The next day the only thing that Loki wanted was to stay in bed for the next twenty-four hours and never have to cook anything.
And well he could pretend to be sick, he could pretend to be tired, but he wasn't stupid and he knew that he'll have to cook something anyway, but later.
So when the evening came - which meant the time for the Grandmaster to wake up - Loki went out of his room and with pain in his heart headed to the game room.
That will be a humiliation the Odinson's family - and Laufeyson's probably as well - didn't ever experience and never should experience.
But there he was, opening the door to the game room just to see the Grandmaster smiling at him knowingly and pacing around with Darcy, whose expression was full of both malicious satisfaction and slight anxiety - probably because of a perspective of eating a meal, the god will cook, by his side.
"Tricky Loki!" Shouted the Grandmaster happily getting up from his chair and immediately walking in the direction of the god. "Do you have an idea on a meal ready? I hope you do cause oh…" the Grandmaster made an all-knowing pause and raised an eyebrow on the god. "I expect your meals to be spectacular and I can't wait to find out what you'll do."
Darcy, who by this time also walked to Loki and Grandy, snorted under her breath evidently trying no to laugh any lauder on whatever dirty associations did she has.
Loki cleared his throat and answered trying hard to ignore the mortal's smile.
"It's still a secret what." The god answered evasively. "I suppose you'll have to wait until I'll make it."
The Grandmaster looked at Loki amazed and sighed with impatience.
"Well, then better head to the kitchen quickly." He ordered starting to walk ahead. "I am starving for your food."
After that, the ruler left the room expecting Darcy and Loki to go after him.
Both of them send each other the best glare that they had in store and only then headed out as they were expected to.
The kitchen turned out to be a place bearly smaller than the game room, but - unsurprisingly - filled with a much bigger amount of people.
Most of them were - as the Grandmaster liked to call them - prisoners with jobs, but some were just regular Sakaarians, who simply weren't given food by the ruler and had to make themselves their own meals.
For a brief moment, Loki was almost sure he'll be forced to cook next all of those people from… rabble.
But just as he wanted to bury himself six feet deep underground, he heard the Grandmaster's demanding voice.
"Everyone!" He shouted. "Get out of the kitchen immediately! You may come back for three hours and only if I'll be done!"
A few people looked like they wanted to protest, but seeing the Grandmaster's awaiting expression quickly decided against it.
This way, soon, the kitchen was completely empty, all to Loki's disposal.
It didn't fix anything, but at least made it less humiliating, so the god simply sighed and stepped towards the kitchen counter.
The Grandmaster showed Darcy with a gesture to keep quiet and not interrupt the god and they both sat on the comfortable chairs next to the big table.
Meanwhile, Loki just started to wonder if it was possible to use an illusion on the food.
About two hours later the kitchen was all dirty and after two little conflagrations and the Grandmaster and Darcy were served suspiciously pretty dishes.
Loki sat next to them with lofty expression without his own plate before him.
The mortal looked at the god with doubt.
"Was that your first time cooking?" She raised her eyebrow. "It looks a bit too aesthetic for me."
Loki looked at her like she was stupid and the Grandmaster just sighed deeply.
"Oh, Darcy Lewis come on." He started. "You know Tricky Loki can do anything well, why would that be an exception?"
Darcy opened her mouth to explain exactly why didn't she trust the dish, but before she got to, the god cleared his throat meaningfully.
"I think we should begin before the dish gets cold."
But no one really did, because Darcy was too suspicious about anything that came from Loki and the Grandmaster was focused on something else.
"And why don't you have a meal?" He wanted to know.
Loki waved his hand with nonchalance and smiled slightly.
"The smell was enough to nourish me so I decided to give all to the two of you." He justified himself with ease.
The Grandmaster nodded his head with understanding and Darcy snorted.
"The smell is probably the best what that dish has anyway." She commented mockingly, but before Loki got to retort, the Grandmaster cut in.
"Darcy Lewis!" He scolded her. "You didn't even try this delicacy and you're already judging it." The ruler shook his head with disappointment. "Let's feast!"
Darcy clenched her teeth, but seeing the Grandmaster indeed starting to eat with zeal, she didn't feel in the position to comment on the dish in any way.
That is until the ruler didn't choke on the piece of broccoli he just put into his mouth.
For a moment he looked like he wanted to spit it out, but finally, he swallowed it with no little effort.
Darcy raised an eyebrow on the ruler and Loki pursued his lips with an anxious expression.
Only after a moment the Grandmaster looked up at Loki and asked slowly with a bit hoarse voice.
"What… what exactly is that, Tricky Loki?" He squeezed out.
The god raised his eyebrow with well-pretended astonishment.
"An Asgardian dish served for the royal family on the day of coronation. The best of the bests." He explained smiling loftily. "My mother taught me how to make it herself." He lied with ease after a moment.
Darcy rolled her eyes and moved away from the table with the hope that the Grandmaster will surrender and admit that the dish is uneatable (not that she knew that, but she rathered not to try it)
"Oh really?" She commented looking at Loki distinctly.
The god squeezed his eyes dangerously and spat out.
"You don't like it? Or is it just too royal for your vulgar palate?" He provoked her.
Darcy glared at him, but before she got to think of good enough retort the Grandmaster spoke.
"I think it's delicious." He sighed with resignation, not wanting to show Loki that he has a 'vulgar palate' "I never ate anything so good before."
And after that, he carefully took yet another bite doing his best not to frown while eating it.
Darcy only shook her head with disappointment and moved the plate away from herself.
"If it's so good to eat it yourself, Princey." She looked him in the eyes with provocation. "I suppose my palate is too vulgar after all."
Loki gave back her glare and the two of them were just staring each other up and down for a longer moment ignoring the Grandmaster's frowns and sighs when he tried to consume the dish.
"That's what I thought." Answered finally Loki turning away from Darcy and looking back on the Grandmaster. "Everything okay with it so far?" He wanted to know.
The ruler nodded his head slowly trying to smile, but inside wishing he could say what Darcy did - that his palate was too vulgar for the 'royal coronation meal'.