Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 393: Good dreams (1)

ARRRANDY

VERMONT CASTLE

The sound of the chopping can be heard from the chopping block. 

The aroma wafted around the large kitchen hall, the smell of meat and herbs and fruits and vegetables, all melded into this great smell that made people drool, as everyone can see people scurrying about bringing leeks, cabbage, venison, cow meat, herbs and water all around the kitchen.

It is hectic and almost like an ordered chaos, running and rushing, all have some plates, some bowl or some type of food in their hands.

The cook is a chubby woman around the age of forty and seven as she orders the people in the kitchen with her ladle holding it like the staff of power.

'Come on. Rush a little. The duchess wants the dishes ready before dinner tonight. Many great nobles from all Arrandy will come tonight! Do you want me to lose my job! Run, Dirk!' 

She ordered with her loud voice, clear and concise while throwing her ladle to the young man called Dirk.

Quickly that Dirk run and went to his station as fast as possible.

'Do you want me to get humiliated? Faster!'

'Yes, Head Cook' the other reply.

Tonight there is some banquet in the castle and like always the one responsible doing all the preparation behind the scene is the kitchen department.

Liselle is observing them with rapt attention. She is the one who relay the orders to the cooking department.

'Liselle, are you doing anything tonight?' one of the Junior Cook named Alfred asks Liselle. Liselle just chuckle.

'Unfortunately, I have some business with the Duchess daughter.'

'Ahh…that is unfortunate. I was about to ask you to a stroll around the park. I speak to the guards and they said they could allow us enter the gardens. Wouldn't it be heavenly if you could accompany me under the moonlight stars, singing love songs?' Alfred said his eyes are sparkling with hope

The other cook all smirked and looks at Alfred with contemptuous stare. After all, Liselle is one of the most desirous woman in the castle.

Everyone wanted to court her.

Of course Helia is beautiful but who dares design on such a noble lady and the maids and servants all seen the beautiful lady that comes and goes at the castle, cousin and relatives of the duchess who all possesses great beauty.

They know their limit. 

How could those noble ladies and noble lords will associate themselves with them, lowly servants and maids? 

But Liselle is different. She is like them. Common folk but with the great graces of a lady, unbefitting for a woman of her station.

She is beautiful, her short black hair and her deep brown eyes and her smooth flawless skin made her desirable not only to the common folk in the castle but also to some of the young nobles that came into the famed castle of the Dragon. 

But none of the nobles dare to force the young maid, Liselle to entertain them at their bed. Why? 

Some of the nobles are perverted and lustful, their minds are filled with lecherous thoughts and they could and would force even an unwilling party to their bed. 

Of course such behavior if discovered would be a huge blow to the noble houses but not all nobles are like this. 

A rotten apple in a basket full of healthy apples. But yet these perverted nobles dare not forces her.

Because she is not an ordinary maid or servants. What is extraordinary about her? 

She is the Duchess favorite maid and that alone give her some authority and some weight to her position in the eyes of the nobles.

Would these young nobles dare offends one of the great potentates of the continent?

They do not dare of course. Such beauty is admired and Liselle herself has received many letters and love song either by noblemen or the other servants of the castle. 

Yet, noble or servants, she rejected them all politely and courteously and as such made people only want her more. 

People after all, want what they can't have. Her rejection only made her more alluring and mysterious.

They all made a mental image of her as a pure and a noble woman. 

She is not a lady but has all the characteristic of a lady, graceful in her steps, careful with her words and polite and courteous in her attitude.

Then one ladle flew from one side of the kitchen.

'Alfred! What are you doing? Where is the meat! Do you want me to serve only leeks and onion towards the lords!'

The Head cook screams.

'Sorry Head Cook. I'm going. See you later, Liselle.' Liselle just chuckle and waved the Junior Cook goodbye.

'How about me?' one of the other Junior Cook offers. 

'I could persuade the guards too.' He said his tone hopeful and full of yearning. Liselle is about to reject when another ladle fly again to the Junior Cook. 

'Are you crazy! Flirting with the inner castle maid! Worry about your own job first! Understand! Go bring me some water!'

'Hish…That old demon. Never let us any rest.' Sorrowfully the junior said while rushing to get the Head Cook water.

The head cook just continues her job and Liselle look at the Head Cook with apologetic expression.

The Head Cook just smiles and nodded. 

The Head cook understand that Liselle is not the reason that this happen. But beauty is sometimes a curse especially for people of the common folk. 

At least if you are a noble people would not try to court so blatantly but as a common folk, stories of nobles trying to violate pretty girl from the countryside is numerous.

Liselle nodded and exit herself from the kitchen. 

She then walked to the towers greeting the guards, the maids and servants as she passed them, showing them her pleasant smile and demeanor.

And then she reached the tower and she climb until she reaches the highest point of the tower and look at the city below the tower, the sight of men and woman working their hardest and rest as this is her free time.

She looks at the sky and sighed.

'All this people are nice people. And the Duchess is kind and her child is adorable. Truly life in this castle is almost like a paradise itself.' And she sighed again. 

But a job is a job. And the Hooded Old Man always collects his debt. A contract in blood has been sealed. 

And as their code dictate, once they take a job they will complete it.

No matter how long it takes.

The Dragon has started to move but the contract is not yet fulfilled. josei

If the condition and requirement is fulfilled then only then will Liselle, this fake name and persona that she has cultivated over the years will be shed and she will once again return to the darkness, the belly of the beast and continue her duty.

She hopes that the requirement is not fulfilled. She hopes her time here will never end.

A dream she mused.

A long and beautiful dreams. And someday, like all her other dream, it will end. She thought in her minds looking forlorn. Then she sings in that pleasant voice of hers.

Sing on, 

As if in pain

And dreaming through the twilight

That doth not rise nor set,

Haply I may remember,

And haply may forget." 

Then she looks again at the blue sky and feeling the breezy wind she prays to the cold and hard god of hers.

That this time she doesn't have to offer. That this time she can stay in this dream as long as she can.

And she continues on praying and she closed her eyes, hoping.

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