The faint light of day permeated the corridor outside the Queen’s chamber where Annika paced wringing her hands. The physician had arrived two hours after the call had gone out. When he had entered the room, he allowed Fin to stay to help keep the Queen calm, and since then, not a sound had left the chamber. The fastest messenger in the castle had also been sent with the out to find the King’s hunting party that was perhaps a three-hour ride away.

Ruby had sprung into action, and had the most capable maids take over for Fin’s cooking, though she still wasn’t clear how he had become involved in the whole ordeal. A constant stream of boiling water and towels had come and gone into the Queen’s chamber as Annika continued waiting for the King to come.

It was a cloudy day outside, and the threat of a storm seemed imminent, forcing the Lady’s worry that the King would be delayed in returning to triple.

The first roll of thunder outside was nearly completely drowned out however, by the commotion Annika heard coming from the end of the corridor. She thanked the Gods as she heard the unmistakable voice of the King approaching.

When he came into view, she could see that he had ridden hard to get to his wife’s side expediently, he was splattered with mud and his hair remained in complete disarray.

“What’s happened?” He demanded once he was in front of Annika, his eyes flashing.

“We found her on the ground, and-”

“Who is we?”

“Fin- Finlay Ashowan the cook. We found her when we did because of him.”

The King remained silent as he turned to the door, and the cook himself stepped outside.

Dark bags were under his eyes, and his face was pale, but it was the sight of blood on his white shirt that drew the King’s eyes.

“Lady Jenoure you are dismissed. Finlay you will explain everything this instance.” The man looked terrifying, but Fin was the picture of calm as he gave a quick bow and Annika hastily made herself scarce.

Once she was out of earshot, the witch spoke.

“I can sense if someone that shares my home is in serious danger. It has to be serious for me to even notice, and it has to be in a place I have been. I woke up last night because I knew someone was in trouble, and I immediately worried for her majesty’s safety. I came up to her chamber, and met with Lady Jenoure outside her door. Lady Jenoure entered the chamber while I waited a ways back, and when it was clear there was trouble, went inside to offer my assistance.”

He explained everything rationally, but there was a stress in his tone that betrayed some larger emotion.

“Why is it you are in the Queen’s chamber with the doctor?”

“Her majesty requested that I stay, and the physician required my help in keeping her distracted. Your majesty, if you could please now see to the Queen, I believe the physician would like to speak with you.” Fin bowed.

The King gave one last icy look to the cook, threw open the door, saw the bloody pile of sheets and towels, and then laid eyes on the pale sleeping form of his wife. The physician appeared to be finished packing up his leather satchel, and was rolling down his sleeves when he turned around.

The scene was too familiar.

The King felt despair crush his heart.

The physician that approached him, appeared to be in his late forties, with dark brown and gray hair, and bright green eyes. He bowed deeply.

“Your majesty, perhaps we should talk outside, while the Queen rests.” He requested softly.

The King gave a short brisk nod, and promptly turned back around and exited.

Once the door was softly closed behind him, the physician addressed the King.

“The babe still lives.” He began, earning a heavy escape of breath from the King before he composed himself again, and waited for the rest of the report.

“The Queen is not out of the woods yet, your grace. Her majesty will need to remain in bed for the remainder of her pregnancy, and is not to be stressed or burdened at this time. I cannot say that the child will survive until the full-term. However, for now, I can still hear the heart.” He bowed again as the King blinked rapidly, attempting to hold back his tears that were a mixture of relief, and fear.

“It was fortunate she was found when she was, and that Finlay calmed her down. Were it not for him helping her to relax, I fear we may not have had luck on our side.” The physician bowed again, and excused himself to give his findings to the court physician whom would be arriving shortly following the King. The man received generous thanks and payment for his care and attention to the Queen, and would not be forgotten in troubling times to come.

The King stared at the closed door between himself and his wife, feeling completely at a loss as to what to do. His world felt as though it were crumbling around him, and that any moment of relief or reprieve was going to disappear at any time.

'I cannot change these things. So I must focus on what can be done.’ Regardless of Norman’s inner monologue reaching such a conclusion, he remained rooted to the spot staring at the door.

After the light shifted in the corridor, he wiped the tears from his cheeks, and turned away. He decided to speak with the cook. He owed the man his thanks, and perhaps a small pay bump…

*

The King found the cook sitting with his back against the castle wall around the corner of the kitchen, crouched on the ground with his forehead pressed into his palms. It had taken his majesty two hours of searching, and he was ready to pommel the witch by the end of it, but seeing the dejected state of him softened the King considerably.

“Royal Cook Finlay Ashowan, please rise.”

Fin’s shoulders visibly stiffened at the King’s voice, and as he slowly stood and bowed once again, Norman saw the hard set of his jaw.

“I have come to give you my thanks in aiding the Queen. You played an integral part in her safety, as well as my child’s. You have my sincere gratitude.” The King gave a small bow of his head to Fin, but the witch only continued to look somewhat… angry?

“Your highness, permission to speak freely.” Fin’s tight tone gave the King pause.

“Permission granted.”

The cook’s expression turned dark.

“You broke your promise. You told the Queen about my abilities, and I would like to know why you would breach my trust and your own honor.”

The King felt as though he had been struck, he felt fury rise in him.

The cook was upset because of something so trivial at a time like this?

“Finlay Ashowan, I informed her majesty because she is my wife, and deserves to know of something of such significance under her own roof!”

“Then why didn’t you tell me you would be doing that! If you had, I could have spoken to her majesty myself and-”

“And what? Why in the world is this important Mr. Ashowan? I believe you are forgetting-”

“Because I couldn’t help her!” Fin bellowed making the King take a step back.

“Your majesty, did you ever stop to consider what it is like when someone is dying or in pain, and they think just because you are a witch you can help? Her majesty while in pain and bleeding asked me to help her, and I couldn’t! I cannot stop death, I cannot heal the body!” Fin’s face became rife with sadness and grief. “You yourself would have probably blamed me if something had happened to them, and I hadn’t been able to do anything. I wanted to help but, instead I gave her more pain when I have to say that I cannot make any difference.” He accused tears rising in his bright blue eyes.

Norman stood still, and said nothing.

The cook was right.

He would’ve expected Fin to be able to do something… even though the witch had said he wasn’t powerful… the ruler still would have expected… some kind of magical miracle.

“Finlay, I am sorry for breaking my oath. For not having the foresight of how misunderstanding your abilities could lead to such pain.” The King paused as Fin resisted his hands on his hips and looked away with hunched shoulders, breathing in and out sharply.

“However, believe me when I say, I know what it feels like for there to be unending high expectations of you. I know what it is to feel like I am not enough to help.” The softness of the King’s voice broke Fin.

He sobbed, and the King wrapped him in an embrace which the witch fell in to, as the stress and fear of the night filled him in an overwhelming wave.

It was only for a few moments, and when they parted, Fin was once again composed.

“You need to sleep. I heard you were up most of the night.” The King clapped him on the shoulder, and turned to leave.

“Your majesty?” Fin called to the King’s back. “You have always exceeded my expectations, if that is worth anything.”

The King didn’t turn around, didn’t say anything, but if Fin had seen the royal’s expression, he would have seen the intense flicker of emotion cross the man’s face as he reentered the castle, and left the cook in peace outdoors as thunder rumbled above them.

*

Fin slept as the storm raged outside. The kitchen had been bustling with several maids and footmen as they tried to make up for Fin’s absence, so he was forced to visit the cottage assigned to him for his post to sleep, but it had not been used since Luca’s time.

Upon arriving, the witch managed to dust the space hastily using magic, and set his broom to work to sweep out the dead insects and dirt on the ground. Next, he started a fire in the grate as the rain outside pounded down on the ground. Once the fire was crackling, he lay down on his mat, and fell into a comatose sleep, lulled by the sound of the rain pounding the ground outside.

*

Fin didn’t awake until evening, and when he did, was shocked to see the small cottage had been completely transformed.

He knew his broom was capable for simple tasks, but it had somehow turned the entire space into a warm, and welcoming home. Slowly, the cook began to explore his surroundings.

There was a single large room when one first walked in, and there were table and chairs positioned a few feet from the fireplace, which Fin recalled before falling asleep, had been overturned and leaning against a cobweb filled corner. There were three large windows, two on either side of the door when one first entered, and one on the back wall. Soft blue curtains had been hung in the windows, a steel tankard had been filled with wildflowers in the middle of the table, and there was a pile of fresh cut would beside the fireplace.

A rocking chair that had previously been gathering spider nests had been polished off in the far back corner, along with other shelves that stood holding various pots and pans that now gleamed in the otherwise empty room.

Beside the fireplace was a doorway into a bedchamber that Fin hadn’t even bothered to inspect prior to falling asleep.

Inside the room, was a double bed and a small chest of drawers along the back wall, where the only window overlooked the line of trees that marked the beginning of the King’s forest at the back of the building. The fireplace apparently was open to the room on the other side of the wall as well, meaning the bedroom would be incredibly cozy in the winter months.

There was a quilt over crisp white sheets on the bed, and Fin noticed that the wood of the bed and chest of drawers had been dusted and polished to a loving gleam. His broom stood in the corner; made inactive by the presence of others… someone had done all of this work while he had slept through it.

Slowly, he turned to the exit, and pressed the latch open.

“Woahwoahwoahwoah!”

Upon opening the door, Fin found himself staring down stunned at Sir Lewis whom was holding a paint brush in his right hand, with a can of what looked like green paint beside him on the ground.

“Careful of the paint!” The Knight chided, while standing with a small groan.

“What… what is going on?” Fin asked ducking under the low doorway to step outside into the warm rays of sunset that glinted off of raindrops over the lush green grass. Sir Lewis backed up to give him room.

“You protected the Queen. So, Sirs Taylor, Andrews, and both Hannah and Peter came up with the idea to… tidy up. Plus with you gone we kinda’ saw how much you do. It took four people to do what you manage to on your own.” Sir Lewis shrugged.

Fin was speechless. He noticed the window boxes had been painted green to match the door, and fresh cheery yellow pansies had been planted.

He turned his stare back at the Knight whom was grinning with pride.

“T-Thank you. Where are the others?”

“Well Hannah and Peter are grabbing us all some food, while Sir Taylor and Andrews are grabbing a few bottles of wine and some ale. We figured you might exempt our drinking ban to celebrate tonight.” Sir Lewis looked a bit sheepish, and gave a nervous smile.

“They… you… all are… we’re all going to eat together?”

“Well, I mean if you need to rest more, I guess we’d all understand.”

“I’d be worried that you lot would re-thatch the roof if I so much as blink.” Fin couldn’t hide the awe in his tone.

He knew he could’ve probably gotten the work they had done by himself in an hour at most with magic, but…

They had spent hours of their day, just to fix up his cottage. Not because they had to, or because he was a witch…

“Here they come!” Sir Lewis waved at the small group of people that were making their way around the castle. Hannah was carrying what looked like two bulging picnic baskets; Peter carried a stool, and plates. Sir Taylor hauled a barrel in his arms, while Sir Andrews lugged a bottles of wine and goblets.

Fin continued to gape as they drew nearer.

He glanced at the Knight he had despised so fiercely, and felt a blinding appreciation bloom inside of him.

*

An hour later, the group sat well fed and happy, as they then broke out the wine.

“Thank you again everyone I… it’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” Fin leaned back with his pint of ale, his back to the fire.

“I don’t find that surprising you fussy lout!” Sir Taylor boomed as he drained his tankard. Apparently having been without alcohol for so long had lowered his tolerance greatly.

Fin tensed, and watched Hannah whom remained relaxed and shrugged as she sipped slowly from her cup of wine.

“Shall we play a game?” Peter asked while raising his goblet with a cocked eyebrow.

Fin shot the man a wary glance. It seemed an odd request from the normally silent fellow, but he wondered what was in mind.

“Yeah!” Sir Lewis brandished his tankard jubilantly.

Hannah stood.

“I think I should retire before rumors start spreading about my easy virtue, but you all have fun.” She smiled nervously at the Knights, warmly at Peter, and brilliantly at Fin before they all waved farewell and she exited. Fin checked the daylight outside. Despite the storm, the sun had made it through the clouds by the end of the day, and there was still some daylight in the sky, which soothed his worries about Hannah walking back to the castle on her own.

“She’ll be fine.” Peter said gently reading the cook’s mind.

“Of course she will! Everyone now knows you don’t mess with Hannah.” Sir Taylor managed as he poured himself another ale and sat down at the table.

“So! What should we play?” Sir Taylor demanded eyeing the table full of men.

“There is a game going around in Austice called Honesty or Guts, would you like to hear the rules?” Peter’s slow smile unnerved Fin.

He had the strange sense that he was about to get very, very inebriated. Kraken sauntered by Fin and gave him a single wide-eyed look before heading towards the bed, completely unconcerned.

The cook turned back to the table of expectant faces towards himself.

He sighed.

“Fine, what’re the rules?”