The True Tale of Thousandfurs

Three

Katerina stepped into the warm glow of the large kitchen. The walls and floors were lined with stone, a large wooden table in the center with a string of pots overhead for easy access. A very tall and burly man worked around a stewpot, grumbling quietly to himself.

The heavy door slammed closed behind her making both of them jump, "What're yah doin' in 'ere?" He growled, pointing a ladle at her.

"Umm- I'm- I was sent to help you." She finally managed to say, her voice shaking and her knees weak.

"By who?" His nose wrinkled as he leaned forward to get a good look at her, clearly not believing her, "Ain't nobody work in dis kitchen 'cept me." He pointed to his chest with his thumb, his harsh words making her step back.

"T-the king." She stuttered, confused and afraid.

"T-t-the king." He mocked with a loud cackle, "I'm goin' to 'ave fun wit you if you lyin' girl."

"I apologize if I am intruding. It truly was never my intention-"

"Who yah think yer talkin to like dat?" He moved around the wooden table allowing her to get a better look at him and it wasn't an all-to pleasant sight. He wasn't hideous by any means but he was a far stretch from handsome. If he put a bit of work into his appearance he probably actually would look... put together at the very least.

His black hair was slicked back with grease and sweat covered his forehead from working over the stewpot. His hands were the same size as her head and he could probably squash a watermelon with a press of his thumb.

His jaw was square with a bit of untamed scruff that traveled down his neck. He was tall, almost too tall for the room, and broad. His shoulders stretched out on either side, the length of what seemed to be her arm. His size didn't help in comparison to the short princess, making him twice as intimidating as he probably was.

"Yer not a royal, don't yah speak to me like yer above me. Yer not!" He barked swatting her arm with a wooden spoon. She yelped in pain having never been struck before, even as a child, and jumped away as he cackled, "If da king sent yah, den I'll use yah. Go to the wash bin and start scrubbing!" He pointed to a corner where a large wooden bucket sat with a pile of dirty pots, plates, bowls, and spoons.

"T- There's no water." She said quietly.

"Den get some! Boil da wata' and get to cleaning!" His harsh tone stung almost as much as when he had hit her.

She had never been spoken to in such an insulting manner and it made her feel lowly and dirty. Like she was a dog who had jumped up on the table and decided to eat with its master.

She tried her best to shake it off and move on, to forget her life before and accept this new life. Her new life working as a kitchen maid.

She was no longer Princess Katerina.

Still though, as she burned her perfectly smooth skin in the bucket of boiling water, she was grateful. She had a warm bed and roof over her head, instead of a hollow tree stump. She was grateful to have evaded her father's men and even when she had been captured they didn't know who she was. She would rather be scrubbing filthy, crust-covered plates, bowls, pots, and pans than married to her father and sharing his bed.

She never expected to find her own love. She knew her duty as a princess was to marry for alliances and serve her people. Her duty to her people did not involve providing her father with an heir.

He could find someone else.

The rest of the day was spent following commands from the boisterous chef and scrubbing a lot of crust-covered dishes. Fine China that was used to serve the king and his family was handled differently though and time was taken to ensure their proper presentation. While the plates and bowls for the servants were left to soak in filthy water until someone decided they wanted to clean them.