NOVEL NEXT Bk 3 Chapter 46 - Tribute
Thousands upon thousands of people had taken to the streets in mourning, several hundred more having set up a refugee camp at the entrance of the city. They all cried. But Archie didn't. He had other things to worry about.
Restaurants were closed up. Shops, too. Only the churches seemed open. Even the tram was down, forcing Archie and Nori to march up the Trunk and through the crowds of mourners. Archie wanted to run, but the surrounding grief jammed up his legs and weakened his spirit, resigning him to walk.
Nori kept up at his side. "Archie, if your dad is here, and Flambé's not around to keep Waldorf in check—"
"I know. Come on."
The implications of Flambé's death beat Archie's mind into a hazy stupor. Heat dulled his senses as sweat seeped into his jacket. His heart quickened as the keep loomed closer and closer, jumping when someone called his name.
"Archie!" Chrysanth tilted his head back to call him over, his long black curls dancing around his shoulders.
"Chrysanth. What's going on?"
The guard spotted Nori and wrinkled his nose. "The grand king is dead, that's what's going on. Ain't you heard?"
"I did. So what's happening right now?"
"Well, coronation ain't happen yet." Chrysanth scratched at his thick black stubble. "So far it's just been Chefs in and out of the keep."
"Chefs?"
"Aye. All colors of jackets bringing in carts of food. Smells so good, got my tummy rumblin' mad. You got anything on you?"
"Food?" Archie blinked.
"Aye! Food! I'm starvin' here."
"Later." Archie looked at the inner courtyard as if he might see his father standing there. "You seen a man that looks like me? Just older? Uh, his hair isn't as curly as mine."
"Your hair ain't much curly, neither." Chrysanth laughed and tugged on one of his long curls. But then he recognized the seriousness of Archie's question and frowned. "Lookin' for your old man?"
"Yeah. He might've been with Waldorf. When they got back from Sain."
"Oh, that's where you're from, ain't it?" Sadness struck Chrysanth with a heavy sigh. "All the carriages went in without no one stepping out. He could have been in one of 'em and I wouldn't know it. He in trouble?"
A chill went down Archie's spine as he admitted to himself that his father might be. His mouth hung open in silence and his mind went blank so that he might have just one more moment of peace before he suggested the worst. "Can you check the kitchen?"
"I can have someone take you back there now. They're preparing dinner."
"Not that kitchen."
Chrysanth's face drooped. "Oh."
Archie knew what he was asking, but he had to ask it. "Can you?"
A group of Chefs approached with pushcarts of covered food, interrupting the moment. Once they went through, Chrysanth nodded. "I'll go when Waldorf is gone tonight. If I can. But he'll notice if someone escapes. Can you make him forget like last time?"
Archie rubbed his temples, but it did nothing to alleviate the growing pressure that hurt like daggers behind his eyes.
Nori stepped in. "Rowan can make it. But he needs Arty with him to finish it. You said Waldorf's having food delivered to him?"
Chrysanth overcame his aspersion to Nori and nodded. "All the time."
"Okay. So we get Rowan to prepare the forgetting powder as much as he can. Tomorrow is the end-of-year feast. Waldorf will be at the Academy. We break Arty out, get him to Rowan, finish the powder, then deliver food before Waldorf gets back."
Chrysanth winced.
"Just see if he's in there," Archie said. "And…if he's okay. And tell him that I'll get him out?"
An involuntary whimper escaped Archie's lips. Nori rubbed his back. "It'll be okay, Archie. Maybe he's not in there at all. Maybe he's in the refugee camps, or maybe he got medicine and is heading back. We might have ridden past him on our way in."
"Yeah." Archie's breath wavered. "Yeah."
"I'll check," Chrysanth said. "And I'll do whatever I can to help."
"Thank you, Chrysanth." Archie closed his eyes, and his knees buckled.
Nori kept him upright. "Go to the Academy. Go lay down. I'll go talk to Rowan right now."
"I can go."
"You'll slow me down. Just go rest."
"No, I can—"
"Archie." Nori stared at him in that way that made her seem a foot taller than him, not a foot shorter. Even if he had any energy, he wouldn't have been able to defy her.
"Alright. Go, then." Archie turned to Chrysanth as Nori ran off. "Thanks again. Don't put yourself in danger."
"I won't. And don't worry about bringing me food. I'll find someone else to mooch off of."
Archie smiled feebly and made his way toward the Academy. A few smiling faces looked up at him in the great hall, none of them aware of the maelstrom in his mind. Archie wondered how long it'd take Nori to get to The Gift. He wondered what Rowan would say. He wondered if his father was really imprisoned by Waldorf. And he wondered why there were so many Gluttons in the great hall.
Two pairs sat on isolated ends of the tables. A female Glutton had engaged Aubergine, and it was immediately clear that she served as a roadblock for the poor Headmaster. He spotted Archie and took his chance to break away.
"Oh, Archie! I've been meaning to talk to you!" Aubergine feigned one way and darted the other to get around the Glutton. He put his arm around Archie and walked with him away from the scowl of the scorned behemoth.
"Thank you," Aubergine muttered. "I thought I'd never get away. Did you not go to Sain?"
"I'm back." Archie considered telling Aubergine. The Headmaster had an undeniably good heart. If it made sense for him to help, he would. But if it didn't, he could do something to stop Archie. Best to play it safe.
"How's your family?"
Archie sucked air through clenched teeth and nodded. "They'll be fine."
"Good, good. Well, I'm sure you've heard about Grand King Flambé by now."
"I have."
"Terrible thing." Aubergine shook his head at the ground. He took a peek back at the female Glutton, who was still not happy about him cutting their conversation short. "Things are changing fast. Prince Waldorf wants control over the Academy."
"What?" Archie nearly yelled. One terrible thing knocked against another.
Aubergine looked around frantically, using his hands to shush Archie. "Look. I'm not handing over the Academy. But things are going to have to change. We're going to have to appease him where we can so that we can still do our own thing."
"Appease him? The Academies are independent."
"They'll stay that way." Aubergine tilted his head from side to side. "As much I can make them. The Chancellor of Culinary Arts has been given more power than any chancellor before him, and he's cozied up to Waldorf in a big way. The fact of the matter is, a man with an insatiable appetite just got the entire kingdom served up to him. We'll be lucky if he just takes a nibble out of us. So we'll play nice. He wants an oath. Of fealty. From all the students. Individually."
Archie understood every word but didn't understand the concept. He had just been gone for a single day and now the entire world had changed.
Aubergine put a hand on Archie's shoulder. "Tomorrow, all student Chefs will prepare a dish as tribute and deliver it to Prince Waldorf's quarters."
Archie had thought about freeing his father, but he hadn't yet imagined going into that den. He thought of the kitchen. The chain.
"I'll be expected to provide tribute as well. Given…" Aubergine leaned in and got quiet. "Given what happened last year, I'd rather you not go alone. But you have to do it. As for our tributes, quietly spread the word not to make them too good. Not too bad either. Acceptable and forgettable. Don't make yourself a target."
Aubergine turned to look at the Glutton, then back to Archie. "We'll go around noon. Make something and meet me in the main kitchen around then."
Aubergine left, jogging over to the Glutton while wearing a big grin. "Sorry about that! Headmaster business. So, about your proposal…"
Archie wandered off to a corner of the great hall to wait. He thought he should eat but knew he wouldn't be able to keep it down. His stomach twisted into knots, and his demeanor put off any other students that might approach him. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
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"Archie. Wake up."
"Huh?" Archie looked around to figure out where he was. It was dark outside. "I'm awake. What happened?"
"Rowan's working on it."
"Good. Is he going to come up here tomorrow? To finish it?"
"No, it's too risky to bring Arty through here. Waldorf will still be here at the dinner, remember? We're going to take him down to The Gift and then come back. With the trams, it should be quick."
Archie covered his face with his hands.
"Archie." Nori rubbed his shoulder. "I talked to Crysanth on my way in. He said he checked, but the key that he used for you wasn't there anymore. He couldn't check. So we don't even know if he's in there, okay? We're preparing just in case, but maybe everything is fine."
"Okay," Archie said, even if he didn't believe it.
The next day signaled a dark future for the Academy. The students started preparing their tributes to Waldorf in the morning, filling up the main kitchen and relegating the Head Chefs to side kitchens to prepare that night's end-of-year feast.
Aubergine had broken up the students into groups and given them a time schedule to keep a constant stream of meals going to Waldorf. But the Headmaster did not supervise. That duty fell to a Gluttonous woman by the name of Morita. Her monstrous size and warped proportions made it difficult to place her age. Her face put her in her thirties, but her thinning red hair made her seem much older.
As far as Gluttons went, she was small—barely over six feet tall and barely wider than three average people. But she was every bit as frightening. She stalked through the kitchen, suggesting changes that everyone quickly realized weren't optional. Archie heard her strained breathing as she crept up next to him.
"Pasta? Squeeze some lemon on it. He loves lemon."
Archie exchanged a look with Nori. He wouldn't ask her to help with the lemon—he didn't want the meal to taste too good.
Morita moved on to Nori, who was setting oysters onto a tray of ice. Morita took one, using a massive finger to scoop its contents into her mouth. "Mmm!" she said, half of disgust and half of enjoyment. She threw an entire lemon wedge into her mouth and chewed it, rind and all. "Slimy! Never have gotten used to that texture. But it's good."
She clumsily pushed the oysters around to make it appear that none had been taken. She tasted nearly every dish, always careful to make sure Waldorf wouldn't be able to tell. As strong as her appetite might have been, her loyalty to Waldorf was stronger.
A second Glutton served as escort, taking students to Waldorf's quarters and back. He entered the kitchen with Julienne, Yarrow, and Mindy, who all looked as if they had witnessed a murder. Julienne shambled over to Archie like a walking corpse.
"What happened?" Archie asked.
"He hated it," Julienne said, his unfocused eyes pointing at nothing in particular. "He knew—he said I made it bad on purpose. I made it fine. But he yelled. He…apparently one of Grand King Flambé's last acts was making the Labruscan District a historical site. Outside the crown's jurisdiction."
"Why?"
"I guess the king knew he was dying soon, so he didn't want Waldorf to be able to tear down Cafe Julienne."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"We're a target now."
Their conversation caught Morita's attention, who started to walk over. Archie looked from her to Julienne a few times to alert him. Julienne took notice and left with a final word. "Good luck."
Julienne left, making Morita turn around and go back to sampling the students' dishes. The other Glutton took notice of Archie and walked over.
"You're up next," he said, his voice sounding like a half-gargle. He looked at Nori. "You, too."
Archie couldn't find the words to protest. Nori could.
"We need a few minutes to finish. And Headmaster Aubergine wanted to go with us."
The Glutton turned to the next row, picking out poor, small Sutton. "You!" the Glutton said, nearly giving Sutton a heart attack. "Go get the Headmaster."
Sutton left his pan over the fire and ran away. By the time he returned, the smell of burnt garlic had the other students wondering if they had messed up their own dishes.
Aubergine joined Archie and Nori, looking with concern at the oysters. He looked at the two Gluttons, making sure they were out of earshot.
"You weren't supposed to make something that would catch his attention," he said.
Nori looked unphased. "It looks good, but it doesn't taste good. I used essence to make it slimier than normal."
"Gross," Aubergine said with a combination of surprise and respect. "Good."
The Glutton approached. "Headmaster. These two tell me you're going with them?"
"That's right." Aubergine patted Archie on the back, using his natural charisma and easygoing nature to make it seem like nothing unusual was happening.
"I hope you're not going empty handed," the Glutton warned. His voice carried a presumed authority over Aubergine. The audacity made Archie grind his teeth.
If it made Aubergine mad, he didn't show it. He flashed his perfect teeth in a smile and laughed. "I don't want to detract from the meals of these amazing students."
The Glutton grunted with skepticism. "Let this be the last time you approach him with empty hands."
"Of course," Aubergine said, deflecting the threat with a smile. He gestured toward the door. "Shall we?"
The Glutton led Aubergine, Archie, and Nori out of the Academy, past the gate to the royal keep—Chrysanth regarded Archie with a look of concern—and into the foyer that marked the start of Waldorf's section of the keep. Archie wondered when Waldorf would extend his reign to the rest of the keep.
They walked through the dining room. Three Gluttons looked up from the table with a joy that faded once they realized the food wasn't theirs. They entered the courtyard, the doors to Waldorf's personal quarters visible from across the lawn and the dozen guards that roamed the area.
"It's okay," Nori whispered to Archie. "Just play nice."
He looked at her in a moment of confusion, wondering what had prompted her to comfort him. Then he realized how his hands were shaking. He took a deep breath. He couldn't show vulnerability. Everything had to seem like just another day. The Glutton motioned for them to continue, opening the door and staying behind.
The sensation of Waldorf's room spurred nausea into Archie. The stiff, musty smell of old food. The mix of nude and still life paintings. The memory of beatings and chains. The tense and watchful eyes of the fighters that filled the room. And of course, above all, the sight of Waldorf.
"Ah, Aubergine!" he exclaimed. Archie found Waldorf's unnaturally echoed and distorted voice as unsettling as the first time he had heard it. "And we have the Harper! I do hope you've brought me something that shows why my father was so fond of you. Come."
Nori pushed her cart forward, prompting the two Red Jackets standing at Waldorf's side to lean forward with flexed hands. Archie's eyes darted between the hidden door and the guards.
Waldorf laughed. "Easy, boys. Sorry, Miss Harper. They're a little on edge. Our invisible assassin paid a visit earlier today. Just in front of the keep, too. Their attempts are getting desperate. Croquetta chased them off. They killed her, which is a shame because she was pretty, but she made them bleed first. Wherever they are, they won't be back for a while. Now come, show me what you've brought me."
Nori unveiled her plate of oysters on ice. The lack of lemon was very intentional.
"Hmm, oysters. Interesting." He looked from the oysters to Nori and back to the oysters, the look of hunger never disappearing. "I do love you Urokans. And your food. I see why my father spent so much time there. Go ahead, set it down."
Nori somehow managed to put the plate down without vomiting at the hungry look Waldorf gave her.
Waldorf waited for something. "Well?"
"I'm sorry?"
He used two fingers to pinch out the oyster meat. "What is this gift meant to represent?"
Nori took a deep breath and considered her words. "Loyalty," she said as she bowed.
Waldorf smiled. The right answer. He ate the oyster, sucking on half of his fingers as he deposited it into his mouth. "Ugh!" He shook his head quickly in disgust. "Slimy. Next time, bring something cooked."
"Yes, Your Grace," Nori said as she stepped away.
The Glutton ate another, shaking his head again in disgust. As he ate a third, he looked with displeasure at Aubergine. "Aubey? You didn't bring anything."
Even Waldorf couldn't fluster Aubergine. The Headmaster held his hands out to his side and laughed. "My friend, today is about the students! There will be plenty of time for me to cook for you during your reign."
Waldorf put his hefty forearm on the table and leaned forward, the displeasure not leaving his face. "A friend wouldn't come without a gift. Maybe you should stick to 'Your Grace.'"
"Yes, Your Grace," Aubergine said with a smile. He acted as if Waldorf had given him some revelation. "Of course! Your Grace."
Waldorf grabbed another oyster, his eyes never leaving Aubergine. He showed none of his previous disgust when he ate the oyster. Instead, his face remained perfectly still. The pressure in the room rose.
"I hope you've prepared more for the feast tonight. You do remember that I am coming, don't you?"
"I do, Your Grace. And we're honored to have you celebrate another successful school year with us."
"Successful school year," Waldorf scoffed. "Has Morita spoken to you about the curriculum?"
"She has, Your Grace. I'm excited to see what suggestions we can implement."
Waldorf's friendliness disappeared. He swung his lower jaw around as he digested Aubergine's words. "You'll be able to implement whatever she suggests. You'll see to that, or I'll find someone who will."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Archie looked at the hidden door again. But this time, he made it too obvious. Waldorf caught the movement, locked eyes with Archie, and grinned. "And we have the Kent boy. I do love Kent cooking. Did you know that?"
"Ye—yes, Your Grace."
The honorific brought a twisted smile to Waldorf's face. "Wonderful, wonderful. Show me what you've brought for me."
Archie stepped forward, setting down a plate full of pasta covered in olive oil, parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and lemon. As the plate made contact with the table, Prince Waldorf grabbed Archie's forearm. Nori gasped. The guards tensed. Archie's skin twisted and tore beneath the Glutton's tight grip.
"You know," Prince Waldorf said, leaning in. "I got to see Petrichor this week. Little rinky-dink place, isn't it? I thought it was supposed to be a big deal."
Waldorf laughed and let him go. Archie couldn't bear to make eye contact. He looked beyond at the run table against the wall. It contained everything needed to make drinks. Cups. Glasses. Boxes of tea bags. Bottles of syrup and liquor. A glass pitcher of water with a lemon in it. Archie stared at the water even as Waldorf waited for him to speak.
Nori coughed to break Archie's trance. He looked at Waldorf, who looked back impatiently.
"I look forward to your reign, Your Grace," Archie said absently, looking back and forth between Waldorf and the water.
"Good. And I look forward to eating Kent food for a long time."
"Okay," Aubergine said, eager to get Archie away. "Let's go. Your Grace, we look forward to your presence at the feast."
Archie started to walk away, trailing Aubergine and Nori. But then he stopped.
He turned back to Waldorf, who looked up from the bite of pasta on his fork.
"Yes?" the Glutton asked.
"Sorry, Your Grace. But I'm awfully thirsty. Could I get a glass of water?"
Aubergine and Nori turned, alarmed. The guards exchanged skeptical looks.
Waldorf's mouth hung open in a half-smile as he considered the request. "Of course. Allow me."
He put his two monstrous hands down onto the table and pushed himself up. Archie stared at the level of the water in the pitcher before Prince Waldorf grabbed it and poured a glass.
When he set the pitcher back down, the water level hadn't changed.
Archie looked at the hidden door. Prince Waldorf caught his gaze again, setting the glass down forcefully to regain his attention. When Archie faced him again, Waldorf wore a devious grin.
"Drink up."
Archie could barely stand up straight, let alone grip the cup. He took the glass in two hands and drank as he swayed. Nori grabbed the glass from his hands, set it down on the table, and pulled Archie away.
Aubergine picked up the slack in the formalities. "Thank you, Your Grace. We'll be sending more students over shortly."
They rejoined the Glutton in the courtyard. As they were led away, Nori held Archie back a step and whispered in his ear.
"What was that?!"
"I…He…" Archie blinked forcefully. The sun battered his eyes as it poured through the dancing leaves of the courtyard's large, single tree. The sound of the wind came in like a whistle, splitting his head. The chirping of the birds seemed to mock him. It was all too much. "He has him, Nori."