The Kitchen

{if Show Chapter Id == true} Chapter Id: 12 | Chapter Id (variable): {Chapter Id}

{endif}{if Kitchen Event == false}You don't see Kat anywhere. Or any other person you know for that matter. You decide to return later.{else

}{if Kitchen Level == 0}You extinguish your torch and follow the natural lights you see to your right. You look through the little inlets and realize, that you must be relatively close to the gardens. As you go around a corner, you suddenly are thrown back a little bit.

“Ouch!” On the floor in front of you, is a young maid you just ran over.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!”, you exclaim and help her up.

She looks at you from top to bottom, as if she looked at a problem she needed to solve. Maybe you intimidated her? While you weren’t particularly tall, you did tower her small figure and the rough training had given you a tough look over the years. She sighed, then straightened her posture. “It’s alright. What are you doing here though, Milord?”

It felt strange to be called Milord. She probably was just careful, to not accidentally offend a person in power. After all she was right: what were you doing here?

“No need, to address me like that. I’m just a simple soldier. And … I was just exploring I guess?”

“Alright, strange one. Call me Kat.” She held her hand out. You took it.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Tarian.”

“Listen Tarian, I have to go now. But if you want to apologize truly–“, she looked at you from top to bottom again, but now more … interested. “- come here again. I could need a helping hand and having someone else to talk to than gossiping women would be a welcome change of pace.”

“I’ll be sure to remember, Kat”, you say while moving out of her way.

As she walks past you, she turns to you once more. “Before I forget it, in front of you is the kitchen. Of course, you can go in there, but you might be a bit out of place.”

“Thanks for the heads up.”, you answer. While watching her leave you notice that she swings her hips a bit more than necessary. You wait a bit to avoid the awkwardness of walking next to a person you just finished talking to. Then you too go back to the stairs.

As you walk back, you think about the kitchen. If you are truly strapped for money, you could make some money here. Also, Kat seemed interested in you. Maybe that and not the money was the main reason you should return.

{elseif Kitchen Level == 1}You stand next to Kat. The last light of the day shines on both of you, as well as the garden and the training grounds. It was nice to breath some fresh air, after working in the kitchen for so long. You thought helping her with her work would be easier than your rigorous training. It wasn’t. It wasn’t harder either, just different.“How did you become a solider?”, she asks out of the blue.

“Is there any mystery to it? You say you want to be thrown into the meat grinder and thus you are. Well, for most at least.”

“I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

You study her, trying to see, what she thinks, but nothing betrays her thoughts. “Why don’t you then?” It’s not like women were forbidden in the military.

“How many women did you meet? In the military, I mean.”

You had no response to that. She sighs. “It’s not that easy. Do you know what it means to become a soldier for a woman?”

You didn’t. “Maybe to be … violated?” It was the only reasonable explanation you could think of on the spot.

“No. Well, probably yes, that too maybe. But it means you are worthless, as a woman. It’s the last station.”

Silence.

“Thanks for your help.”, she finally says.

“Hey, I’m getting paid for it.”, you answer.

“Come one!”, she says. “How much do you think I, a simple maid, am giving you? We both know, that money is the excuse, not the reason.”

Your relationship to Kat has improved. You earned 5 gold.

{endif}

{endif}