ACTING LIKE I CARE

How it started?You wanted to know how this whole thing got started?

"Damn it Jose! I told you to carve the radishes into roses, you cut right through to the bottom." Nadia took a breath. "Okay, we can do this. Go get another bushel of them and start soaking them in cold water right away. Betty, is the rest of the vegetable garden ready?" From across the room Betty yelled out, "It's all done boss!" "Fantastic. The rosemary and red wine steaks are marinating and ready." Nadia looked around at her kitchen. She loved the smell of dinner. She was the youngest head chef to the King and she didn't get there by sitting on the side lines. She cooked and cleaned, chopped and chiseled her way to the top.

Leaning over the counter she admire her creations. The mashed potatoes in the shape of the kings crown, she smiled at the garlic and cheese pieces, perfectly placed jewels. The vegetable garden, vegetables cut to look like flowers. Steaks, ready to order. And for desert! Rice paper cranes, with several types of dipping sauces. Her kitchen was perfect.

Walking in the dinning room, the house staff had also made her dining room elegant as ever. The windows had been lightly draped and the candles had all been lit for a wonderfully romantic feeling. It wasn't every day the unmarried King courted. He was picky and everyone though he would end up alone. This princess seemed to have cast a spell on him. Dinner would be perfect. He was going to propose tonight and make her his queen.

Nadia sighed in happiness.

After a perfect evening, not even a spill from that clumsy butler, Ralph, the king did propose and the princess said yes. And she did have a hold over the king. He was in love. I suppose you can't get a more magical spell than that.

Nadia continued to cook for them both. Then one night the king came down to the kitchen for a midnight snack. Nadia always made sure there were treats for midnight in case. Because she woke up early to help the baker, she left treats in the fridge or on the counter. But the new Queen wouldn't listen to Nadia as she explained, she was never up at midnight with the King. Although Nadia was half giant, several feet higher than the royalty in that castle, the Queen was fierce and scary. She had never been interested in the King. She just wanted to cook. Since her mother brought her in the kitchen at her bosom, her whole life, she had been hungry for it!

The Queen didn't listen and didn't care.

Nadia went to her room and packed her things. What was she going to do? She had been quite unceremoniously fired. And for the idea of tempting the King?! Other Queen's would not hire such a young female chef with that kind of history.

Then she remembered her mother's story. A fairy tale for the children of giants. Jack the Thief. He would come in the night and steal you away if you didn't behave. But her mother told her something else. Jack had been real! Her great great great great grandfather's murderer. Jack who stole not only the Golden Goose from her family but the Singing Harp as well. She was so young when her mother told her those stories. But she remembered she vowed to get what had rightfully belonged to her family. The Beanstalk Family had to be somewhere. She would find them and confront them.

She knew where she was headed.