4: 4
They yanked out their handkerchiefs one after another and spat out the food, faces twisting.
"What is this?"
"How can anything taste this vile? What filthy slop is this?"
"Quick, call the imperial physician!"
Beside them, the King of Jade Realm held his consort, who was struggling to breathe, red rashes breaking out in patches across her skin.
Palace attendants scrambled in a panic to bring warm water so the honored guests of every realm could rinse their mouths.
In an instant the whole hall was chaos.
The King of the Abbott Realm knotted his brows. "Is the Craig Realm serious? We came in good faith to forge an alliance, not to be your poison testers!"
The mood turned to drawn swords in a heartbeat, and Kirsten Fox went white.
"That's not possible. These are all foods from where I come from. Everyone agrees they're delicious..."
"Delicious? Delicious enough to leave people like this?" The envoy of the Acevedo Realm couldn't stop his face from darkening. "Are you trying to poison the lot of us to death here?"
The envoys from several small nomadic states caught sight of the beef and mutton laid out to one side, and their faces went darker still.
In their countries, those animals were regarded as messengers of heaven.
"Please, gentlemen, don't be angry. Kirsten didn't mean any of this. It's her first time overseeing an occasion this grand. She may be a little nervous."
"Oh? And what is her standing, that the fourth prince frets over her so?"
Otis Craig faltered. Nothing came out.
How was he supposed to answer that?
The King of Jade Realm's eyes reddened. "I don't care who she is. Today my realm came in good faith to make an alliance, and this is how the Craig Realm treats my wife? Do you take us for fools to play with?"
"If anything should happen to my consort, then your realm had best fend for itself from now on!"
That single line from the King of Jade Realm dragged the mood to freezing.
Several ministers off to the side ground their teeth. "Fourth Prince, I think Miss Henson's plan was excellent. Why not have the imperial kitchen prepare dishes at once and set things right with the banquet Miss Henson laid out?"
"No need. We'll take our meal elsewhere!"
The King of Jade Realm rose first, and the monarchs of the other great realms departed after him. Soon the great hall stood half empty.
Kirsten Fox was stunned dumb. Trembling, she clutched at Otis Craig's sleeve. "Otis, I didn't know it would turn out like this!"
The ministers were near tears. They wanted to stop the guests from leaving, but the Emperor would arrive any moment, and how were they to explain themselves?
Kirsten didn't dare lift her head to look at Otis. "Otis, believe me, these things really do taste good..."
Otis Craig looked coldly over the wreckage before him. After a long while, he swept his gaze around the hall.
"Where is Molly Henson? Where did she go?"
"Molly said she wasn't taking part in this banquet..."
"She said she agreed to let me lead it..."
Kirsten Fox's voice shrank smaller and smaller, thin as a mosquito's whine.
Every eye turned to her. She had fought for this herself, tooth and nail, right in front of the Emperor.
She stole my place, took my authority, and now that it's gone wrong, when even these self-important nobles can't save their own skins, who's left to wipe up after her?
Up in the Cogwork Guild, listening to the shadow guard relay it all, I couldn't help laughing out loud.
Across from me a hand with clean, sharp knuckles held out a cup of hot tea. "Congratulations. The first step is done."
"It seems the fourth prince's fall from favor is settled now."
I took a light sip of the tea. "Don't rush. The best of the show is still to come."
"By my count, they should be arriving about now."
Watching that gleaming line of carriages and horses come racing toward the Cogwork Guild, a trace of a smile crossed my eyes.
At that same moment, in the great hall, Otis Craig's face drained pale. How was he to answer to his father?
Before he could think of any way out, the shrill voice of a eunuch reached him.
The Craig Emperor came into the hall smiling. "My lords, I was delayed a while. I trust you've eaten well—"
The next second, when he took in everything before him, the smile froze on his face.
He looked at Otis Craig and Kirsten Fox standing there, darkness churning in his eyes.
"The people. The delegations from every realm. Tell me, where have they all gone?"
