Chapter 36 Jetsun and Regisus

Chapter 36 Jetsun and Regisus
At sunset, Sapphira arrived with instructions for Lucy to meet Bethias in the Foyer. From there, she would show her the intricacies of running the palace. 

She dressed sensibly as she expected to be moving and did not want to tire easily. 

In the foyer, Bethias stood waiting as Lucy approached. “Today will be a hands-on lesson. We will start in the kitchen today. There you will be able to see the preparations for the meals.”

Lucy followed after Bethias as she led her to a part of the palace she had never been to. They walked past the servants' dining room as Bethias gave her a tour. “The servants eat all of their meals here. They cannot eat till they finish serving, so always keep that in mind when meals run long.”

It was a simple. A long table surrounded by many chairs. The servants at the manor had a much smaller setup in the kitchen. Lucy imagined this would also be where they played games and gathered to chat amongst one another. 

Lucy made a note, as the nobility often forget about the serving class. 

Once in the central kitchen, Lucy was amazed at the sheer size of it all. There had been one big stove at the manor. Here, there were three stations with several preparation tables. 

It was busy even after the first meal. The servant's eyes widen at the sight of Lucy, and their heads bowed to Bethias. Many probably had yet to see her since their duty was in the kitchen. 

She wondered if Patricia had any problems. 

“Regisus is in charge of the kitchen,” Bethias said, motioning towards a shorter vampire who only seemed to notice the ladies when his name was spoken. 

He promptly stopped speaking to the kitchen maid he had been giving orders to and hurried over. “My lady, forgive me, I did not hear you come in.”

“We do not wish to disturb your work. I am showing Lady Lucinda how the palace operates.” 

The vampire looked at Lucy skeptically. “You are an artist. I have enjoyed every morsel I have eaten.” Lucy said nervously, hoping the vampire enjoyed compliments.

It seemed to work as a soft smile appeared on his face. “True cooking is an art.”

Regisus took over for Bethias in giving Lucy a tour of the kitchen. Since it was between meals, he had time to explain the details to her. The pantry was immaculately organized, and the pots and pans had not a speck of dirt on them. 

Lucy asked many questions and gave many compliments to the chef. After they had finished, they would need to move on to table setting. This fell under the Butler’s duty, so they said goodbye to Regisus and walked down the corridor.

The chef seemed pleased to speak with Lucy, something that made her happy. If the one preparing her meals seemed to like it, she would call that a win. 

Bethias turned and walked into a room. It was a small room with a desk and a few cabinets, but what was most surprising was that Lady Calenda was there with a vampire, whom Lucy assumed was the butler, as he was dressed in the butler's attire. 

“Lady Calenda, what a surprise,” Bethias said in a voice that told Lucy she was not pleased. The butler immediately snapped to attention at Bethias’ entry. 

“Lady Bethias, I only had a few things to handle, but I will be on my way.” Her silk dress rustled against the floor as she turned to the door. 

“What’s this?” Bethias asked, stepping forward, blocking the exit. They were looking at the desk, which had sheets of paper lying on it. “The seating arrangements for tonight’s dinner.”

“I was just trying to help since we do not have a queen to handle such affairs, and the king should not be bothered,” Calenda said, waving dismissively. The vampire was adorned in jewels that, when the light caught her, she sparkled like a chandelier. 

“No need to trouble yourself, I will take care of it. Plus, we will have a new queen soon.” Bethias corrected her subtly. 

Lady Calenda scoffed. “This little arrangement is a farce. A human could never be the true queen of Kunlun.”

Lucy was taken aback. No one had been straightforward with her. She sensed it and could tell by the looks they gave her and their demeanor, but no one said it. 

“This is the king’s decision,” Bethias said firmly. 

“We will see.” She said she would definitely never say anything against the king. Lucy stepped aside, not wanting to keep her from leaving. 

Lady Calenda muttered a good day to Bethias before marching out the door in visible rage. 

“Why was Lady Calenda in here, Jetsun?” Bethias asked in a scarily calm voice. 

“Her ladyship wanted to review the seating arrangements for dinner?” The butler was visibly nervous as Bethias stared right at her. 

“She does not possess the rank.” 

“I meant no harm, my lady. The king does not care for such matters.” His eyes were wide like an animal caught in a trap. 

Bethias never ceased to amaze Lucy as others seemed to tremble in her presence. The vampire was a good deal smaller than the butler but projected a presence of a giant. 

“Very well, it won't happen again after we have a new queen.”

The butler looked at Lucy, surprised, before drawing out a long “Yes, my lady.”

“Allow me to introduce Lady Lucinda, the king’s betrothed.” Bethias stepped aside to give him a full view of Lucy. 

“My lady,” the butler bowed to Lucy.

“A pleasure,” she nodded, but her voice did not sound pleased. 

“Lady Lucinda needs to be apprised of what the palace uses for its dinners and other meals.”

Jestsun blanched at Bethias and then quickly recovered. “Right this way,” he gestured to the door, allowing the ladies to exit first. 

He led them to a room full of silver, crystal, and any dish needed to serve. As Lucy walked the length of the room, she caught her reflection in the pieces. 

Everything was perfectly polished without a smudge. 

Jetsun spoke in detail about the different pieces and on which occasion they were to be used. His voice was void of emotion, unlike the chef’s had been. Bethias nodded along, signaling to Lucy that he was telling the truth. 

The butler placed many place settings out onto the work table and then explained the purpose of each one. A light lunch, a regular palace dinner, and a grand banquet. They increased in intricacy with each one. 

Lucy noticed that Bethias had brought the seating chart with her and was making notes. Once they were down, she silently handed it back to the butler. 

Without being able to read it, Lucy had no idea what the vampire had done.