Page 44

Twenty-One

T he head cook waited for us next to the carriage, her expression distant as she considered the enormous pillars.

Then she shook herself, her expression firming to a servant’s mild approval.

She was ready to agree with anything I suggested, from going to the city today to repainting the entire palace the same color as Tallu’s eyes.

“Where are we heading, Yara?” I asked, getting into the carriage first. Toji had shown no sign of searching it.

Perhaps that level of scrutiny was reserved for the emperor, or perhaps he hoped there was some unknown assassin inside that would attack me.

As I settled in, I thought that now there was an assassin inside, and unfortunately for me, none of my targets were going to come in the door and let me have a clear shot at them.

Yara joined me inside, shifting uncomfortably on the seat, while Toji grabbed one of the handholds on the back, positioning himself in case anyone tried to attack us.

“We’re going to go to the central plaza, Your Highness,” Yara said.

She sketched out the history of it and how it had always been a gathering place for the best cooks in the city, where they could provide food quickly to a great many people.

“During festivals, you can barely get inside the plaza. There are whole sports around trying to grab any food from any of the cooks. If you actually can, the city’s wealthy will pay triple what the cooks charged. ”

“You know this from experience?” As we started moving, the light changed, bathing Yara’s face in a warm glow that turned her skin from gold to amber. Through the narrow windows of the carriage, I could glimpse only fragments of a view of the city as we entered it.

I caught sight of a footbridge, a crowded street, tall buildings, and low squat ones. I wondered how much of this Tallu had seen. How much of his kingdom did he know beyond the battlefields he’d been raised on and the palace he was trapped in?

If it was dangerous for the emperor’s husband to travel through the city, what was it like for the emperor himself?

The carriage pulled to a stop, and Toji called in that we shouldn’t get out until he had checked for safety.

Or perhaps he was just beating the bushes, hoping to lure out anyone who might see me as an easy payday.

With a Dog making himself known, I was being just as obvious as if I’d let myself wear a jacket that had my full title stitched on the side.

By the time I stepped out, a crowd had gathered at the entrances to the square, and the interior was remarkably empty. Yara rushed ahead of me, hissing to the nearest cook, who immediately began serving up some of his fare: steamed dumplings in a bowl made from tender leaves.

I sampled one or two, complimenting him on the spiced flavor of the seafood inside the dumplings.

Moving on, the next cook already had a plate ready—charred corn salted and seasoned with spices that made my lips tingle.

I coughed, and he provided a milky drink with different layers of colors, bubbles rising and turning to steam at the top.

By the time we had finished touring the square, my stomach was stretched from delicious food, and I could no longer remember which of the cooks had provided me with the thin pancakes filled with savory onions and tubers and which had served the slow-cooked pork inside a wrapping made from rice flour and water.

One of the cooks had prepared fish in a sauce that was spicy and savory, and I desperately needed the recipe because if I didn’t eat that every day for the rest of my natural life, I would die from yearning for it.

Yara waited, hands clasped behind her back, face pulled into a mild smile, even as her eyes darted back and forth, waiting for my verdict.

“I would be pleased to have any number of them present their dishes at our one-month celebration,” I said. “The cuisine here is more varied than in the north. Still, if possible, I would like the imperial kitchens to prepare at least one traditional dish from the Northern Kingdom.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” Yara bowed, and I could see the relief in the slump of her shoulders.

It was one thing to try and feed all of the emperor’s invited guests, but to have to feed an unknown number—possibly the entirety of the Imperial Capital—would be beyond even the most dedicated servants.

“There’s a dish that requires mushrooms. Would it be possible to see if there’s anything similar to what we have in my homeland since we’re already in the city?” Subtly, I tilted my head toward the fresh market only two streets away, according to the map Tallu had roughly sketched.

Yara frowned. “There are, of course, some local vendors who buy mushrooms from farmers who live in the forest. I could have them bring samples to the palace.”

“I’m not sure that would leave enough time to teach you the dish before the one-month celebration,” I said, pinching my mouth to the side, mimicking disappointment. I continued angling my head toward the market, afraid if I tilted it any further, it would fall off my neck.

“The fresh market is nearby,” Yara said slowly.

“Many local farmers come to it every month. I’m sure if someone there doesn’t have it today, they would know if it was even possible to get what you were looking for.

I’d planned to go there later to order the food needed for the… expanded one-month celebration.”

“What a charming idea. Let’s visit it.” I looked around the square and caught sight of the crowd again. I could hear the murmurs even at a distance.

Everyone was curious to see the emperor’s wild northern prince. It was clear that in the city, makeup and powders were less common, likely due to the expense. But still, I was struck by how different the people looked compared to back home.

There were no furs, no borealis wolves nudging their way through the press of the crowd, no clans with laughing children darting between mothers.

Instead, only the colors of their jackets and occasional shared features proclaimed the houses everyone hailed from. Even in the less wealthy areas of the city, small houses created alliances and protection for those who joined them.

“This way.” Yara bowed, gesturing with one hand, and I followed her, Toji walking so close behind me I found my elbow hitting his chest each time I moved. Or maybe I was elbowing him on purpose; no one would ever be able to claim I wasn’t petty.

The market cleared out just as quickly as the food square had, vendors shooing customers away as they caught sight of the Dog at my shoulder.

I paused to chat with the fishmonger, finding out that he sent his son every day to the harbor, and his daughter personally checked every fish his son brought back.

He wore pale green, and the silent woman at his elbow wore the identical color, the stitching on her jacket proudly declaring her a daughter of his house.

They both bowed when I complimented their food.

Further down, a woman sold apples, the colors coming in shades I had never seen, even in the Imperial Palace. She told me it was a private grove, one that her family had kept for generations and defended against the logging the long war of imperial expansion had necessitated.

Her words were careful, eyes wide, and I could see she was struggling to display pride and, at the same time, not insult Emperor Millu’s desire to see his destiny in action.

Miksha and Liku had a small stall at the back of the market, the fabric walls well-worn but patched with care. At the front, they had a range of tubers and mushrooms, divided into piles by variety.

Liku stood behind the table and Miksha behind him, a hood covering her head, another protection against anyone noticing the telltale shape of her ears.

“How wondrous,” I said. I let my fingers trail over one of the more interesting-looking mushrooms. “Do you forage these yourselves?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Liku bowed, his fingers forming a triangle.

When he straightened, I could see his wide eyes glancing at Toji at my shoulder.

He kept his breathing steady, but when his hands dropped to his side, I noticed a flick of his fingers, and Miksha disappeared behind the cloth at the back of their stall.

“It is incredible what you can find in the forest,” I said. “I’m sure you’ve seen many strange things.”

“Was there a particular mushroom or forest tuber that Your Highness was looking for?” Liku was a battle-hardened soldier, someone whose magic had been stolen from him and then given back by the enemy his commanders would have ordered him to kill.

I imagined that the Imperium had lost a great warrior when he left its service.

“There is a dish from the Northern Kingdom that I miss greatly and hope to serve at our one-month celebration. Do you have any truffles? Perhaps in the back?” I glanced significantly at where Miksha had disappeared. “I know with their value, you’d never place them up front.”

Liku put one hand on the table, and I could see him looking me over, considering. Finally, he said, “We might have something like that, yes.”

“Perhaps your wife could help me check,” I said. Then I turned to Toji. “This crowd is making me nervous. Could you help push them back further? I’m sure I can handle one farmer’s wife.”

Toji’s eyes narrowed, but with his mask on, he showed no other sign of his displeasure. “As Your Highness wishes.”

“I can help,” Liku said. He and Toji walked further down the market, raising their voices.

Glancing at Yara, I said, “I don’t want to keep you from your business. I’m sure you have supplies to pick up. The celebration is coming soon.”

She needed no encouragement and, with one last glance at me, went further down the market. Miksha pulled back the cloth at the back of the stall, and I hurried through. Behind was a small little room made of fabric, and I could see baskets of their wares neatly positioned for easy access.