It was like a painting, a scenery where a knight arrives as the princess awaits with her arms reaching out across the canvas. Within a momentary glance Krodh felt like her long vermillion hairs weaved all over the room engulfing everything like a vine. Them hairs sprouted out flowers attracting the butterflies, vivid colored creatures who invite the birds to sing hymns sung by merchant across the countryside. A mare part of her body created an ecosystem, a cycle of life about which philosophers ponder through out their sleepless nights or so he hallucinated. Upon trying to search the meaning behind such an illusion his mind went blank. All meaning is lost. Even in this void Krodh's houndlike senses told him that just like the redness of rose is synonyms to love or Lustrous green grass evokes peace, the color vermillion is discovered to only suit Ludmilla Mayfly.
Whilst sitting in her chair, her posture and the air radiates the same divinity of hunt inscribed upon the caves of the ancient people, who's otherworldly beauty even makes the angels spellbound. Her tall stature immediately commands attention all across the room of every ball or every banquet. Once a while the stars from heaven descends on the ground to teach her the silent song of space. The intensity of her eyes shake every soul with terror and her smile is like an oasis only seen in glimpses but her warmth is felt frequently by those chosen by fate to be her slave, however in search of the oasis there is always the every prevalent mockery of the mirage.
Everyone was seated at the same side of the dinning table, all the chairs were occupied except one on the right side of Ludmilla. Krodh bowed before Ludmila and sat on the empty chair. The content laying on the table is yet a mystery to all.
"Now, before we begin eating let us hold hands and pray" Said Ludmilla and held hands of Krodh on her right and Koshechka on her left . After five minutes of prayer Krodh stood up in an intent to reveal his master's food.
"May I have a word first Krodh?" Said Ludmilla gently touched his hand, "Let me first say the interior you designed must have taken an extraordinary labor and its a tasteful but it lacks the subtility befitting of a scholar. In order for your art to be appreciated, you have to respect the intellect of your audience."
Ludmilla smiled and continued, "But I won't coax you further for it, as its through trials and errors that help one improve so I am looking forward to see how you innovate"
Krodh was silent through out the ordeal and just nodded once.
"Now reveal what you have made for me today. Shall you?"
Now that his confidence has diminished he meekly he lifted the cloche to revel an extremely big poached egg served in a silver platter.
Three fingers ran up and down the lips of Ludmilla in order to hide her smile.
Krodh cleared his throat and spoke slowly and as clearly as he could, "Its an egg poach made out of unknown eggs that were discovered and brought by Captain Edmund Stone from his perilous voyage to the Eastern continents. Captain Stone described the parents of the egg as enormous creatures...Estimated their height to be same as three men stacked together, however due to the weight and size of the birds they seemed to be flightless. Terror bird is the nomenclature of this birds due the skin crawling shrill cry it made upon identifying intruders in its territory. The captain lost sixteen men to a duo."
Krodh took a small breathe and continued "The egg is 8 times the size of a chicken's and a huge vessel is needed in order to cook it. Lord Stuart Mayfly had managed to secure seven out of ten eggs. All of which arrived last night in this mansion, the lord has sent this rare delectable to yours truly as a gift."
Ludmilla picked up a knife and her fork and took a bite, sipped her coffee and took another bite.
None of her subordinates' touched their food; no words escaped their mouths either. Unless their master's further orders they remained still like lost antiques meditating under the ocean floors.
"Magnificent, The white is done extraordinarily not too soft and not too hard. The shape of the poches are also replicated perfectly as if I am gazing on a masterpiece created by the top cooks, Exceptionally done Krodh"
"Thank you for your honest praises Madam" Krodh bowed down, his head lurched down as much as it could.
"For the breads they are well picked and baked, as of the coffee the sugar and the coffee blends perfectly to create a harmonious sweet spot. Impressive as always, I must say I am in love with your culinary art"
"I am honored by your honest praises. I will strive to hone my skills even further" Emotions ran high, this praises flustered him so bended even further.
"Alright right everyone.... Enjoy your breakfast." Ludmilla held her coffee cup held high up.
There was a general agreement among the occupiers of the table that that the remaining eggs would be used for consumption. No one wants to miss the chance to taste the new world, something uncommon, reserved to the adventurer and his listeners.
But upon taking a glance at the size of their omelet, the lesser material used in it's creation became clearer as the day crept in through the windows. The wind carried the sweet aroma, any other day this would be a prologue to a great feast... today it felt like a vomitus mass spewed on their plates. They exchanged glances. Their mouths pitiful and rebuking themselves over the aspects of their lofty dreams.
Their lord leisurely took another bite and so did her closest aid, the man in charge of making the breakfast in the first place. There was no concern in his face as the omelet he had on his plate was rivaled the lord's. Everyone glared at him, there was no emotion of envy rather an uncontrollable rage and disdain for the one who replicates all mannerism of the Lord except her generosity, the one who sees them as no equal of his. Its an experience for at least three years now, fortune had always faced the other side.
Theovan grabbed one hand of Krodh, he was all smile," May I inquire you about the rest of the terror bird eggs, Krodh?"
"First off" Krodh jerked his hand off and continued, "It was my first time cooking the thing; As a practice I took one egg but it feel on the floor, the yolk and white all left inedible, Then took three to make poached egg but underestimated the volume... some of it spilled. Lo and behold after grueling hours I managed to create a single success story."
"....."
"I had tried and exhausted every inch of my effort to create good omelets for you all. But every bit of it turned out to be ghastly, had over-cooked proportions on the edges, were under-cooked in center and it was like a messy broth. I cannot serve such a half baked meal to my fellow comrades. Can I?"
"Upon a closer inspection at your omelet I must assume you used our portions as a materials to practice. Didn't you?" replied Theovan still with a smile in his face.
Krodh poked out his tongue and in a shocking expression replied, " Heavens Forbid."
"I was looking forward to this day" Mumbled Koshechka.
"What about the coffee? Why is it cold?"
"Theovan, The lord prefers cold coffee. Of course we are obliged to consume everything according to her preference."
"I like tea though." Mumbled Koshechka.
Theovan looked down at Krodh and glared at him and said, "The same thing happened during your previous shift. While you enjoyed the fermented porridges you made for yourself we had to grind our molars on that chewy hard porridges not even the peasants would dare to eat. During my shift of making breakfast I always cook everything of equal quantity and quality for everyone so does Koshechka, Bracknell, Isaac and others. Why would you be such a discriminatory piece of shit."
Ludmilla who was listening to their arguments from sideline sighted heavily.
Theovan immediately collected his composure and kneeled before her, "I apologies extremely for gurgling such vile language and allowing it to enter the soft ears of yours My Liege."
"Its fine Theovan, I really hope everyone of you could be more lax around me." She then looked at Krodh pointed on the opposite side of the table and said, "Stand over there."
Upon reaching the other side Krodh felt the pressure. It was like a table full of Judge about to sentence a criminal.
"Krodh you are already a man who will soon be going to participate in high society, yet you still indulge yourself in this petty behaviour. I am plenty aware that you can perfectly make a breakfast everyone can enjoy but you actively sabotage their meal for absolutely no reason. Did you think just because I tolerated this attitude for long, you could get away forever?"
Her voice was low, it was a growling of a tiger caged yet reverberating and shaking every bone of those who came near it. An instinct of flight, an urge to run and a sense to hide away consumed all. It was autumn but the room felt colder than usual as if the sun routes back afraid of the all consuming night. All senses of cardinal direction lost in the looming ice age.
"Nooo, I di....didn't mean to" The voice that was once confident came out sheepish.
"SILENCE" Ludmilla put her pointing finger in the middle of her lips. Her feline like yellow pupil narrowed further. The word came out as low as the hail from the north.
Droplets formed in the surface of Malvolio's forehead, even in his old age he could feel the adrenaline warming up his entire body, his reflexes became faster, yet his hands were unwilling to fetch the handkerchief in his back pocket, his hormones being mindful to not make unnecessary moves to gain any attention from the predator.
"Not a single word."
"...."
Ludmilla leaned forward "It pains me to see you not getting along with anyone of your friends. To whomever I talk to I receive nasty rumors about your temper and impulsivity, everyone in the estate knows about your infamy. Its concerns everyone in the Family of Mayfly that you might ruin our name if you are unleashed into the world as you are." There was still a mild annoyance in Ludmilla's voice.
"Speaking of which this guys never had participated in any of parties we had, Did he?" Bracknell whispered to Isaac sitting next to her.
"Because most of the parties took place in the capital, we only came in this estate during vacations provided by the Academy." replied Isaac
Ludmilla snapped her finger and a maid immediately entered the room with three scrolls in a golden plate.
"Homeschooling really only has negative effects." ,Ludmilla sighted again and then looked firmly at Krodh "But don't worry I think I have a perfect solution that not only would cure your erratic character but also help you empathize more also a perfect opportunity for you to learn the way of the world."
Ludmilla stood and so did every subordinate in unison.
"Krodh, I hereby order you to enroll in Angolob Research Academy of Magic and graduate from there within three years. Now if you fail to do so or get expulsed...."
Ludmilla momentarily closed her eyes and opened them and said, "I WILL DISOWN YOU."