Chapter Eleven
The servants all appeared to think there had been a huge mistake as they peered into the crates of the latest food delivery. Jaki turned to the cook and handed her a piece of folded parchment. “Here’s your new meal plan. I wrote it myself.”
The cook squinted while she glanced at the meals for each day of the week, and her ruddy face creased. “Er, Your Majesty, I think this is wrong.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m wrong?”
She managed to flush even redder. “I mean-did someone else write this for you or…”
“No, I wrote it myself. I may not work in a kitchen, but I’ve eaten enough meals over the years to figure out a basic plan.”
Her mouth hung open slightly as she pointed at one of the days. “Porridge and horsebread with taffy tea?”
“Yes. Taffy plants make a lot of tea with little, so I think it’s a good, economical choice.”
“But…I can’t give the Hall porridge and horsebread for breakfast like peasants! They'll come thumping down the kitchen door. And the other meals-”
“If anyone comes barging into the kitchen, you can tell me, and I’ll set them straight. The citizens certainly aren’t having grand food, and I think it’s time we stop wasting money. That's why I altered the order. Porridge won’t kill me, and I think meals will be easier for you to cook now.”
Lunch would be interesting.
“What is this supposed to be?” a lady squawked once the servants were bringing out the food.
Elswere gaped at the horsebread and soup a servant put before him. “What is this?”
“Lentil soup,” said Jaki.
“What happened to the good bread?” a lord asked as grumbles started among the others. “Miss, I can’t eat this.”
A servant pouring taffy tea at his table paused. “But…there isn’t anything else.”
“What do you mean there's nothing else?!”
“Food is dear, so eat it without complaint, and be grateful,” Jaki said loud enough for the whole Hall to hear. “Most have far less.”
Shocked silence fell over the courtiers, and Elswere nudged his son. “What is the meaning of this?”
“I changed the order. We can eat plain meals.”
“But-”
“It’ll help us save money while you plan for the war,” Jaki said with a slight edge.
Elswere stared at him for a moment. “You changed the food order?”
“Yes.” Jaki raised his voice again. “You better get used to this because soon, snow bear steaks and fine bread will be in short supply even for us, and we won't have money to buy much of anything from other Kingdoms to feed our court. At least the wine cellar is stocked so I’m not making you drink nothing but water or tea all day.”
Elswere huffed before he started eating his soup.
Jaki found the soup wasn’t bad after all.
The cook had seasoned it, and the broth softened the horsebread which was quite hard and rather bland.
The courtiers whispered and muttered among themselves as they finally started eating.
Some wore expressions as if they had been served a bowl of turds to eat.
Elswere couldn’t even deny they should be thinking ahead to when better food would be scarce for the court.
Yet, he hadn’t seemed to have done anything in particular since Jaki had last spoken with him weeks ago.
It was nearly September, and he was probably more worried about the Autumn Equinox like they needed to celebrate that too.
He wouldn’t need to worry about a war dragging on if he wouldn’t get started on it. Jaki had given him a last chance and was done. He’d have to go to drastic measures now. In fact, he shouldn’t have waited and given him a last chance.
The courtiers seemed to know better than to complain out loud after Jaki’s words. The fact he was eating the food too probably helped. They’d likely bitch in private. Jaki didn’t care. Once he finished, he left his silent Father at the table and got ready to go out.
The city was drearier and drearier every time he entered.
The goods in shop windows were less, and a few, ragged fairies huddled around a blacksmith’s forge as they talked.
The blacksmith probably had less work now and decided to let a few homeless fairies warm themselves a bit.
Others walking down the streets were thin, and Jaki was sure there were fewer people overall.
More and more would start to leave.
Kindness was in short supply. A beggar was ignored by others, and Jaki tossed a few coins in his bowl as he strolled by.
He kept to the main streets and was wary of pickpockets.
His cloak was brown and plain, but a decent weave said the owner might not be impoverished.
The Temple was lit up with Norian crystals like always, and the Mages appeared thinner in their loose robes.
Two were fucking by the altar for a ritual, and Jaki ignored them as he went to the wall on one side.
Like always, the poem describing the beginning of the Kingdom was there.
The Temple had been built by the first King of Iceland, and he’d had those words carved into the massive stone wall.
A fairy with a preserving ability had made it so that all would see and remember Elira’s gift to his Father even centuries later.
Huddled in his cloak with his breath freezing before him, Jaki stared at the words as he wondered something. If he asked the Mages, they’d likely say it was simply Elira’s plan for the place. She had her reasons.
It didn’t make sense because no such rule existed elsewhere. Elira wasn't that sort of Goddess, so why would she have done it in Iceland?
He knelt a distance away from the altar.
The place was nearly empty, and people were supposed to pray out loud for the most part in the Temple.
If they were too ashamed to say something out loud, they probably shouldn’t be asking Elira for it.
Jaki wasn’t ashamed, but he didn’t want everyone to know.
In a low voice, he prayed for his preparations to go well so he’d be able to bring Lumi home.
Treason or not, his half-brother wasn’t staying with that monster any longer if Jaki could help it.
Common sense said it wasn’t safe or a good idea for the Crown Prince to head into enemy territory by himself where a million things could go wrong and lead to his death, but that’s what he had to do.
He had information from Lord Smith, and Elswere still hadn’t done anything, so he had one choice left.
If there were a baby, and he waited much longer, Tivar might hide his heir.
***
“Father, I'm going to go visit my friend down south,” Jaki told Father in his sitting room.
“Huh?” Father lowered his wineglass as he sat in his armchair. “What friend?”
“Erik. Surely you remember him?”
Father squinted and rubbed his chin. “Mmm, no…”
“He was at court a few years ago. We still write.”
“Oh, he had blond hair, right?”
“Yes,” lied Jaki. They’d had a couple of Eriks before, and Jaki hadn’t been friends with either.
“Yeah, I remember,” said Father.
“Mm.”
“I’ll tell two guards to go with you.”
“I don’t need guards.”
“Son, I’d rather you not go off on a trip with no one to watch your back. You're not invincible, and times are hard. A lone man with good clothes and a horse…”
Some might consider the horse to be good eating. “Fine. I’ll pick two I can stand for a longer period, okay? There are a couple in the city I know and like.”
“Good. When do you think you’ll be back?”
Jaki sighed as he shifted in front of the fire. “I don't know. Erik’s not well.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I think I’d prefer to stay a while with him. I can write when I get there and see how he is. I’ll be leaving in a couple of days.”
“Sounds good.”
That was one problem solved. Father didn’t even think to ask where exactly this supposed Erik lived. Then again, it wasn’t like he’d suspect Jaki of sneaking across the border.
***
When Jaki left early one morning, he said goodbye to Father in his rooms and told him the two guards he’d picked were ready to go.
Jaki simply got on his chosen horse with his pack and left.
The gate guards were barely paying attention, and nobody questioned what he was doing.
After all, the Crown Prince wouldn't risk his life and travel to West Iceland by himself, right? How silly. Thank Elira he was a grown man and didn’t need proper parenting because Elswere wouldn’t be very good at it anymore.
Jaki wore plain clothes under a thick, black cloak and probably appeared like any other traveler. His horse was decent, but he might have bought it in better times. If anybody thought he looked good for robbing, they’d get a sword to the gut. He kept a dagger up his sleeve too.
Outside of the city, things weren’t any better. He passed an abandoned-looking farm, although someone watched him from the doorway of one of the glasshouses. With the person’s hood up, it was hard to tell if it was a man or a woman, and they didn’t move.
Jaki traveled late into the night when needed to find towns so he could sleep at an inn. He’d brought plenty of money to purchase food along the way, although he didn’t dare take the asked-for price at shops without complaint. The last thing he needed was someone nearby to think he was loaded.
“That’s ridiculous for bread!” he argued with a shopkeeper. “It’s cheaper back in-”
“Then go somewhere else! I’m not budging."
"Do you think money grows on trees? I haven’t had work in weeks-”
A vein bulged in the shopkeeper's forehead. "Do you think bread or flour grows on trees?! Take it or starve. We’ll all be doing that soon anyway.”
Jaki kept up his grudging attitude as he handed over the money and left with his loaf of horsebread.
He was also wary of anyone he passed during the day, and when he saw a family with children struggling along with packs and no horses, he was tempted to give them what food he had. Since he was near the border, the nearest place was at least four or five days away.