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If ruling a kingdom took time, preparing the dishes for the king's meal took more. Adélie, the gardener's daughter, had been working in the kitchen for two weeks now. She dealt more specifically with soups. Winter was fast approaching and the king loved soups as soon as the temperatures dropped.

Adélie had joined the kitchen team of the palace thanks to her father, himself the king's gardener. She had left her mother and her home to live closer to Her Majesty. In the basement of the palace were the maids' rooms. It is there that all the little ants of the palace swarmed day and night in the service of the royal family.

Adélie shared her small room with Flore, in just two weeks she had become a great confidante for her.

Their bedroom had a very low ceiling and no windows. There were two small wooden beds against each wall, a sink and a small table. Flore had stolen a chamber pot during her evenings because theirs had been stolen.

Flore was one of the hundred maids owned by the Queen Mother. She had somewhat extravagant schedules. She worked four hours in a row and then she was allowed two hours off and so on. Adélie was lucky to have more correct schedules.

The kitchens were swarming, the king's supper would take place in less than an hour, and the staff seemed to be in turmoil. Adelie was trying hard to keep up. The Soup Chef was yelling a bunch of orders at him at the same time.

“Mix the broth! Put the soup on the fire! Smash the potatoes! Faster than that ! »

Adelie carried out each request but she was too slow so that the chef got angry and tapped her on the fingers with a wooden stick.

"Ouch!" she cried, "you hurt me!" »

His fingers were bleeding painfully.

"You'd better go faster if you don't want me to start again!" »

Tears in her eyes Adélie resumed her work.

Suddenly the bell rang, a sign that the king's supper was beginning. Adelie took advantage of the chef's inattention to slip away. She went in the direction of the washing-up tubs. She quickly ran her fingers under water and wiped them on a kitchen towel.

She hurried back to her post quickly, but she took the wrong lane. The waiters were pacing around so fast that she was disoriented, unable to find her way.

Ashamed she approached a man who was giving orders to ask her for help.

"Excuse me sir...

- You there ! What are you doing in this outfit? Take off your soiled apron and put this one on! You can't serve the king in these rags!

- Sir, you are mistaken, I don't...

- Faster miss! Unless you want to be sent to the dungeon for not having obeyed?! »

Adélie, disconcerted, did it, she took off her old apron for a clean one.

"Well now hurry up you, the king isn't going to wait forever!" »

The man said this to him, handing him a carafe of wine. He pushed her towards two large swinging doors. Adelie felt her heart beating wildly. She no longer had any way of escaping.

She entered the large room. The dining room of the royal family. She didn't have time to be more ecstatic because she had to hurry, serve the king and go back to the kitchen, where she belonged.

It was the first time she had seen the king in person. He was seated with his family on a long table covered with wood and flowers with propriety. He paid no attention to the servants who flitted around him.

Despite everything, she found him very handsome, as handsome as the gossip in the basements said.

Adelie walked over to the table. She quickly observed the other waiters doing it, she had to stand to the left of the king, pour him a glass of wine then put down the carafe and retire. Child's play but not for Adélie. She felt panic rising within her.

She served the king with grace and was about to put the decanter down when he stopped her.