Chef Fenris POV
The parchment paper rolled down. The silence of the Great Hall shattered.
I stared at the charcoal marks. Blackwood Kingdom: 1. Moon Crescent Kingdom: 8.
The gap was an insult. It was a physical blow to every citizen in the room.
The elders began to whisper. Their voices sounded like a hive of angry bees. I saw Silas grip the edge of his workstation. Martha looked as if she had forgotten how to breathe.
Alaric did not move at first. He sat on his throne like a statue of ice. Then, he turned his head slowly. He looked at Alpha Stone. The air between the two kings felt tight. It felt ready to snap.
"How dare you score that dish a one?" Alaric asked.
His voice was not loud. It was a low growl. It carried to every corner of the hall.
"We were asked to score fairly." Stone replied.
He shrugged his broad shoulders. "That is the score I chose. Or are you scared your kingdom is losing already?"
Stone leaned back. He looked at the elders. He wanted them to see his confidence.
"Indeed, a man can lie to everyone, but his tongue can never lie." Alaric said.
He stood up. He walked to the edge of the dais.
"The tongue knows when it tastes something unique." Alaric continued.
"You confessed yourself that you had never seen beef cooked with wine. You said it was delicious. The elders agreed. The royal tasters agreed. A score of one is a lie."
"Being delicious does not mean I must score it a ten." Stone challenged.
He let out a short, sharp snort.
"I chose the score based on how the food made me feel." Stone said.
"I chose to score it a one because that is not an unknown dish. It is a failure of the theme."
"Now you have shifted your logic." Alaric said.
"We have all eaten beef before." Stone replied.
He pointed a finger at Sophie's station. "Is it because she cooked it in wine? Is it because she added some grass on top? That does not make it unknown. It is just meat in a bowl."
"Well, we have all eaten poultry before."
Alaric stated. "So what makes the dish of your chefs unknown? You think you are smart, Stone?"
"My chefs used a special oil." Stone said. "It changed the nature of the bird."
"This score cannot be recorded." Alaric yelled.
He slammed his hand onto the arm of his throne. The sound was like a crack of thunder.
"You have not scored fairly." Alaric said. "It is a mockery of the competition."
"No, that is not possible." Stone stated.
"This is the score of the first round. We must go with it. A judge's word is final. You cannot change the rules because you do not like the result."
The hall erupted again. The elders began to argue.
Sophie stepped forward. She looked at Alaric. She looked at the red oil in Skade's pan.
"Your Majesty, please, can I taste the food made by the Moon Crescent Pack?" Sophie asked.
The room went quiet. Skade narrowed her eyes.
"The rule did not say the chefs would taste the food." Stone sneered.
He looked at Sophie with contempt.
"Why do you want to taste it?" Stone asked. "Oh, you feel you would judge better than I do? You think your palate is superior to an Alpha?"
"I am not trying to judge anything." Sophie said.
She kept her voice calm. She did not flinch under Stone's gaze.
"I just want to taste the food." Sophie added. "There is an ingredient in that dish. It looks familiar. I need to be sure."
"So what does that have to do with the score?" Stone questioned. "If the ingredient looks familiar, does that mean you must have a taste? It is a waste of time."
Alaric looked at Stone. His face was full of rage. He stepped closer to Stone's chair. Stone looked up at Alaric. He shifted his weight. He moved back an inch. He feared what Alaric might do.
The Alpha of Blackwood looked ready to tear a throat open.
"Let her just taste the food, Alpha." I said.
I stepped forward from my station. Skade gave me a terrifying look. Her eyes were full of warning. Alpha Stone looked at me with hate. He saw me as a traitor to my pack.
"I will taste hers too." I added.
I wanted to know the truth. I wanted to see if Sophie's dish was truly worth a one.
"You both can taste each other's dish." Alaric gave the order.
He did not ask Stone for permission. He commanded it.
Sophie picked up a clean spoon. She walked to our station. She took a small piece of the poultry. She sniffed the food first. She paused. Her brow furrowed.
I walked to her station. I picked up a piece of the wine-soaked beef. I put it in my mouth. I closed my eyes.
The flavor hit me like a wave. It was not just food. It was a sensation. I felt myself drifting. I saw a garden full of flowers in my mind. Cows ran through the flowers.
Then, the rich red wine seemed to burst forth. It was sweet. It was savory. It was complex. No wonder the Alphas had smiled. No wonder they had laughed like children.
I opened my eyes. I looked at Sophie. I looked at her with grace.
"This is spectacular." I stated.
I looked at the judges. I wanted them to hear me.
"It is a dish I have never seen in all my years of cooking." I added. "The dish is indeed an innovation."
"Thank you." Sophie appreciated.
She did not smile. She looked at Skade.
"I would like to know where you got the ingredient you used to make the oil red." Sophie inquired.
She was looking at me now.
"I don't know about that." I replied.
I stepped back. I felt the tension rising.
"You should ask Skade." I said.
Sophie turned. She looked directly at Skade.
"Skade, where did you get the ingredient you used to turn the oil red?" Sophie asked.
Skade stepped forward. She wiped her hands on her apron. She gave a corny smile. It did not reach her eyes.
"The ingredient used to turn the oil red is called pepper." Skade stated.
"You should just ask if you want to learn, Chief Royal Chef." Skade added.
She spoke rudely. She tilted her head.
Sophie let out a thin laugh. It was a cold sound.
"And where did you get the pepper from?" Sophie asked.
"Are you interrogating my chefs?" Stone roared.
He stood up. He loomed over the table.
"What is the meaning of this nonsense?" Stone asked. "Whether you ask these questions or not, the result is there for you to see. The North has won this round."
"Quiet." Alaric commanded.
He did not look at Stone. He looked at Skade.
"Where did you get the pepper from?" Alaric asked.
His face was full of rage. The heat in the room seemed to rise.
"The pepper was supposed to be our secret weapon." Martha shouted from behind Sophie.
Martha pushed past Silas. She pointed at Skade.
"It was our secret weapon for this round!" Martha yelled. "You stole it!"
"I didn't steal it." Skade replied.
Her voice cracked. She was already crying. Big tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Then how did you get it?" I asked.
I felt a surge of rage in my own chest.
"I didn't steal it, Fenris." Skade sobbed.
"Then tell us where you got it from!" I shouted.
I walked toward her. I did not care about the Alphas.
"I told you that a chef is not just a chef because of the food they cook." I yelled. "You are a true chef because of your attitude. Stealing is not the way of a chef."
"I can prove to you that I didn't steal it!" Skade cried.
She wiped her eyes with her palms.
"I traded something for it." She replied.
"You traded something for it?" Alaric jumped to his feet.
He looked at the crowd. He looked at the servants.
"So you are saying someone in this kingdom gave you the Chief Royal Chef's ingredient?" Alaric asked.
"Who is that person?" Alaric commanded. "Just point to the person. I will deal with them. I will destroy them."
"I traded our cloves for the pepper." Skade stated.
"Who gave it to you?" I asked. "That is the only question asked."
The hall became silent. You could hear a pin drop on the stone. Everyone was terrified. The Alpha King was angry. No one wanted to be the target of his fury.
Skade slowly raised her hand. Her fingers shook. She did not look at Stone. She did not look at me. Her hand pointed straight to the high table. She pointed at Magnus.
"He gave me the pepper." Skade said.
"What?" Alaric asked.
He sounded stunned.
"Uncle Magnus gave you the Chief Royal Chef's ingredient?" Alaric asked again.
He wanted to be sure he is seeing right. Skade nodded.
"Uncle Magnus." Alaric called out.
Magnus did not move. He sat in his chair. Two elders tapped him on the shoulder.
"Grand Prince." They whispered. "Grand Prince."
Magnus sat there like a drunken man. He looked like he did not know where he was. After more tapping, he blinked.
"Hehehe..." Magnus laughed.
He came back to life slowly. He looked at the room. Alaric looked at him with pure anger.
"You are drunk even today, uncle?" Alaric muttered.
"What is it?" Magnus asked.
He slurred his words.
"Why have you all disturbed my peaceful rest?" Magnus asked.
Alaric pointed to Skade.
"This lady from the Moon Crescent says you gave her the pepper." Alaric said. "She says you gave her the ingredient the Chief Royal Chef wanted to use. Is that true?"
"Well..." Magnus replied.
He leaned forward. He smelled of sour wine.
"I see we don't have cloves in the palace." Magnus said. "She brought me good cloves. I gave her that thing. What do you call it again? The red dust?"
"Uncle!" Alaric yelled.
"I am in charge of the things used to prepare food in this kingdom." Magnus added. "The Chief Royal Chef did not tell me she was using a new ingredient. I must approve of all new items. I thought the harvesters made a mistake. I thought it was poison. I decided to give it to her since she requested it."
Magnus turned his head toward Sophie.
"Next time, let me know you are using a new ingredient, eh?" Magnus said.
He spoke shabbily. He didn't care.
"Sorry uhh." Magnus said.
"Haha." He let out a dry laugh. Then a loud belch.
Alaric looked frustrated. He tightened his fists. He could not disrespect his uncle in front of the elders. He knew the laws of blood.
I looked at Magnus. I did not expect less from him. He had been plotting this. Alaric was not aware of the depth of the plan.
I turned back to Skade.
"You knew it was their secret ingredient." I said. "You still collected it?"
"I traded the cloves for it!" Skade yelled.
She was still crying.
"Even at that, you have brought disgrace to the Moon Crescent chefs." I said.
I felt the weight of her shame on my own shoulders.
"I never expected this from you." I said. "This act will dent our image. You are not a true chef for what you have done."
I turned to Alpha Alaric. I lowered my head.
"I am so sorry for what our chef did, Your Majesty." I stated.
I took a deep bow.
"We accept defeat for this round." I said. "We inconvenienced your chef. We made her change her dish at the last minute. This is not how the North wins."
Alpha Stone's eyes widened. I ignored him.
"No!" Skade cried. "You cannot do that! I won! I will not accept defeat!"
I did not mind her. I kept my head down.
"No." Sophie said.
I looked up. Sophie was shaking her head.
"I only wanted to know." Sophie said. "I did not do this to prove you lost. I only wanted to know what happened to my ingredient. My chefs said they had grounded it. They kept it safe. But it was gone today. I wanted to be sure."
"I will not accept defeat!" Skade cried.
"Be quiet." I said to Skade.
I looked at Sophie.
"Whether or not your intention was good, we accept defeat." I said. "What she did was stealing. She knew it was your ingredient. She took it anyway. Please, accept the win."
"We cannot accept it." Sophie said firmly.
She looked at Alaric. She wanted a fair fight.
Alpha Alaric stood up. He looked at Alpha Stone.
"Since none of the chefs want to accept the win." Alaric said. "And seeing that your chef took my chef's special ingredient, how do you propose we do the first round?"
"My chef didn't steal anything." Stone replied.
He was stubborn.
"It was your chef who was careless." Stone said. "She did not report the ingredient to Magnus. That is her fault."
"Either way, a crime was committed." Alaric stated.
He looked at the parchment. He looked at the score of one.
"Because of everything that has happened." Alaric announced. "I announce that this round is a tie."
"That is impossible!" Stone challenged.
"How can you make it a tie?" Stone asked. "My chefs clearly won with a big gap in the score."
"Well, this is in your kingdom's favor." Alaric stated.
He leaned in closer to Stone.
"If all rounds end as a tie, then automatically, the Moon Crescent wins." Alaric said. "That is the law of the challenge. Do you want to risk a loss now, or take the tie and move to the second round?"
Alpha Stone stood still. He was a greedy man. He saw the logic. He saw the chance to win the whole competition later.
"Deal." Alpha Stone agreed.
"The first round of this competition is a tie." Alaric announced.
He looked at the crowd.
"If the second and third round ends with the same result, the Moon Crescent Pack automatically wins." Alaric said.
The elders nodded. They recorded the result.
"The first round of this competition has come to an end." Cassian announced.
He rolled up the parchment.
"We will be here at the same time tomorrow for the second round." Cassian added.
Alpha Alaric stood up from his throne. He did not talk to anyone. He looked exhausted. He headed out of the hall with his guards. Sophie followed him. Silas and Martha followed her.
Everyone left the hall one by one. The hall emptied. I looked at Skade. She was still sobbing. Varg stood by her. I shook my head.
"Let us go." I said to Varg.
We headed for our secretariat. The first round was over. But I knew the truth.
The Chief Royal Chef still have many battles to win.
