons. There was a good amount of them, but the number of them was apparently far fewer than had been expected.
"We barely managed to bring in about forty percent of the overall stock. Most of our wagons were lost with the snow and wind, and we had to leave the rest where it was."
"So, the rest of the goods is just lying around somewhere out there?"
"Doubtful. If the marauders haven't stolen them, then wild animals surely have, sir."
Not knowing why he was even surprised, Shirou turned away and looked back at King Arthur as she spoke to some other merchants who had brought their portion of the caravan to the east wing. It was a shame, but with how strong the storm had been, it was a wonder the caravan had ever managed to make it to the castle at all.
As Zago had prophesized, the snow storm had come billowing in that very evening, though not without torrents of rain and wind sweeping though and around the whole of Camelot. The wind had been slow and gentle at first, but it was the archers and guards stationed up top on the roofs and allures who first noticed the subtle change in the wind speed. After relay after relay of the new information through the ranks, the news of the upcoming ferocity was communicated to the king who immediately called for the town bell to be rung. In addition to the ringing of the bell, all servants were to prep the castle for the intense winds and make sure the shutters for every single castle window were closed and secured.
The flags symbolizing King Arthur's rule were to be taken down and sealed and all training was halted in favor of putting away and sheltering the various equipment. Hostlers attended to the horses, securing down different sections of the stables and making sure nothing would injure the horses throughout the entirety of the storm. All field hands and servants were forbidden from setting foot outside of the castle and the soldiers were to stay within their barracks through the duration.
When the town bell chimed, the castle attendants weren't the only ones rushing around busily to take care of loose ends. The city itself was in uproar as villagers ran back and forth to secure their houses and buy enough groceries to last them until the storm was finished. Gardens were "weatherproofed", animals were taken into the houses to rest with the families, and shops were closed earlier than usual for the evening to minimize losses. Something else that was extraordinary, as the king was loathe to do this very often, was that the gates, both that of the city and the main castle, were closed to heighten wind resistance and possibly lessen the damage that would be dealt.
Not even two hours after the first chime of the bell, the wind picked up and roared ferociously around the city walls and across the grounds. Shirou could remember the dead silence within his and Zago's room as the wind had bore down and slammed against the window's shutters. For all the effort the two had taken to secure the shutters, there was little to stop some icy cold wind from slipping through the gaps and whirl around the two. In the end, both men had just stopped trying to light the candles on the stands next to them since the wind continuously blew the flame out each time. Eventually, the two had grown cold enough that each one escaped the room and went to the kitchens for the evening. Unfortunately, once Baeddan had found them, he'd quickly assigned them something else to do – with everyone now stuck inside the castle, the kitchens were busier than ever and the Head Cook had been looking for more hands to help with the increased volume of partakers.
The kitchens, although being the warmest room in all of the east wing, – most "normal" servant rooms did not have fireplaces installed, unlike the rooms for the knights, those of higher ranks, and naturally, the king – it did still have several issues that had needed to be addressed. The pipes leading the coal fumes out of the main area were not completely secured and bound and with the wind, the fumes often had come swooping back into the kitchens, making it hard for most of the kitchen hands to breathe and work efficiently. A number of people had to go retrieve some ladders and towels and plug the holes around the pipes to keep the workspace free of poisonous air. However, because of how hot the pipes often became, many towels had also been set afire, which had required dousing them with cold water and then retrieving even more towels to replace them. Had there been some sort of fan, Shirou remembered thinking, there wouldn't have been as much of an issue, but powerful enough fans for that wouldn't be invented for another 1,400 years, or so.
The night had been a cold and dreary one, with a majority of the servants instead cuddling next to one another in their own particular rooms for warmth. The blankets allotted to the servants were quite thin and shoddy in quality, so it wasn't uncommon for many to come down with colds or even pneumonia during the winter season. Hot water was very much a commodity and something the common people would never experience for perhaps all of their lives.
Zago, very much irritated over their current situation, had guided Shirou skillfully and quietly into the pantry, a room that often fielded a lot of the heat from the kitchens. They had slept there that night, behind all of the flour satchels and barrels. The storm hadn't quickly gone away either, so the two continued sleeping there the entire week, not being discovered only thanks to Zago's experience with the matter – he was very knowledgeable on what flour bags and what wheat would be used for meal purposes.
With all of the snow, the supplies for the castle had been delayed day by day, and it wasn't until a week after its start that the storm finally died off enough for people to leave the castle for more than half an hour at a time. Zago had been none too surprised to see the near two meters of snow that had been dumped down on Camelot and its surrounding area. The first snow clean-up had taken place that day, and it took several hours to whittle down all of the snow and clear away most of the grounds, even with all of the soldiers, available knights, and servants working together as a unit to get things cleaned up. Half of the soldiers had even gone down to the city to help with clean up there, just as they were at present. Due to so much snowfall, however, the castle goods had been delayed indefinitely until the roads could be reopened for service. While King Arthur had desired to open up the main city gates, that proved impossible as another storm was quick to rumble over Camelot yet again.
Before Shirou had known it, a full month had passed since he had finally arrived at Camelot with King Arthur and her entourage, and the city and castle were sorely lacking for supplies. Food portions gradually grew smaller and smaller to accommodate for continuing every single service, but considering how much food was normally used, there was still a good amount that was being served to everyone. With lighter portions, servants had also been given a bit more time off, though in exchange, they had been forced to help shovel snow each and every single day.
With all of the tasks left for him to do, there had never been a moment for Shirou to really take a breather and simply exist. Even Zago had found it difficult to escape and get some much needed rest, as there had hardly been any to be found. The days had been filled with chores and the nights had been uncomfortable and cold. Even the king had seemed to lack much of her usual enthusiasm as her exhaustion and stress gradually took their toll on her over the duration of the month. Shirou had only caught glimpses of her here and there in the castle and out on the grounds when he had been shoveling, but never had he seen her look so ragged – of course, she didn't outwardly show it, but he grasped her situation bit by bit as she walked, spoke, and proceeded along normally. He could hardly blame her, considering how many complaints and grievances she had been forced to handle as the supplies grew more and more delayed.
When the supplies had finally been delivered, the quantity had been less than originally calculated for, but a large number of servants were called out to assist with taking in all of the goods regardless. Shirou had been one of the several attendants who hadn't been busy with anything in particular except for shoveling, so it had been an obvious choice for him to immediately begin helping with carrying everything he could in. The caravan was something that traversed the entirety of Britain, picking up packages or barrels of this and that along the way, as well as making its own specific deliveries. Shirou hadn't known what was in each particular keg, but there had been a lot of wine and ale – the Britons certainly loved their alcohol. With everyone working together, the process had only taken a couple of hours from start to finish.
Shirou continued absently watching the blonde as she rotated around the many wagons. He hadn't even realized the length at which he'd kept watching her until he noticed, with a start, her piercing, green eyes staring straight into his. Grunting slightly, Shirou rose up from where he was leaning against one of the carts and stood straight up as, after a slight moment of deliberation on her part, she turned away from one merchant and walked stiffly over to him. Her demeanor, as always, was serious and controlled, but he could definitely detect some wear-and-tear on her. Hm, she tended to become snippier when she was at the end of her ropes, so he hoped he hadn't somehow earned her ire. Although, it wasn't as if they'd actually spoken over the month he'd been there – it would have been odder if they had, Shirou supposed.
"Do you lack for something to do?" King Arthur asked as soon as she came within conversational range of him.
Both fortunately and unfortunately, no, he didn't. He was so busy with random things that he didn't have much time to think about the previous few months, but then again, he was so busy that he didn't have time for the more important things either, like sleep. Shirou was quite ready to just project a real bed with real covers, or even a futon with real covers, as long as he could actually sleep with warmth for once. Even Ceri's house had had the fire going for a majority of the time, and it had been tended to by one of the two of them whenever they happened to wake up overnight. He was also a bit tired of waking up with his feet practically feeling like blocks of ice, but that was just how things were here. Modern conveniences of the future didn't exist here, obviously, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy it. Sure, Shirou appreciated the simplicity of the Medieval Age, but he certainly didn't enjoy it – it didn't matter how glad he was to be with the blonde again.
"No, I was just resting a bit," he confessed, a bit worn out. "Your Majesty."
She turned her gaze away to look at the doors leading to the east wing and at the several servants taking a breather next to the doors or on the snowy ground. Everyone looked exhausted – it had been a long month.
"Yes, I suppose I can understand what you mean," she agreed softly, her shoulders losing a little of their tension. "This has been a trying month and I had not imagined it would take the supplies so long to arrive. I also had not been able to foresee such heavy snowfall, either."
"I'd think you'd be more worn out than anyone else here," Shirou said, his head tilting to the side. "Are you doing okay, Your Majesty?"
King Arthur was quick to glare at him, as if he'd said something incredibly taboo. Had he?
"I should hardly think you to be in any position to monitor my condition. I am still more than capable of continuing the tasks required of me, unlike some who must rest themselves against cargo carts."
"What?" he mustered, taken aback more than anything else. "I mean, yeah, I guess I should get back to the kitchen and get some more work done, but..."
"That is not to what I was referring," the king was quick to say. "It is not simply you, but all of the servants over whom I am concerned. I realize the current weather conditions are not optimal, but I do not understand why all of you should look so ragged or tired."
"Let's just say that there isn't much difference between my room and that cold ground we were at when you yelled at me."
"I did not yell at you," was the first thing out of her mouth before she ducked her head in thought a bit. "What of your fires?"
"We have candles. Candles that get blown out by the wind within a second of lighting them."
"Blankets?"
"We have them," Shirou said, but as soon as she seemed ready to argue her point further, he added, "but ones that aren't chew toys for rats or as holey as Swiss cheese would be nice."
"Surely, you must be exaggerating," King Arthur retorted, right hand on her hip. "I am quite certain I would have been notified of such ridiculous conditions."
"Are you sure about that, Your Majesty?" he remarked, unintentionally sarcastic.
She seemed to take some offense at that. "I am hardly a tyrant, I will have you know. Do not think for one moment I would allow my servants to live in such inhabitable conditions. For that matter, do you really take me for someone who would seek the deaths of those who care for my castle?"
"Whoa," Shirou inserted, interrupting her rant before she really built it up into something. The last thing he needed was for her to get so heated that someone else would need to intervene, or worse, for her to decide to put that sword attached to her belt to good use. "That's not what I meant, ma'– sir. It's just, you're the king."
"As grateful as I am that you have finally come to that conclusion –"
"Could you let me finish?" Shirou asked irritably.
The blonde seemed shocked over the interruption for a few seconds before her mouth closed with an audible clack. He hadn't wanted to cut her off, but he really hadn't made his point yet. Then again, he didn't know why he was arguing with someone who could ship him off to the dungeons and have him tortured to death, or someone who didn't know him from Jack.
"Please do," she muttered, obviously trying to be courteous.
"I meant that you're the king, so you have a lot more things to worry about than the living conditions of every single low-level servant who works for you."
"As a king, I am responsible for every person within my kingdom, even for something as simple as blankets."
"Sure, you might think so, but I'm pretty sure that your knights or the people who directly report to you don't think that it's worth your time."
Her eyes still narrowed, King Arthur continued to glare at him as her breath slowly eased out of her mouth while she considered his words. It was true that she knew nothing about her own servants unless Dylan or any of her other correspondents told her. It was also true that word of their living conditions never reached her ears, and she had more than likely assumed that no news was good news. However, in the event that the redhead was telling the truth, then it was a reality that she needed to face and rectify, if that was in her power. A larger torch might solve the heat issue and as far as the blankets went... Perhaps she could request tailors and seamstresses within the city to make thicker blankets? No, but then there was the issue of where the materials would come from, and the goods Camelot had received were fewer than originally requested, so it might be far more taxing to request enough blankets to keep every single servant warm...
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. There was little point in thinking of every single negative to the extent that it would deter her from acting in the first place.
"Very well," the once and future king conceded. "Providing your words are correct, what is it you would have me do about it? I doubt it need be said that right now, Camelot is in a dire position, due in no small part to Mother Nature, herself."
Shirou's eyes widened slightly as he blinked once. "Wait, you're asking me?"
King Arthur frowned, an eyebrow raised. "I would like to inquire as to who else you –"
"RO! Ro, stop wasting my time and get into the damn kitchen!"
She and Shirou immediately shifted their attention away from one another and instead towards the man walking towards them. With his short, black hair flowing back and forth gently with the cold breeze and his fierce brown eyes focused solely on Shirou, it looked exactly if he had stepped right out of a shampoo commercial. Baeddan walked up to the redhead and blonde smoothly and his left hand whipped out to grab Shirou by his tunic. Pulling Shirou as close as King Arthur had him a month prior, he whispered,
"You were supposed to report back as soon as you finished stacking the wine as my business with you is not yet finished." He glanced at the motionless king with a small grin, and continued: "Now, Ro, do you think yourself able to walk back on your own or shall I assist you in that endeavor?"
The king hadn't even felt her teeth clench together tightly when Baeddan grinned at her and repeated the exact words she had spoken to him before. Shirou wasn't sure what was going on or what was up with the random grin Baeddan made at the king, but any time he had to talk to the other man, he always felt his patience wear thin incredibly fast. Shirou grasped hold of the other man's wrist and gripped tightly enough to restrict the blood circulation.
"You didn't say a damn word about going back to the kitchen since I haven't actually seen you the entire fucking day. So, back off," Shirou said forcefully, calmly peeling off the other man's hand and pushing him back.
"Oh, I do love it when you fight back," Baeddan responded cheerfully, cracking his knuckles as he grinned. "It makes punishing you that much more satisfying."
Shirou backed up a few steps, ready to block any attack the Head Cook sent his way and as Baeddan's muscles tightened and he coiled back to spring forward, King Arthur cleared her throat once. Shirou flicked his gaze back to look at her, but when Baeddan chose to ignore her and volleyed straight toward Shirou, all the latter saw was a yellow streak as King Arthur first struck Baeddan's chest with her armored left hand. She then spun around, swept her right foot back behind one of his, hooked it tightly and slammed her right arm back into his chest, sending him flying backwards and crashing back onto the ground. Shirou edged away from her slightly as she peered down coolly at the cook.
"Unfortunately, Head Cook," she began, not missing a single beat, "he and I were already engaged in a conversation. I must sincerely ask that you wait your turn and I promise to return Shirou to you once my discussion with him is at an end."
She held out a hand to Baeddan who simply seemed exasperated with her. Shirou glanced around and couldn't say he was surprised to see several merchants and servants gaping at the king who had taken down the Head Cook within a single second. He let out a deep breath – she was scary as hell.
"He's my servant!" Baeddan declared indignantly while swatting her hand aside.
"And you are mine," she informed him. "Your point would be?"
"What need would you have to speak with a peasant servant like him?" the cook asked, standing up and brushing himself off. "It would make more sense for someone of your stature to converse with someone with actual intelligence."
"Fuck off," muttered Shirou.
"As soon as you die, peasant," Baeddan returned happily.
King Arthur narrowed her eyes at Baeddan this time. "I was simply questioning him about the living conditions of the lower-ranked servants, and he apprised me of details I was not aware of."
"Such as?"
"Like shredded blankets," intervened Shirou. "No warmth. Ice-cold prisons. An increased inability to sleep thanks to all of the above."
Baeddan snorted as he turned to the king. "And you were unaware of this much? What kind of king are you?"
The muscle in her jaw jumped as she gritted her teeth, and her fists automatically clenched tightly.
"No, I had not been aware," she said, taking care to be as polite as she possibly could. "And though I am quite loathe to admit it, there is much I am unaware of within my own castle. That is the reason I sought to speak with him. In doing so, I might be able to rectify the situation."
The Head Cook frowned slightly. "You came all the way over here just to find out about how some peasants are functioning?"
"They are an integral part of the castle," she said slowly, instinctively feeling something shift within the atmospheric mood, but unsure as to exactly what. "If it is within my power to better their lives, even if by only a bit, then I will do my utmost to ensure that happens."
Shirou looked at her pointedly. "It's not that big a deal. You don't have to worry that much about things that don't directly correlate to you."
"Hmph," she huffed, glaring at him again. "Nothing would ever be completed if everything needed to directly correlate with me, you realize. Satisfied servants make for a content castle, which in turn makes for a wholesome life. Take care to remember that."
"...Right. I'll just mark that in my schedule somewhere. No promises, though."
She was about to chastise him again when Baeddan held up a hand for her attention. King Arthur turned back to the other Briton, feeling slightly confused but ready to hear whatever it was he had to say.
"If you found out that information, would you see that it was taken care of?"
The king's eyebrows raised somewhat. "To the best of my ability."
Baeddan sighed. "The servants' quarters all require new sleeping cots and heavier blankets as most of the warmth is steered towards the west, north, and main wings. As the shutters are all worn down, they need to be replaced with either new wooden ones, or something of iron and steel to better restrict the amount of wind that flows into the room. Ideally, each room should be equipped with miniature hearths, but considering the cost and material restrictions for such an event, every room should at least have a few torches or some way of trapping heat.
"Every door leading to the corridor is also less than acceptable, as any heat will immediately be lost due to the poor condition of the wood. Might I suggest oak or redwood? Each servant should also be dressed with cloth suitable for winter conditions, or be given some sort of heavy material with which to move around in. Access to running water outside of the kitchen, but inside the castle itself, would also be incredibly preferable, or perhaps a communal toilet facility for the servants, so they would not have to venture outside to relieve themselves. More than anything else, I would suggest focusing on the shutters, blankets, and cots."
King Arthur and Shirou's eyes grew wide with disbelief and the latter slowly turned to look over at the former. She was still staring at Baeddan as if she had just lived through a dream, but eventually turned her attention over to make eye contact with Shirou, who was standing a couple of paces away from her. They looked at one another for a moment before simultaneously once again facing the Head Cook standing in front of them.
Baeddan shook his head slightly before focusing on King Arthur again.
"Now, king, have I answered your question well enough?"
An indescribable expression crossed the blonde's face and she answered slowly, "Yes, you have."
There was a slight pause and then a, "Thank you", with some incredulity unraveling itself in her voice.
"Feel free to come by and ask again anytime should you forget, Your Highness," Baeddan said as he attempted to grab Shirou by his tunic again.
Shirou evaded his grasp, eyes squinted softly. "Don't touch me. I can get there on my own."
"See that you do, peasant."
The redhead merely ignored him and glanced back at the king who was still standing ramrod still. She must have felt his gaze upon her but was slow to look back at him. Shirou smiled a toothy grin at her.
"That shocked look suits you," he said as he waved and then turned and headed for the east wing after Baeddan.
King Arthur froze after his compliment – could that truly be counted as one? – but slowly exhaled and placed her hands on her hips. She watched him walk away with a somewhat thoughtful facial expression and tilted her head slightly. Letting her gaze drop a bit, the king felt her exhaustion hit her slightly now that the two distractions were gone, but was quick to force herself back into a state of alertness.
"Blankets," she murmured, turning around and walking back towards the opposite end of the grounds. "Blankets, cots, shutters... Blankets, cots, shutters..."
Shirou hefted himself up to sit on one of the cutting tables while Zago contented himself with sitting on a stool next to the redhead. Shirou scratched the back of his head and turned to look at the other man.
"So, what's all of this about anyway?"
"Fuck all if I know," Zago replied, obviously not caring one way or another. "Maybe he's here to fire us all and send us packing to some other castle."
"Then who would he boss around?"
Zago snapped his fingers and swiveled to look at Shirou. "Fuck me! You're right! That fucker definitely needs us around. Hey, maybe we're going to get a bunch of benefits, and more food! And sleep! God damn, I need me some serious sleep, brother."
Eos, who was standing behind them on the other side of the table, passed the platinum-blond a frown, although he couldn't see it. She seemed almost bored as she leaned on the table, as if she wasn't sure if she should even bother pointing out the ludicrousness of such a thought. She flicked her gaze up to look at Shirou, who in turn, passed her a helpless smile. There was little point in scolding the other man for his incredible dreams and delusions, but if she didn't, then he would remain on a power trip for the rest of his life. When Shirou just shrugged, Eos let out a soft sigh.
"I can think of more useful people Baeddan might need as opposed to a slacker such as yourself, Dagobert. If there were benefits to be earned, I would think those would go to people who actually do the work they are hired to do."
"Don't patronize me, woman. You're just jealous because I have skills you could never dream of having."
She was spared from commenting on that matter when Baeddan breezed into the kitchen, his facial expression displaying annoyance and frustration. Shirou, Zago, Eos, and all the rest of the one hundred or so members of the kitchen each straightened up a bit when their boss walked to the area nearest the hearths. Every servant had been waiting for about ten to twenty minutes after being ordered to attend a meeting of great importance within the main kitchen. With how serious Baeddan looked, it didn't seem like they were there for shits and giggles.
"I am appreciative that you all could make it here," Baeddan began, seeming somewhat sincere.
He gave his audience a sweeping glance before noticing that Shirou was sitting on top of one of the cutting tables. Frowning, he growled out,
"Get down from there. That table is worth more than your life ever will."
"Bite me," came the response.
The room grew incredibly quite as some members turned to look at Shirou for his clear show of insubordination, and the others peered over at Baeddan as the man only smirked. Baeddan glared at Shirou who blatantly ignored him and didn't budge from his spot on the table. Eos rose up to her full height as she glanced back and forth at both of the men, wondering if she would need to intervene. The tension in the room continued growing thicker as neither man backed down before Baeddan eventually let out a soft, evil chuckle and turned his attention away from the redhead.
"I have very important news for you today," he continued in a clear voice.
Zago's jaw fell slightly when Baeddan backed down – that was something he had never seen before. That damn cook never backed down from any challenge, and yet he let Shirou win that fight? Turning to Shirou, he nudged the foreigner hard.
"He let you go! He never lets anyone do what they want, the fucking prick. You ass. How the hell did you manage that?"
Shirou grunted softly. "That's because I do all of the impossible crap he asks me to do without complaint now. I got tired of him badgering me, and worked really damn hard to get to a better level."
The blond glared. "Fuck working hard and fuck you, man."
Shirou just grinned.
Ever since the day he had utterly failed at that first cooking task, Shirou had worked day in and day out to better his cutting skills. In the future, he had had various tools to work with to quickly get jobs done, and although it wasn't as if Shirou couldn't peel, cut, and slice carrots as if he had never made the attempt before, the process seemed different. It was the same action he had done for years and years in his own kitchen, but the second he had tried to do it in Camelot, he had flubbed on the process. Things that would take him all of ten seconds in the future took double or even triple that at present. Eventually, Shirou had grown so annoyed with himself that he'd stolen a knife discretely and some vegetables just so he could practice by himself. He had practiced late at night when Zago had long since fallen asleep.
Shirou had quickly realized that it was not simply due to the shock of being in a new place and using different materials that had thrown him for a loop, but the fact that the knives were not only dull, but oddly serrated. Rather, the serration of the knives wasn't too, too odd, but the serrated edges were too haphazard and strangely placed. The knives obviously hadn't been cared for in the least, which was weird considering what age it was. There were blacksmiths aplenty in this time period, but no one thought to get the knives rounded and sharpened? He realized there were more important matters than worrying about a bunch of kitchen knives, but he was surprised the people could do anything with the tools given them.
Of course, Shirou had realized with much grimacing, the cuts most of the servants made in the kitchen were neither exact nor precise. It wasn't all that uncommon to see oddly shaped cuts show up in the soups – nothing was evenly sliced, nothing was made with all the finesse of expert chefs, and nothing was presented nicely like Shirou was used to. He was far from being OCD, but he did appreciate decent aesthetic placements and distributions of the food. Most of what he had seen in this time period were things that were put together because, why not? It was this kind of attitude Shirou had faced when looking at soups with huge and small pieces of vegetables popping up and random bits of meat – mostly fat since these people didn't know what to do with a good piece of meat – spiraling around in the disgusting-looking depths of the brews. Saber's reactions to his food in the future had started to make so much more sense with every minute he had worked in that kitchen.
Determined to bring the aesthetic taste of the future to the people of this age, he'd worked on different techniques that could employ the full use of the horrible knives. Initially, he had simply relearned how to cut correctly and quickly, though it had only take him a couple of days to get back to his normal speed. Two hundred carrots within half an hour was pushing it, but he normally managed about thirty-five to forty minutes on average, peeling and cutting both included. When Baeddan had found out about his "newfound" skill, he had been "upgraded" to turnips, and then cabbage, and then pretty much every vegetable came to be in his arsenal, so to speak. It had actually taken him approximately a few weeks to get that far along, but Baeddan no longer bothered him as much. After all, no other servant had excelled at the art of cooking as much as he.
Only the week before, – and what with the snow, there had been little else to do – he had devised new cutting styles and started julienning the carrots, or putting wave designs in each piece. He often did this with leftover carrots, rejects, or molded, inedible pieces. Surprisingly, there were a lot of moldy pieces in the pantry and holding areas – so many that he had just wanted to clean everything out (the place was huge) right there and then, but Shirou had neither the time nor the desire to be placed on the cleaning crew. In either case, Baeddan didn't have much to bug Shirou over nowadays, so Shirou just did as he wanted. He was the only one who had earned his place in just a month, after all.
"It is unfortunate," Baeddan said, his eyes narrowed, "but after taking an inventory of the supplies we have been given, I have come to understand that our currently available stock pales in comparison to what we were due. As you have more than likely noticed, portion sizes for each meal service have shrunken and we need to be more selective with how we serve henceforth. As such, it is with my deepest regrets that I must ask all of you to only partake in meals once a day."
There was an immediate uproar in the kitchen. Once a day? The servants do all the work, so how could they ever sustain themselves with just that much? They were already eating the bare minimum! Why not make it so the soldiers had to eat less and make it more even?
A muscle in Baeddan's jaw jumped as he clenched his teeth, but he held up his hands to calm the crowd.
"I know," he agreed, looking completely serious. "And for once, and without any sarcasm, I wholly agree. However, this is an order directly from the king himself, and unfortunately for everyone, I rather enjoy being alive."
"How does the king expect us to keep working if we're not going to get any food?" cried out Zago angrily. "Go tell His Majesty to shove that order up his ass!"
"Hmph," muttered Baeddan. "You're more than welcome to do so yourself. I am most certain no one would ever realize you had ever disappeared one way or another."
Zago promptly shut his mouth, though not without looking very disgruntled as he angrily crossed his arms over his chest. Shirou was somewhat surprised by the supposed order as well – that didn't seem like King Arthur's style. Of course, Shirou had no real idea of what the woman was like before her life as a Servant, but he knew with absolute certainty that she wasn't the type to throw her people under a bus and expect them to still perform as expected. He took in a deep breath as Zago continued to steam quietly and Eos stayed silent.
Baeddan shook his head slightly. While none of the servants had chosen to say anything after Zago's outburst and Baeddan's obvious warning, they were all, for the most part, very incensed and upset. He, too, was quite dismayed by the whole situation, but was more annoyed by the fact that the orders had not come directly from the king himself, but from one of his follow-ups. That meant the king was either a coward and could not make such an order and see to the repercussions himself, or that someone else in the shadows was extorting the king's power for himself, or herself, even. Well, there was nothing he could do about it at that very moment regardless.
"I have more unfortunate news for all of you," he said loudly, quickly gaining everyone's attention. What could be worse than what he'd already told them?
"Due to the incessant snow that does not seem to know when enough is enough, a great deal of our soldiers who would otherwise be sleeping during the day for the night shift are instead being drafted for morning and afternoon patrols as the snow would provide adequate cover overnight for any enemies who would try to take the castle."
"I thought we were in a time of peace," muttered one servant. "Besides, that snow is as high as our waists, at least. What stupid Saxon would try raging war in such conditions?"
Another servant shook his head. "You fool, so long as Britain is still broken, 'peace' is a word we'll never understand."
"In any case," Baeddan said, clearing his throat and taking the floor again, "because of the increased sentry, many of you have been moved around accordingly to match the overall pace of the more hectic shifts. However, this leaves me with another problem: I am lacking for people to work the night time slot. I do realize that with the shortage of food and increased business that I am asking quite a bit from all of you, so, for the moment, I will only ask for volunteers."
Many people seemed disgusted that he would even suggest they bother. When no one offered to volunteer whatsoever, the Head Cook's mouth firmed as he frowned.
"I am willing to offer further incentives for those who do volunteer."
Again, there was nothing but silence in the kitchen.
"If no one deigns to volunteer, I promise that I will put every single one of you on the night shift whether you like it or not, and you will still only be given one meal a day despite that. You will also receive no particular benefits, and I will not hear a word of complaint when you're 'tired' or feel you are unable to work further. Then, when it comes to that, I will only be too happy to kick you out of this castle and let you freeze to death in the bitter cold."
That particular confession resulted in several murmurs amongst the staff, and Shirou definitely heard a few whispers of death threats and complaints. One glance at Zago told him he was not at all amused with the idea of working even more and gaining far less along the way. Eos, on the other hand, looked incredibly troubled. She obviously wanted to help out, but there seemed to be something holding her back from raising a hand to volunteer. She looked somewhat conspicuous as she attempted not to make eye contact with Baeddan.
One look at the other servants told Shirou that no one was any more interested than anyone else in taking on more hours, and he could tell that the Head Cook was growing increasingly impatient and annoyed. At this rate, the man was going to punish every single person who was unlucky enough to either get in his way or make eye contact with him. Then again, Shirou had no desire to push himself any more than necessary, but there was a chance that... Sighing, he raised his hand.
"I'll volunteer."
All murmurs and mutterings came to an immediate halt as Shirou jumped off of the table and stood at his full height; even if he hadn't grown more after high school (and he had, by a good ten centimeters), he still would have stood tall well over most of the other men in the spacious room. With his height and auburn hair, he was fairly easy to see even through the large crowd, and Baeddan fixed him with an ascertaining stare.
"You?"
"Yeah, me. I don't exactly see people jumping up and down to help out, so I will."
Baeddan bit the inside of cheek before turning away to the crowd. "Anyone else?"
Shirou may have worked within the same room as the other staff, but they were still very opposed to trusting anything he did. It did not matter that the king had given his blessing, nor did it matter that he was very good at whatever job he was given. He still looked suspicious to the castle populace, and nothing would solve that save for time and patience on his part. Luckily for him, Zago, Eos, and not even Baeddan really cared much about his genealogy or lineage. Being Japanese, he could understand that underlying fear of someone new or different, and that need for wariness when being put together with someone like that. Having lived in England for a few years though, helped him to appreciate the other side of that particular relationship, and so he was very happy to have somehow made friends who didn't care about where he was from, but just who he was. Now, with that in mind...
Shirou smiled, gripped a hold of Zago's arm, who was too surprised to protest, and pulled him to the front of the crowd.
"And...Zago's going to help me out."
"I'm what?" exclaimed the lackadaisical man. "Uh, no, I'm not!"
"It'll be a blast," coaxed Shirou, nudging the other a bit. "And hey, think about the benefits."
"Fuck you, you traitorous –"
"He'll be more than happy to work together with me," Shirou said with a grin as he clamped a hand over Zago's mouth.
Baeddan merely tilted his chin up and met Shirou's gaze knowingly. He didn't try to refute what Shirou had said, but only seemed to be amused.
"Very well," he conceded with a whisper of a smirk. "With these two, and the volume of people who are actually guaranteed to visit us at midnight, there should be enough minor staff. After all, Shirou is worth five of the rest of you. Now, I need someone of the Upper Echelons to take part. Eos?"
Eos paled slightly. She really was the obvious choice, having always been around the two aforementioned men and constantly taken care of them. Honestly, she really did want to help, but other larger and far more important duties to her took precedence. Eos, however, was very poor at turning down invites and she really couldn't say why she had to turn down the offer either. It was very difficult for her to turn Baeddan down, though, as she had never once participated in any night shifts, despite every other Upper Echelon member having done so.
Zago grunted softly. "I'm demanding my benefits up front as a guarantee to my service to you."
Baeddan's eyebrows raised slightly. Zago volunteering to work as hard as he could? That was a rarity in and of itself.
"And what is it you are demanding?"
"Eos never takes a night shift for as long as I work here."
"You are asking far too much considering how invaluable you are."
Zago growled slightly and glanced back at Eos briefly, and she looked at him, concern written all over her face. Shirou noticed them pass glances at one another and had to admit he was curious. Zago wasn't a man who gave much of himself for the sake of other people, and yet he had done exactly that for Eos. While that was interesting enough to him, he really had to wonder why Eos seemed so against staying for the night shift, especially when she was always so willing to help out no matter what the cost at every other service. Zago seemed rather frustrated himself, which also seemed somewhat odd. Okay, whatever.
Shirou placed his hands on his hips as he let his head fall briefly before he looked back up at Baeddan.
"Okay," he started slowly, causing Zago, Baeddan, and Eos to look at him, while most of the staff didn't bother to listen – it no longer had anything to do with them anyway. "Then, for as long as I work here, Eos won't ever have to take a night shift. That's my demand."
Baeddan nodded curtly. "Granted. I will overlook her inability to work as a normal servant. You have proved your worth, Ro. If you slack off, though, I guarantee that you are finished here."
"Yeah, I think you say that at least once a day."
"I simply look forward to seeing you fail," Baeddan said with a small, malicious chuckle. Then, to the rest of the crowd: "I still require the services of other Upper Echelons. Who is available?"
Eos caught Shirou's eyes, looking flustered and somewhat lost. He held eye contact with her for a brief moment before turning away. He'd find time to talk to her later – it wasn't altogether important at that very moment. Shirou turned back to look at the main mass of people who split open a pathway as a gorgeous woman with flowing raven-black tresses and silver-blue eyes and a thin, scrawny man with raggedy sandy-brown hair and hazel-yellow eyes came walking forward. While the latter scowled at any person dumb enough to stand enough to him, the woman gave Baeddan a blinding smile.
"Dai and I will assist with the night service, Baeddan. You may rest with ease."
Baeddan slowly closed his eyes once and then looked back up at the woman.
"Telyn," he said as coldly as usual. "Dai. With you two working, I suppose everything will run smoothly enough. See that you keep those two ignoramuses on track, would you?"
Telyn continued smiling. "Of course, Baeddan. Never have we done you wrong, and I promise you we never will."
She turned to shine her smile on Shirou next. "Shirou, I believe this is the first time we have met. I have heard much about you. It will be a pleasure to work alongside of you."
Shirou didn't say anything in return as there wasn't much he could say. This was the pair Zago had warned him about before, but this was the first time he had met them face to face. They certainly seemed nice (well, Telyn did, at least), but he'd made that mistake before. Rin had warned him about Myrus and then he'd landed in that trap. So, if Zago was warning him about these two, he was going to pay attention for once. Shirou nodded once at her to be polite but did nothing more than that.
Telyn didn't seem to take offense to Shirou's lack of warmth and ran a hand through her hair. If nothing else, Shirou could definitely recognize her beauty and thought it to be nearly on par with Rin, but she still had nothing on Saber. He looked at Baeddan, but the other man just clapped his hands together.
"All right. Telyn, Dai, Ro, Zagobel –"
"It's Dagobert, you fucking pansy of an asshole."
"– you four take the evening service off. Get your bearings straight, and I expect to see you again tonight. Eos, I want you to make certain those two slackers are on board with what needs to be done. And Eos, be grateful to the foreigner. He has saved you from my wrath. As for the rest of you fools, get to work. Breaks go to those who earn it, and none of you are worth giving even a single second of peace to. Move it!"
As soon as they were dismissed, Zago was very quick to grab Shirou's arm and drag him out of the kitchen and down the hall with Eos following behind, eyes darkened. Shirou protested along the way, but didn't want to hurt Zago in trying to escape, so let the blond continue leading him forward. He looked back at Eos, but she wouldn't meet his eyes this time around. In fact, he was almost afraid to know what was going on when they all made it back to his and Zago's room and Zago pitched him forward into the room. Shirou stumbled a few steps and turned around only for Zago to push him back onto his cot.
"Why did you do that?" Zago yelled at Shirou, looking irate.
Shirou looked back at him and tilted his head slightly. "Uh, you mean signing you up without your permission? I would think you'd be happy – it's a slow shift and –"
"No, you dumbass! Why did you sign away your privileges like that? This has fucking nothing to do with you."
"I was trying to be helpful," Shirou said, growing angry himself. "You seemed really upset that Baeddan wouldn't give you what you wanted, and since I knew I had more room to work with than you, I just went for it. What's the problem?"
Zago walked up to him and pulled him up by the collar of his tunic. The fact that Shirou had a good few centimeters over the blond didn't seem to matter to him.
"You don't have a clue, do you? You're just –"
"Then tell me what I'm not getting!" yelled Shirou, throwing off Zago's hands. "I'm not some damn telepath! I need words just like anyone else, Zago!"
Zago reached for Shirou's collar again but stopped when Eos came forward and set a hand down gently on his shoulder. Zago gritted his teeth when Eos simply looked at him reassuringly, but did not attempt any further violence. Shirou adjusted his tunic and continued glaring at the blond – he didn't know what was going on, but he didn't think he deserved to be yelled at for just trying to help.
Eos took in a deep breath. "He needs to be told, Zago."
"What?" cried Zago with disbelief. "He's barely been here a month! He might run off and talk to the wrong people!"
"Now, you should know Shirou better than that, Zago," she admonished. "I realize we have only known him for a short time, but do you honestly believe he would mean anyone any harm, much less the two of us?"
Zago fell silent, unable to refute her words. Eos smiled gently, appreciating the other man's fierce desire to protect her but also knowing that she now owed a favor to Shirou that she was not certain she could actually repay. Turning back to the redhead who stared up at her with his golden-brown eyes full of frustration and confusion, she let out a soft sigh and cupped her hands together.
"Shirou," she began, gaining his full attention. "If I may, I would beg your pardon for Zago's actions. He truly meant well, and the secret I harbor is great, indeed. To be truthful, I am filled with trepidation that I need say it to anyone else."
Shirou frowned slightly. "Then don't tell me. I'm not the type to run around blabbing about stuff, but if you're really so worried about it, then don't bother."
"No, Shirou," Eos disagreed, shaking her head a bit. "No, you have done me a service I may never be able to reciprocate, and I feel you must hear the reason as to why Zago is so distraught."
She wringed her hands slightly, Shirou watching all the while, and finally held her head up high again.
"Shirou, I am married, with two children. Boys, the both of them; one is five and the other, two."
Was it all that big a deal for people to be married in this age? That didn't seem to be a big deal.
"They live with my parents in the city, and each night, I leave this castle to spend my evenings with them and as much time as I am able. Normally, a woman would stay home with her children, but I work here to maintain a cover so that my husband may continue forth without concern. I do not desire to take the night shift because then I may never have the opportunity to see my two sons while they are growing again. I would not like to take that chance."
Shirou rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not following. Why is this such a big deal?"
Eos bit her bottom lip with unusual hesitation. "If the king comes to hear of our matrimony, the children will be forced into tutelage, regardless of whether my husband I desire it or not. It is part of the custom, you see. The king, even if in disaccord with the rule, must follow it as is expected of him. My husband and I simply desire for our children to decide their own future, though we do not have much time left to give the oldest that choice. Alas, if only we were born with daughters instead of sons, I would not need worry about their plight until they were of age to marry."
He wasn't sure he was following yet. Shirou also wasn't sure if this was just normal for the sixth century and he was just missing something, or if this was just something Eos was prone to doing. Eos saw that he wasn't catching on and cleared her throat slightly.
"Shirou, have you heard of the man named Gawain?"
It kind of rang a bell. Gawain... Gawain...
Suddenly, it clicked. Shirou jumped to his feet, completely thrown for a loop.
"You're telling me you're married to one of the Knights of the Round Table? The Gawain? The one who serves the king directly? You're married to him?"
All of a sudden, everything started making sense. If Gawain was a knight, then he was of some kind of high-class blood, and it only held true that his sons should go through the same training as people of nobility would. Sons of knights were often forcefully put through training from a young age until they were accepted as pages around when they turned six or seven. However, if the king didn't know about the children or lineage, then it would only go to show the kids would be allowed to live a freer existence and the chances of them possibly falling in battle or worse were next to nil. So, Eos was working in the castle, so Gawain would have some sort of link to the sons he probably couldn't see on a normal basis, and no one was any the wiser because they didn't seem like a normal wedded pair.
Shirou ran a hand through his hair as he thought of the possible repercussions that could come of that information hearing the wrong ears. He knew without a doubt, or rather, he instinctively felt that King Arthur would be overjoyed for Gawain to have two children of his own to care for, but also believed that she would follow the rules as expected and force them into the special education to prepare them for possibly becoming knights. If she could keep it disclosed, that would be one thing, but if anyone caught wind of it, even she could get into serious trouble for concealing investments from the rest of her court.
He sighed softly. "I get it now."
Eos continued looking worried, her hands wringing more and more quickly. "Shirou, would you do me the honor of keeping such a secret from others? Of course, if you would will it, I cannot stop you should you desire to tell the king, but if at all possible..."
For a moment, he had wondered why she'd told him at all, but he realized with a start that she really wanted to trust him. After being in the castle for only a month, he had come to understand that people were more difficult to trust in this time period. People never knew who might be plotting against them or who might truly be their friends, and so whatever friends a person managed to gain, they held on tightly and almost religiously.
"I'm not telling anyone," Shirou declared with finality. "Thanks for telling me. I'll protect your secret. I'll make sure to keep working hard so that you won't have to worry."
"Oh, I, uh," began Eos, unsure of what to say. "Th-thank you... If there is any way that I can repay you...?"
"Yeah, there is," he said, and Eos stood up straight, slightly nervous as to what he would demand of her. Shirou grinned and said, "Just make sure to introduce me to the two kids when you get the chance. Any children of yours have got to be amazing."
She blinked once as if unsure of what she had heard before melting into a warm smile. "Of course, Shirou! It would be my pleasure!"
Shirou continued grinning and laughed when Eos leaned in to give him a gentle hug. Zago shifted his head from side to side to pop his neck. He looked slightly abashed for his behavior earlier, but uncertain of how to go about apologizing. Shirou only walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder.
"No offense taken, Zago. Don't sweat it."
Zago made a shy grin. "Sorry, Shirou. I should've trusted you. I've known Eos for a while now and I only found out about her secret by accident. I kept thinking she would be dragged off to the dungeons for weeks afterward. I mean, if I'd found out, who knows who else might've known, you know?"
"I hear you. No worries," Shirou said. "So, Eos, tell us about how this night thing works."
Eos gave Zago a pointed look, but smiled again at Shirou. "With pleasure."
The night shift began without too much difficulty, but it ran incredibly slow. There weren't too many soldiers rotating in and out and Shirou and Zago were normally left to their own devices. Shirou had long since cut enough vegetables and was simply trying to find something to amuse himself with. Zago, on the other hand, had long since grown tired of being static, but since he couldn't find a chance to run away and sleep, he simply busied himself with complaining to Shirou.
"This fucking sucks. I'm so goddamn bored here, man. Plus, that crazy shit Dai keeps looking over at me like I'm some piece of jerky read for him to bite into."
"I honestly don't think it's you he wants to devour," muttered Shirou as Dai continued to glower at him from a corner on the other side of the room.
The man had been glaring at him fiercely since the shift had first begun, not even bothering to help Telyn with any preparations whatsoever, and instead choosing to keep an eye on the redhead instead. Telyn had been welcoming enough – she'd told him to continue cutting as he had been while she tended to the meat and the soups. Once Shirou had finished, she had asked for him to wait patiently as she called in a couple of servants to take in the food to the Great Hall. Zago, for his part, had actually cleaned up everything, but there was only so much soot a person could clear away. Luckily, they weren't using the ovens for anything at that moment, so Zago had been given a bit of a reprieve himself.
Dai scowled even further when Telyn walked away from the hearths and towards Shirou.
"Hello there, Shirou. We have not had much of a chance to speak prior to this day. Allow me to introduce myself properly: my name is Telyn, daughter of Cadell Heir, of the kingdom of Lyonesse. Here is to a hopefully wonderful new friendship."
"Right," he started, almost feeling like he'd be rude if he didn't introduce himself just as formally. "I'm Em-, ah, no, sorry. I'm Shirou Emiya of...the...great, uh, empire of Fuyuki to the far east..."
"Fuyuki," Telyn murmured with wonder. "I have never heard of such a place. And, for you to have a surname... You must be someone of noble descent. What would you be doing in Camelot, so far away from home?"
The redhead popped his neck by shifting his head from side to side a few times. "Uh, well, things happened, and so, now I'm here."
The woman only smiled. "I see. It was rude of me to inquire – we all have our secrets, after all. In any case, I did not come here merely to share names with one another. Dai and I will be taking our meals, and we would like for the two of you to continue tending to the soups and slabs of meat."
"What about us? When do we get to eat?" Zago asked, eyes narrowed.
Telyn hesitated slightly before pointing at the waste pile sitting in a keg on the far side of the room.
"You are more than welcome to see what you can find for consumption in that barrel. I do not have the authority to allow you to eat together with us in the Hall. I only hope that you will be satisfied with that much."
Zago stared at Telyn, his mouth once again agape as he attempted to register her words. He looked over at Shirou, who didn't seem very pleased, before looking at Dai, who was simply smirking.
"What?" shrieked Zago. "Are you fucking out of your mind, lady? You want us to dig for scraps? What the fuck are we, fucking rats? You go fucking dig out some scraps, you fucking bitch! I want fucking real food you pissant!"
The prim and proper woman could do nothing but frown. "I sincerely apologize, Dagobert, but I am not at liberty to give you that opportunity. I honestly wish I could. Ah, but if you feel so inclined, you are more than welcome to help yourselves to the seasonings and cutlery we have available. That is the best I can offer you."
"Fuck that shit! We're not some goddamn dogs or rats! We –"
Danger!
There was a sudden sense of imbalance that Shirou couldn't quite pinpoint – he hadn't felt like that for such a long time, after all. Maybe it was the man's eyes, or maybe it was the shing of the knife as the man picked it up, or perhaps it might have been Zago's eyes as they widened upon immediately seeing his oncoming doom. Whatever the cause was, Shirou felt his body move far before his mind could catch up.
Danger!
From the moment Dai began rushing forward and grabbed a chopping knife off of a nearby table, Shirou felt time slow down as danger alerted his brain and endorphins flooded his body. Telyn shouted for Dai to stop but to no avail as the brunette sped forward. Shirou slid in right in front of Zago, grabbed Dai's left wrist firmly to halt the movement of the knife, and lowered his center of gravity while letting Dai ram into his shoulder instead. Instinctively wrapping his own left arm around Dai's waist, Shirou made sure the other man wouldn't be able to move anywhere.
Averted.
His heart pounding hard within his chest, Shirou couldn't believe he'd managed that burst of speed. Considering how long it had been since he had really pushed himself with his training, that should have been nothing short of miraculous. Zago, Telyn, and Dai especially, stared at Shirou as he somehow appeared right in front of the other lower level kitchen servant. Breathing out a deep sigh full of disbelief, Shirou came to his senses and gingerly let go of Dai's wrist. The latter stared at the ring of red around his wrist from the tightness of the grip and glared even more deeply at the absent-minded redhead. He raised his right hand and backhanded the other man across the face. Shirou never saw it coming and stumbled back a bit, his eyes wide.
Dai scowled when he saw that the quick movements earlier must have been a fluke and felt himself relax slightly. If the redhead had actually been capable of things like that, Dai would have surely had his hands full. He turned and pointed the knife at Zago and clipped out,
"Next time, you die."
Then, glowering again at Shirou, he growled, "Touch me again, and you're done, carrot-top."
Shirou glared back as he rubbed his stinging cheek. Dai shoved past him, although Telyn didn't make to follow him until after she said to Shirou,
"Thank you for stopping him, Shirou," she whispered softly, so that Dai wouldn't hear her words. "It is thanks to you that that disaster was stopped in its tracks. Now that I think of it, I do not believe we will need that smaller slab of meat. You are welcome to use it as you wish in exchange, so long as no one catches wind of this deal."
"Thanks," Shirou muttered as Telyn turned and walked away, following after Dai.
Zago came to Shirou's side and grimaced a little. "That was a close call."
"Yeah."
"Oh yeah," Zago exclaimed, lightly rapping Shirou on his chest. "Where the hell did you come up with moves like those? You looked like a knight sweeping in for the final blow! Oh, I get it! You must have been some kind of knight or warrior back where you're from!"
Shirou shook his head slightly as he walked away from Zago and toward the hearths. "Not exactly, but I played the part of one. Not sure what I count as now."
Zago asked what he was doing when Shirou picked up the smallest meat slab off of its stick and carried it back to a cutting table. Shirou ignored him and went to the bin of scraps next for odds and ends of random vegetables here and there. After picking out some pieces with Zago questioning every single action along the way, Shirou laid all of the ingredients on the table and then began cutting a triangle lengthwise across the meat and taking it out. The beef was still fairly rare on the inside, but that would be fine for what he wanted to do. Directing Zago to hand him some butter, Shirou was quick to dip out a good bit into his hand and slather it across the meat. He then sprinkled the odds and ends of the vegetables he had found all over the butter and then fit the wedge of meat back on.
It was a crude version of the beef roll, but he doubted that Zago would really care all that much. His hands still covered in butter and the juice from the meat, Shirou then asked his friend to bring over the salt and pepper and to just spritz his left hand with the former and to cover his left with the latter. He would have liked to wrap the meat in foil and toss it into the fire directly, but didn't want to project the necessary foil in front of Zago. He also would have liked to create a nice sauce or glaze to go over the meat, but it was better to just fix the meal as quickly as he could so that no one would find out that they were eating something normally forbidden to them. It really was a small slab of meat, too – barely big enough for the both of them to be satisfied. However, meat was meat, and was far better than digging around more in the trash.
Zago frowned at the meat the entire time as Shirou put the meat on a metal plate and held it directly over the fire with tongs. It wouldn't take long for meat to cook – Shirou was more worried about the vegetables cooking properly. Well, they were practically basking in a beef oven, so maybe it would be stranger for them not to cook as they should. With Zago turning the meat around every five minutes or so, Shirou found himself with nothing better to do but try to ignore the former's endless questions.
"You can cook? No way. You can't cook, right? You could barely cut vegetables a month ago. You're shitting me."
The longer Shirou ignored him, the more curious Zago became.
"Why would you butter the meat? Butter is meant for other stuff, like bread. Who puts butter on meat? Why did you put those vegetables on there? Are you as much of a dumb shit as Baeddan?"
When Shirou deemed the meat to be finished cooking, he gripped the tongs tightly and moved the plate back over to a table. They didn't have much time until Telyn and Dai would return, so he had to make this quick. Zago kept popping up around him, attempting to peer around as Shirou cut into the slab. Meh, the meat was still a bit pink, but that was doable and oh, the carrots were actually cooked okay enough. Grand. He cut off one more round and handed the roll to his very annoying, but well-meaning, friend.
"Take this and shut up, would you?" Shirou muttered as he took a bite into the roll. Fuck, it needed more salt. Oh well.
While Shirou wasn't particularly impressed – he had made it as quickly as he could, all things considered, Zago seemed mystified. He had taken one bite and then another, and then eventually swallowed the entire thing.
"You can cook," he kept repeating as he cut off two more rolls for himself, and left the last two rolls for Shirou. "This shit is amazing. You can fucking cook. You can seriously fucking cook."
Zago licked his fingers to finish off all of the juices and then licked his lips for a last taste. Shirou, still grumbling on how much better it would have been if he'd been allowed more time to cook the meat slowly and with a better menu, was taken by surprise when Zago gripped both of his arms with the feel of a maniacal man about him.
"Shirou! That's it! You can cook!"
"Uh...that's debatable," he said, unable to agree because of the horrible dish.
"No, no, you don't get it. You took nothing and made it into something. Wait... I think I've got it!"
Zago snapped his fingers, but Shirou merely tilted his head.
"Got what?"
"Shirou, my brother," the blond said with a large grin, "I've got the best damn plan in the fucking world!"
Make sure to give a hearty thanks to Venomancer as well. He knows a hell of a lot more lore than I do, and has been a peach.
I've said this before, but my page does have status updates and little snippets from the next chapter, once I progress enough. Let me know what you guys think.
