The Knights were gathered round the cook’s table, and they were in the midst of regaling their fellow kitchen staff with more stories about their burgeoning popularity. Thanks to their performance at the festival, they had received numerous compliments and even special attention from the maids. Since the fateful night, while Fin would fill buckets with vegetables to peel, or dirty dishes, the Knights would gush about which admirer said what, and which maid tickled their fancy on that particular day. The group sometimes listened over cups of tea to begin their mornings, until the cook would eventually shoo them out the door.

Sir Lewis was in the midst of a proud description regarding how the new maid Jade he had taken a fancy to, had approached him shyly to offer her compliments. It was during that tale when Sir Harris sauntered through the garden door.

Everyone fell quiet, and Fin stopped removing the green tops of the strawberries to stare at the visitor.

“Royal Cook Finlay, Sir Harris reporting for duty.” The Knight gave an exaggerated bow and stood with a mocking smile.

Every eye turned to Fin, who looked as though someone had just defecated over the threshold.

“Sir Harris, I do not believe you are part of my team.” Fin’s tone was mild as he slowly placed down the small paring knife and berry with his red stained hands.

“Captain ordered me here as punishment for getting sick all over the barracks after the festival.” Sir Harris’ eyes glinted at the cook in obvious enjoyment.

“The festival was more than a week ago.” The strain in Fin’s voice was entirely undisguised.

“I only finished cleaning the barracks last night.”

The cook turned to the trio of Knights who all gave nods with haunted looks behind their eyes. Their confirmation and obvious traumatic memories over the event did little to appease Fin’s displeasure.

“Why is working under me a punishment to you?” He demanded as he placed his hands on his hips.

Sir Harris was still grinning in his annoyingly smug manner, and Fin found himself already beginning to round his cooking table.

“Can’t say. Oyy if you lot are having a brew I’d love a cup.”

The cook didn’t reply as he breezed past Sir Harris, and swiftly made his way down the garden path.

“Give the Captain my regards!” Sir Harris called over his shoulder happily. Turning to his fellow Knights he waved cheerily and approached the cooking table. He reached over to the stone teapot with its wooden handle on the table, plucked up Fin’s abandoned teacup, and topped it up.

His eyes rested on Hannah, and immediately gave her a charming smile.

“Well hello beautiful.”

Sir Taylor, Lewis, and Andrews collectively growled.

*

Fin found Captain Antonio speaking to mage Lee while they stood outside of the empty training ring beside the barracks on the east wing of the castle.

As he approached, the two men ceased their conversation that appeared to be serious in nature if their expressions were any indication of their topic.

“Good morning Mr. Ashowan.” The Captain greeted with a small nod as mage Lee’s mood immediately soured.

“Captain.” Fin greeted and bowed, then gave the mage a small head bob. The Captain noted the slight, but ignored it as the cook look troubled.

“Captain I was wondering why Sir Harris was in my kitchen saying that he is to be in my care?”

“Ah. I heard that the reason my Knight was intoxicated to the point of violent illness was thanks to a drinking competition involving yourself, and a few of your other aides.”

Fin noticed that Sir Harris had not reported Lady Jenoure’s involvement, and his disposition towards the man softened a small fraction.

“I see. I will accept my responsibility in this matter. However I would like to make a point should other Knights displease you in the future Captain.”

The leader jerked his chin down sharply in allowance.

“I am not a nanny for errant men. Please in the future consider alternative means of reform.”

“No, you most certainly aren’t a nanny.” Mage Lee agreed vehemently.

Fin shot the man a long suspicious glance out of the corner of his eye.

“You are however the perfect pain in the ass.” The Captain added gruffly with a rogue smile.

“What do you mean by that?” The cook’s tone turned sharp.

“I mean that you, Royal Cook Finlay Ashowan, are an excellent punishment to sound minded people.”

Mage Lee was beside himself in fits of laughter as Fin frowned.

“Mr. Ashowan, you have been somewhat lacking in courtesy and manners. I feel you need to perhaps learn a little humility.” The Captain’s tone was firm, but not entirely unkind.

“I am… aware… of some of my social shortcomings. However-” He ground out.

“Social shortcomings? You’ve the social awareness of a rock!” The Mage managed between short bursts of laughter.

“-However, I believe a lesson in propriety towards the Knights might be a larger concern.” Fin managed though his cheeks were red.

The Captain’s face darkened and the mage stopped laughing.

“Watch your tongue Finlay Ashowan. You were only allowed to weigh in regarding Sirs Taylor, Lewis, and Andrews because of their behavior towards a maid under your command-”

“As well as to myself.” Fin added coolly knowing that he had definitely stepped over a line.

The Captain and the witch stared at each other in tense silence for what felt like hours, before the warrior seemed to make up his mind.

He pointed towards the ring beside them, his bright blue eye squinting at him.

“We settle differences in one way only in my barracks cook. If you wish me to let your careless remarks go unreported, you best go pick a weapon.”

Fin’s eyes widened, but noticed that there was a strange knowingness in the Knight commander’s eyes. He wasn’t sure what to make of that.

The witch noticed that the Knights were beginning to exit their barracks- some barely awake, others stretching in preparation for a day of training. The match would not be without an audience.

The cook decided to give a single weak attempt to alleviate the situation.

“I need to continue preparing for Lady Jenoure’s guests Captain.”

“All the more reason.”

The look of alarm on the cook’s face puzzled the mage as Fin stared at the Captain who continued watching at him levelly.

‘What the mage did that mean?’ He wondered to himself while feeling thoroughly disgruntled.

Fin turned to the ring and entered.

Him setting foot on the hard packed dirt that was fenced off from the southern side of the eastern lawn, caused a wave of whispers and shouts to erupt amongst the men. Doing his best to ignore them, the witch walked over to a barrel that held broken spears, and the wooden swords the young nobles would use to train. He chose a spear that had its pointed end broken off, and slowly strode towards the centre of the ring. The Captain stood waiting for him with his hands clasped behind his back.

By then the ring was fully surrounded with interested spectators. All present were wondering what the cook had done to earn what would be, a brutal beat down from their Captain.

The older warrior leaned nearer to Fin so that only the cook could hear his words.

“I have heard interesting things about you murmured amongst the castle.”

Fin’s expression became guarded as he stared intensely at the Captain’s glittering blue eye.

“Have you anything to say before we begin?” The Captain asked with a raised voice that the others could hear.

“I may like children some day. If that could remain a possibility, I would appreciate it greatly.”

The Captain showed a small smile.

“I understand.”

Fin then struck his opening stance, which made the Captain’s eyes twinkle in faint surprise.

With a brief nod, the seasoned warrior gave the word.

“Attack.”

Fin moved the broken spear with a tight spin to strike at the Captain’s left knee, but missed as the man easily twisted out of reach. The miss didn’t stop the movement of the staff as it spun its way around Fin’s hand, then neck, to his other hand that grasped it firmly at its middle. He once again struck down towards the back of the Captain’s knee.

The dull end of the spear was once again met with air, as the Captain’s open palm collided with Fin’s right ear. The hit was hard enough to jar the cook, but not enough that it rendered actual pain. The warrior had twisted out of his attack, and put himself closer to the cook.

A small jerk of Fin’s wrist brought the side of the broken weapon into the Captain’s gut. The blow was akin to the slap in that it dealt no damage, and was meant more so as a warning hit.

The Captain moved to backhand Fin, but the cook managed to lean back out of the strike, while simultaneously flipping the staff up to knock the hand away.

The punch from the Captain’s left hand met Fin’s gut catching him off guard, and as he doubled over with a wheeze, an elbow dropped down onto the cook’s back knocking him to the ground.

The Knights were all whooping and hollering excitedly, when Fin’s leg snapped to the side, and knocked the side of the Captain’s knee. It brought the man down to give Fin enough time to pick up the spear and stand while the warrior did the same.

The Knights were growing quite excited, which was when the cook saw the beaming smile on the Captain’s face.

It dawned on him that the man wasn’t actually trying in the match so much as he was just having fun. Meanwhile, Fin’s heart was pounding hard enough to drown out the sound of his own gentle pants.

“You fight like a Zinferan!” The Captain boomed in a pleased tone.

Fin didn’t bother answering as he repositioned himself.

The Knights were going wild.

The Captain took a boxer’s stance and waited with a blindingly white smile under the hot summer sun. Waves of heat had begun to rise off the dry dirt beneath their feet, but it didn’t matter. Both of them were already dripping with sweat, and the cicadas had begun their buzzing from the King’s forest, orchestrating the match.

The first to strike was the Captain as a sharp jab made Fin duck to the side to avoid the fist, while doing so however jerked the broken spear diagonally knocking the Captain’s inner knee. The warrior easily recovered from the attack by taking a quick steadying step away from the cook.

“See here men, this is a good defensive strategy Mr. Ashowan is executing. Each of my upper attacks he uses as an opportunity to use defensive counterattacks. He is focusing on gaining the high ground by knocking me off my balance from below.”

Fin tried to strike the outer side of the man’s left knee while turning out of the Captain’s precise left-handed jab.

“You always want to watch where a defensive move takes your opponent, because if they know what they’re doing-”

Fin’s elbow rose up and struck the back of the Captain’s head, but the man had clearly been anticipating it as he dodged enough to minimize the damage.

“-They will flow with the action to use it to their advantage.” The Captain instructed as he suddenly spun tightly around his opponent’s body, and clocked an expert punch into Fin’s jaw.

The cook’s response as pain shot through his head was swift, as he jerked the broken spear in a sharp lengthwise whack that struck the seam of the Captain’s groin and thigh.

Both men stepped hastily away from each other, though the Captain had recovered almost instantly, he had still winced.

“I have other duties this morning, as I am sure Mr. Ashowan does as well. Therefore I will end this quickly.”

The Captain’s stance changed and Fin’s expression of shock was only momentarily visible, as the leader’s stance widened and his palms opened.

It was a master Zinferan warrior position.

Fin attacked first. He tossed the broken spear lengthwise towards the Captain’s face, and as it flew through the air, Fin stepped forward quickly.

He managed to land a single punch by feigning a right hook that the Captain knocked out of the way easily with the broken spear he had caught, and instead Fin jabbed with his left into the Captain’s jaw. The warrior responded by sweeping his left elbow into Fin’s gut, then twisting the broken spear inside the cook’s stance, knocked him flat on his back.

The roar around the ring only reached Fin when he had regained his breath. The Captain offered his hand to his opponent, and helped him stand. Once on his feet the warrior leaned down, still clasping Fin’s hand, and whispered.

“You aren’t the first man I’ve met that has a beastly father. Mind your anger towards the world Finlay Ashowan. You cannot control it all.”

The color drained from the witch’s face as he stepped back, and stared at the seasoned veteran who wore a smile that lifted decades off of his face. He clapped the cook’s shoulder as they walked towards the exit of the ring where the kitchen aides and castle Knights all stood cheering.

“What are you lot doing here?” Fin demanded suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious of his fight.

“We heard the commotion and figured you were involved considering you had gone to talk to the Captain.” Peter answered with a teasing smile.

Fin shook his head and sweat droplets flew off of his forehead.

“Let’s get back to work.” As Fin made his way through the crowd, he was mystified by the words of encouragement and delight from the Knights he passed.

He decided to ask one of the Sirs under his command about the oddity later, when he felt a strange prickling at the back of his neck.

Fin turned and saw mage Lee eyeing him warily in the crowd, but that wasn’t the source of the strange sensation...

Someone else was watching him.

The cook glanced around and saw no one. Sir Harris appeared at his side then and began to ask several questions one right after the other about where he had learned to fight.

Fin was doing his best to answer evasively, while at the same time glancing over his shoulders suspiciously. His kitchen team managed to usher him around the corner of the castle towards the kitchens. No one had been aware that Lady Jenoure stood in the window on the third floor. She’d watched the match with a small smile that her handmaiden Clara couldn’t help but become suspicious of. She glowed with pleasure as she heard the awed comments regarding the cook’s skill, and turned from the window with her eyes cast down, but her smile still in place.

Annika turned from the window, and raised a graceful hand to the space between her eyebrows, her eyes closed.

‘I might have a small problem.’

Her smile faded, and deep dread filled her.

“Is everything alright my Lady?” Clara asked her tone conveying her growing concern.

“Yes Clara. Sorry to trouble you. I just realized I’ve come down with an affliction, could you please see me to my chambers? I feel I may need a drink.”