Chapter 16. Evasive Action
Just as Maven had expected of her, within mere moments of her own shriek and Donivan brief outburst, Lady Nox had made her way into the kitchen with a haste.
"Do pray tell…" Her words were low with base. While they she was, by all accounts testing the those staff in the kitchen, "…just what is going on in this kitchen…" a blatant and daring threat was laced within them, "…to warrant such an outburst from, not one but both of you, so loudly that our guests could hear and began asking questions?" Combined with the pitch-black vehemence that could only glower from the Raven Queen's pure black iris'.
While Seraphina shared a very close resemblance to her mother, thus being dubbed the, "black diamond," or "dark gem," of the Raven Harpy Clan; the elder twin princess didn't have slight contorts in her face… those of a kind, which could only come from years and years of malice distorting someone's entire complexion.
As such Lady Nox, the Raven Queen was a stunning beauty herself, but she was as beautiful as a poisonous snake with bold colours or a deadly colourful mushroom may be considered beautiful. You didn't want to go near her, all your senses told anyone to stay away or just not to cross her – the latter being far easier said than done.
It was Maven who answered after curtsying to the Raven Harpy Queen. Some of her grey peppered locks fell to the front of her face with the motion, "Our most sincere apologies your Majesty." The older Raven harpy began, "we had been freshly supplied with a live boar." motioning to the pools of blood on the floor which had been smeared by footprints with the shape of something having been placed down in the blood, briefly.
Her head held high, Lady Nox looked down at Maven from an angled stance, "A boar had you both causing such a fuss and such a disruption?"
"The boar was still live, Ma'am." It was Donivan who added his lot into this.
While the Raven Queen didn't know his name, she did know that this was probably the longest serving staff member – who hadn't needed replacing or reprimanding – as they had always prepared food to a highly suitable degree; a finesse of perfection. This was something she had appreciated; at least her tastebuds did.
Despite her rage, the Raven Queen gave the chef his space to explain. As she did want an explanation.
Lady Cassandra in the dining room had queried the commotion. Both owl parties and even Seraphina herself had looked up with interest and concern at the scream which was followed by a prompt yell.
Up until that point, all had seemed to be going fairly well at the initial meet and great late lunch , between all the guests; notably the princesses'; their eligible bachelor candidates as their mates and not least their chaperons – all of whom were either ruling leaders of other Harpy Clans or of distinctly royal bloods.
She allowed the chef his place to speak and explain himself.
Donivan took this opportunity and began explaining quickly. It was a rare chance that the Raven Queen would allow any member of the staff to speak, especially when she is extremely stressed. Usually, such a time would have resulted in Lady Nox turning to vent her irritation onto the nearest member of the house help, or onto whoever she deemed responsible; Donivan knew he had to tread carefully and so he explained the version of events Maven had suggested:
A live wild boar had been delivered; not a dead one and so it had caused a commotion. Resulting in half of the prepared and finished desserts Donivan had worked hard on, to fall to the floor. Already this would have been a travesty for him – having put so much work into making them look as best they could.
The passion in his voice as he heavily touched on that part couldn't be faked; it was as genuine as it could have been, as he really was upset and angry that they had been ruined. Right before they were due to be served.
He then moved on to explain another member of staff had taken quick action to slay the wild boar quickly, and hence the blood on some of the cakes. To exemplify what he meant, as the cakes were no longer on the floor and most were in the trash can now, he motioned to one on the table that the smart thinking Maven had suggested to keep for show and explanation – mentally and with his eyes, Donivan began thanking Maven for her quick thinking which had really helped them save face… but it wasn't over yet.
From all of the explanation the Raven Queen still did not seem satisfied with this.
"Where is this boar?" She asked, cutting him off mid sentience by raising her hand at him. The Queen was not in the mood for niceties' and was only behaving this way because it would be very difficult to get a new chef of the highest standard, for all of the events that were to come.
It was Maven who took the lead on this, "This way my Lady." With a slight crusty she lead the Raven Queen to the meat storage space.
At the same time, Sephora had went back out with her human corpse in arm and flown down to the next level level of the city layers – on the highest of the 3 mountains.
This section of the ring was for Royals and Nobles alike. For shopping; for entertainment; for medicine and anything else they may possibly need. This section was had paved clean street, and given the status of people who tended to live in this section, very heavily guarded. A bloodied Raven Harpy carrying a dead human, dripping with wounds would attract attention anyway. With herself being the youngest princess, she had to be cautious on the route she flew down.
"DOCTOR INGRAM!" She slammed the door open to his practice. It was small and basically what you would expect from a typical Doctors practice. It was also his home and the up stairs section was his home.
The middle aged harpy jolted with fright and his face already paled from the fright, paled even more when he took in the scene in front of him; one of the princesses, covered in blood and in a very, very poor state… carrying the body of a creature that was dripping with blood.
As a Doctor, everything about this scene concerned him and so he quickly rebounded from his fright and went straight back into a professional mindset of a medical practitioner.
"Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious!" The lanky Raven Harpy Doctor ushered the Princess in, "Come in quickly!! Place whatever, or whoever that is on the table at the back… and please Princess. Go and take a shower upstairs before you come back down. For the very least, sanitary reasons."
Sephora did as the Doctor had asked. Placing the corpse of the dying human male she had found on the surgery table in the very back room from where she had entered.
Accepting the Doctors request and reasoning, she asked, "Where is your bathing room again?"
Ingram, the harpy Doctor replied, "Er… unlike yourself in the castle, I personally do not have a bathing room. I do however have a shower room. If you go back to the front room, and up the stairs. It's the room right in front of you. There are towels there. I have some old clothes of some of my noble patients so I shall sort something out for you… once I have tended to…" the Doctor looked over to the bloody heap on the surgery table. He didn't know what he was dealing with, until he got up close to be able to assess everything.
Sephora understood the pause in Ingram's words, meaning he wanted to tend to the medical emergency before anything else.
It must be instinct to him. Thought the princess.
With that she was satisfied with his reponses and immediate action.
The younger princess was just glad that there had been an adult who was willing to take control, without scoalding her, in such a strange and worrying situation like this.
As she turned on the shower and toddled a few steps into the basin she breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed greatly. Her mother never came down to the Noble section and it was the last place she would ever think to look for her. Ingram would never say anything to her, for fear of his life himself.
With that she cleaned herself up in the shower, more relaxed now than she had felt all day.
As the Princess was cleaning up. The Raven Doctor approached the bloody body. With snaps, he placed on his gloves and went to examine the medical situation.