Page 6 of Kingdom of Rot & Ruin
The scent of meat and rosemary filled the air, but I waited, watching the mud boys curiously. The primas couldbarely get the plate to one boy before another was trying to snatch it, and it only took seconds before an all-out brawl looked inevitable.
“Gimme!” A large boy pushed another off his bench, grabbing the other boy’s food with two fists and cramming it into his mouth.
The primas backed away in horror as the Fireguards moved forward, bashing at the boys indiscriminately as they snatched at food and stuffed it into their faces like they’d never seen it before and would never see it again.
The sharp angles of their faces suddenly made sense: the mud boys were literally starving.
My mouth parted in surprise. The noble boys snickered and laughed, but surely that was only because they didn’t realize what was going on. Why were the mud boys starving? Had no one told them there would always be food?
It was on the tip of my tongue to yell at the Fireguards to stop beating the mud boys, butno oneyelled at Fireguards, and especially not the dark-haired son of a lesser noble, friend of the queen or not.
So like the other noble boys around me, I only watched in horror as the Fireguards beat the mud boys into submission away from the food, until each one either cowered in their seat in fear, not even daring to look at their plates, or were too bloody to consider reaching for it again.
Vession watched over all of it with a disapproving glare, but I wasn’t sure if it was directed at the appalling manners of the boys, or the actions of the Fireguards.
I doubted my manners would be immaculate if I were starved, then put in front of a bunch of food like that. Of course, that was also assuming I’d even been taught manners to begin with. Were the mud boys taught manners?
“You will eat like civilized beings. There is no shortageof food. If you run out, more will be brought. If you fight again, you’ll end up like the ones from the bathing chambers. Have I made myself clear?”
My eyes widened at the vehemence in Vession’s voice, but it was nothing to how white most of the mud boys went. What had happened in the bathing chambers? A chill went up my spine as I remembered watching the Fireguards carry out lumpy sacks—lumpy sacks that looked around the same size as me and the other boys.
That was ridiculous, though. The Fireguards were harsh, but they wouldn’t kill little boys.
Theywouldn’t.
A small chorus of ‘yes sirs’ snuck through the lips of the surrounding boys, but the mud boys either glared through the blood or sat stock still in their chairs, terrified.
“When you are asked a question that requires a response, you answer,” Vession chastised. “Do you understand?”
The Fireguards moved it again to stand behind the mud boys, who flinched and cowered. Or with a handful, bared their teeth and growled like some kind of animal.
“Yessir,” came the cracked, crying answer from most of the mud boys. I resisted the urge to cover my eyes as the Fireguards hit the defiant boys again, but I didn’t. Someone needed to bear witness to their stupidity, or bravery, depending on how you viewed it.
Vession leaned back, tucking his hands into the folds of his robes. “Such upset and waste over something that is widely available. Foolish. Now, try again.”
The boys glanced fearfully at the Fireguards, too scared to move. No one twitched a muscle until one boy, smaller than the rest, tentatively reached out and grabbed a roll. Inch by inch, he brought it back to his plate and took the tiniest bite.
“Slowly, and politely. There is enough for all.”
The mud boys behaved better after that, and the primas even returned to refill their plates and goblets, which happened frequently as each of them ate three to four times the amount anyone at my table did. It was like watching a free show—where were they putting it all?
Finally, the primas stopped coming back out, and the food disappeared. The boys nervously glanced at each other as the last few bites were snatched up, the boys swiping at each other, then cringing and turning to see the reactions of the surrounding Fireguards.
“Everyone stand. You will form into a single line and follow me to your dormitories, where you will sleep from now on. In the morning, you will come back for breakfast. No talking or bandying about; you are to go straight to sleep. Fireguards will ensure your cooperation.”
I snorted.Cooperation.
The noble boys stood as one unit, patiently waiting while the first table peeled off to make a single file line in front of Vession, and then my table. The mud boys moved with a surprising amount of obedience and decorum as they lined up behind us. Perhaps the promise of a bed and another meal in the morning had them motivated to behave.
I’d read in a book you’d catch more flies with honey than vinegar, though I wasn’t sure why anyone would want to catch flies in the first place.
Either way, we all walked out of the dining hall together and began our ascent up a narrow, winding staircase. Torches were stuck into the stone walls in brackets every few feet, the fire winding down to embers as the last few rays of sunlight came in through the windows. It was barely enough light to see.
The single-file rows made sense now: it would have been tricky trying to fit more than one person across at a time!Hopefully, the mud boys didn’t push and shove, or they’d take each other out easily. That’s what the Fireguards were for, I supposed.
Halfway up the stairs, a scream erupted from behind us. I flinched, as did most of the boys ahead of me, but there was no going back or stopping.
Only forward.
