The Cold

~~~SSS~~~

The Schnee household was always a cold one. None of the staff quite knew why Master Jacques liked it as cold as he did, and none dared ask. If one asked Klein on a bad day, they'd get an answer nobody dared repeat. The truth hardly mattered. If the man wanted his house cold, then they would make sure it stayed that way. Even if they or the other Schnees didn't enjoy it.

Early on one such chilly morning in late December, a tall maid power walked as quickly as she could down the halls while still maintaining proper form. She had just come from the room of the young boy she was charged with. After enough "totally not running", as she would claim, she arrived at her destination.

Flinging open the doors, she made her case known. "Jala! Are you here!?" The main kitchen was a beehive of activity since breakfast had just ended. Leftovers were thrown out, dishes cleaned, and preparation for lunch was already beginning. A few other people paused to look oddly at her rather loud entrance, but she was too busy to care.

Standing in the center of it all was the head chef. He was a tan man from eastern Vacuo that had grown tired of the sand and heat. His wrinkled and leathery skin stood out sharply against his shining white uniform. He may have been short, hardly reaching five feet, but long hours in the kitchen gave him a certain amount of strength. And he wasn't amused at her entrance.

"Miss Sequoia, what have I told you about slamming open my doors like that? The hinges had to be reinforced after last time." She blushed at the memory but continued to why she was here and not with the child that she was charged with. She was on a mission of great importance!

"Little Whitley has a fever! Do we have any soup to help him?" That got the stout man to pause. The youngest child was a frail one, he could count the times he'd been unwell on too many hands. This was indeed a common occurrence since he'd been born.

"A fever you say?" The tall maid nodded, causing the head chef to scratch his chin in thought at the news. "Well we have canned stuff, but nothing that I'd be proud to serve, it will take some time to put together a proper meal."

"I'm sure whatever it is you can make will be greatly appreciated." She shuffled on her feet, her thoughts were on the poor little one who was sick. "I must be off now, his cold towels need monitoring."

With that, the girl quickly excused herself to tend to the youngest child immediately. Warm tea and wet towels to cool the small boy down were as much as she could do for him. She had to trust the wise older chef with his meals.

Already, said man was creating a list of ingredients needed for such a task. He knew exactly what recipe to use. What wasn't on hand, servants known to be quick on their feet went into the city to acquire them. Lunch was in good hands with his second and third in command, he would see to this task personally. He would make the best dish possible in order to cure the little Whitley of his sickness, or his name wasn't Jala Verde Pate-Catl!

He bagan by furiously chopping onions and different colored bell peppers, dropping them into a pot with chicken broth. Tomatoes finely diced were added next, adding a red tinge to the liquid. A few raw skinless chicken breasts went on top and were immediately covered by golden corn and black beans. He had to wait for the quick servants to return with habanero peppers and cilantro before he continued. Those ingredients were chopped up and added to the pot along with a few garlic cloves. Last were a few spices to give more flavor and kick. Jala was liberal with the chili powder.

"There, now we just gotta let it sit." This was a recipe passed down his family line for generations. He'd personally attest to its healing properties. It would not be ready by lunch sadly, seven hours it needs to cook, then he'd shred the chicken and serve. For now, the pathetic canned soup would do. He prepared a small pot so he could heat it when it was near lunch.

"Worry not son, you'll be right as rain soon."

~~~SSS~~~

Hours later, it was time for the youngest Schnee to have dinner. He was stuck in his room in order to contain whatever it was the boy had. The servants were expected to cater to him regardless of if it was contagious. Sequoia opened the door while balancing a tray in her hands. The bowl of soup was quite hot, so the tray would keep the heat away from the boy.

"Master Whitley? Are you okay to eat?" The small form nodded weakly. Poor child was red faced from whatever his body was busy fighting off. "That's wonderful hun, mister Catl made you something special. Hopefully it should help you kick this fever."

She placed the food tray over the boy's lap, its little fold out legs propped it over to give him space to wiggle. The soup was an orange-yellow color with little bits of chicken and vegetables bobbed up and down. The sheer amount of ingredients made it rather thick, but she trusts her coworker to know what is right. It smelled strong of spices not native to Atlas.

She mixed the soup up slightly before serving it. "Here comes the bullhead!" She prepared a spoonful of the soup, and after letting it cool, brought it near his mouth.

He wanted to pout at the childish treatment, but he didn't look like he had the strength to. He accepted the hot food easily enough, and the look on his face told the girl that Jala had done well.

Kneeling at the edge of the bed and changing his cold towels, Sequoia noticed not for the first time the absence of his parents. Jacques made sense, begrudgingly, he was busy with the company that made all their money. Willow though… The matriarch Schnee was likely busy drinking a bottle of wine worth more than her annual salary. The poor boy didn't even ask for her, even at a young age as he was, he knew he wouldn't get her attention.

He ate more with her help, though whatever was in the food caused him to sneeze a bunch, almost like a small cat her brother once brought home. That was good right? Clear sinuses and all that? It seemed like Whitley wasn't complaining at least. Soon enough the whole bowl was gone, the boy eating quite a bit more than expected.

"How is that? Are you feeling any better?" The young boy nodded slightly at her question.

"A little... It was really good, the soup."

"I'm sure Jala will be overjoyed to hear you think so. He worked very hard to get this ready for you." The boy nodded happily at her words, he was such a sweet child. If she ever had any, she hoped they would be as adorable as little Whitley.

With the heavy meal, it seemed that he was beginning to get drowsy. But like kids often were, he tried to stay awake. That just wouldn't do, she thought with a silent giggle to his stubbornness.

As she prepared his room for bedtime, she recalled a nursery rhyme her mother used to sing for her. It was a simple thing, certainly not something that the young boy has heard since his mother became the way she was. After dimming the lights slightly, she began to hum softly and sing.

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word,

Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

If that mockingbird don't sing,

Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

If that diamond ring turns to brass,

Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass.

If that looking glass gets broke,

Mama's gonna buy you a billy-goat.

If that billy-goat won't pull,

Mama's gonna buy you a cart and bull.

If that cart and bull turns over,

Mama's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.

If that dog named Rover won't bark,

Mama's gonna buy you a horse and cart.

If that horse and cart falls down,

Mama's gonna buy you another day~."

By the time her lullaby was finished, the sweet boy had fallen fast asleep. She removed the silver food tray and tucked him gently under his sheets. She quietly made her way out of the room and turned off the lights. She hoped the boy would recover soon. He was too much of a bundle of energy to be cooped up.

~~~SSS~~~

Arriving into the kitchen late at night, she saw the waiting form of the head chef. He no longer was on the clock, but clearly he wanted to see how his work was received. Jala was like an adorable grandpa with how he perked up at her entrance. She began to wash the dishes as he questioned her.

"How did the young master take the soup? It wasn't too spicy, was it?" He seemed nervous about his creation, but he had done a good job and she'd told him as much. "Ahh, that makes my heart soar. I was worried the spices may have been too much, this isn't Vacuo after all. Sometimes I worry whether or not I may burn a tongue.

She giggled at his reaction. The man was often stern when it came to those he led, it seemed he had a soft spot after all.

"Yes, though he did have a sneezing fit at one point." He chuckled at that, a memory of himself as a child came to mind.

"Part of the plan, it helps to get all that nastiness out of his body."

"Well, he wanted me to tell you that he very much enjoyed it. I assume it will be served to him until he recovers?"

"That is the plan, yes. It's full of nutrients and fluids to help the sickness pass by quickly. My grandmother made it for my mother, who made it for me. It does my heart well to know the young master enjoys it as well."

"Speaking of mothers, I never saw Lady Willow today. I know her condition is… complicated, but surely she should have time for her son?" The older woman hardly cared for anything but the bottle these last few years. It was a shame, she once had such a spark.

"Aye, I wish there was something we could do, but the lady is far too content to lock herself away in a bottle." The two shared a bit of silence as their thoughts turned to the last of the house. It was a true shame what happened that night.

Eventually the two tired servants prepared to head home, though as she was the personal maid for Whitley, Sequoia lived in a community dorm nearish to the manor. She needed to be on call in case of anything happening. For now, a night crew would monitor the home.

Tomorrow she will check on his progress. Hopefully he got better soon, she never enjoyed sad looks on the children. Perhaps he might enjoy a few fairy tales her mother told her as a child too? With a renewed pep in her step, the girl walked back to her room, not caring for the cold much that night.

~~~SSS~~~

Chapter two, focused on a different child of the Schnee household. Let me know how y'all feel about this, I always enjoy reading reviews.

Also, enjoy the free family recipe for free use lol. I personally add jalapenos to mine, I like the kick. Add chips, avocado, cheese, and sour cream for extra flavor, which makes it thicker, if that's your thing.