Archie wanted to watch and learn from the high-ranking Chefs, but instead, he had to work. They ran him ragged all over the kitchen and through the pantries and freezers to find the proper ingredients, only allowing him to learn for a few seconds at a time.

"It's hard to channel essence through water, so when you're soakin' dry beans, you gotta make 'em thirsty before you pour," Andy explained. He squeezed dried kidney beans in his hands before dropping them in the pot. He poured out nearly half a pitcher of water before the beans let a single drop reach the bottom of the pot. "Say, y'all got pork bones lying 'round?"

And then Archie was off to sort through the freezer. He returned with his arms full of cold bones.

"For macarons, you sieve the icing sugar and ground almonds, whisk it, then sieve it again, then whisk it again," Marje explained. "Do this four or five times to get the nice smooth top. And then when you whip your meringue, try to make your essence as stiff as you want your mixture to be before you start. I'll also make some souffles, what's your best chocolate?"

And then Archie was off to the pantries, grabbing Mindy along the way for her expertise. Marje was satisfied with the chocolate but not with how long it took to get it. She enlisted Mindy to stay and help to chop it.

"Dried chillies are the key to a good red curry paste," Tammy said. "Even though we're rehydrating them, you want them dried first to give them that earthy flavor. Then we boil them in water. You want that turbulence to knock the seeds loose so that when you chop them they fall right out. Do you have galangal?"

"I don't know what that is."

"It's like a citrusy ginger. If you can't find it, just get me some ginger and lime. Oh, and the freshest shrimp you have!"

And then Archie was off to the pantry again, asking five other student Chefs if they knew what galangal looked like before settling on a chunk of ginger, a handful of limes, and a glass container of refrigerated shrimp. By the time he returned, a group of students had gathered to watch in the kitchen, yet the competing Chefs had left all of the honors of procurement to Archie. They paid for his service with more microlessons.

First, Marje. The request: "Puff pastry, apricot jam, and as many apples as you can carry." The lesson: "When making apple tart, the apple slices shrink, so be sure to give them plenty of overlap."

Next, Andy. The request: "Sharp cheddar and another cheese. Pepperjack if ya got it." The lesson: "You can close up your chicken with toothpicks, or you can tell your cheese to pull it closed from in the pocket."

Then, Tammy. The request: "Coconut milk." The lesson: "Here's how you make milk from a coconut."

That took up several minutes of Archie's time. It was a wonder he managed to find a coconut at all—he had never seen one before. Apparently, the Urokans had brought some as a gift. The whole process was fun—chopping the coconut, using a horse spur to remove the flesh, mixing it with water and straining it through a cheesecloth. He wished Blanche was there to do it with him. For as much as she struggled in the kitchen, she enjoyed the rougher stuff like this. He thought of her again when he took the first sip of the coconut water he had set aside. He knew she'd love it.

Finally, Arty. While the other Chefs took up a dozen stoves between them, Arty…watched.

"Are you not competing?" Archie asked.

"Oh, I am," Arty mumbled, lost in thought. He hovered over Andy and took a bit of sausage from him. He went back to his station and started rolling dough. "Just figuring it out."

"Say, Tammy," Andy started. "How come you're the only one from the Urokan delegation I see 'round here?"

"Oh, I'm not part of the delegation. I just come up here once a year to see Marje!" Tammy exchanged a smile with her Labruscan friend. "Everyone in the delegation has been with Flambé all week. Apparently they have much to discuss. It's too bad. The whole point of the Summit is to mingle."

"And you know how Urokan nobility is about their southerners," Marje added.

"Oh, stop!" Tammy countered. Archie could tell from her expression that her problem with the statement wasn't in its truthfulness but rather its appropriateness. She was quick to move past it, and Arty's tossing of pizza dough was a good excuse to divert the conversation. "Arty, was it? What are you preparing?"

"Uhhh, well. I figure the only way I can stand up to y'all is if I focus on one dish. But it's a surprise. Say, can I borrow some shrimp?"

Tammy motioned for Archie to take the shrimp. As he looked at his father tossing dough, he laughed again. How could his father be so nonchalant about all of this? He was cooking with some of the greatest Chefs in the world—more than that, he was taking from their ingredients.

Whatever face Archie was making, it did not go unnoticed. "What?" Arty asked.

"It's just…" Archie leaned in. "Do you really think you can win?"

Arty shrugged. "You'll never win if you don't try. You gotta put yourself out there." He set the pizza dough down and smoothed out a couple of wrinkles. "And no, I probably won't win. But that doesn't mean it's not worthwhile."

Archie looked at his father with pride. "Anything I can do to help?"

Arty tossed the shrimp in the spice blend he had made for the Bayuk chicken and cooked them in a pan. "As far as cooking goes, I want to see how far I can get solo. You could grab me some red onion, though."

Back to being an errand boy. Archie took the opportunity to escape his servitude and go see the girl on his mind. "I'll get you a fresh one from the greenhouse." He took the coconut water and made for the exit.

"Don't take too long now, ya hear?" Andy managed to say before Archie left. "We gon' need a judge. Grab a few on your way."

Archie nodded and left. Just another excuse to go to Blanche.

The lounge was packed with students escaping the rising heat of the day, but Archie managed to slip through uninterrupted. Almost. He got to the elevator to find that someone was halfway down the shaft and cranking the platform the hard way. He plucked the noodle to bring the platform up and sighed at who came with it.

"Archie!" Hawthorn cheered. "My savior! Man, that wheel was tough. They really should teach visitors how to work that noodle."

Archie collapsed the wrought iron gate and tried to squeeze through, but Hawthorn came through the gap first with a half-hug, dragging Archie back into the hallway.

"I imagine most Green Jackets could manage," he continued. "I just haven't really worked with pasta much. Not the wheat kind, anyway. We do have some winter wheats in Khala, you know, but—"

"Hawthorn." Archie grabbed Hawthorn's shoulder with one hand while hiding the pitcher of coconut water behind his back. The Khalyan had always been talkative, but after the summer of Shiso, he was worse than ever. Archie needed to get rid of him. "They need you upstairs. Some high-level Chefs are having a competition and they need judges."

"Oh!" Hawthorn raised his hands up in the air, his previous thoughts having scattered like mice from a lantern. He went full speed from one topic to the next—it wasn't the first time he reminded Archie of an energetic dog. "Well then let's go!"

"I have to go get something for them first. But you should go there right away!" Archie matched Hawthorn's energy, giving him the momentum to run off.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Okay, I'll see you there!" Hawthorn skipped away.

Archie realized he hadn't clarified that upstairs meant the main building, not the kitchens up the next set of stairs. Oh, well. He'd figure it out.

Archie made his way down the elevator before anyone from the lounge found him. Then it was a quick—yet sweaty—trip across the bridge and past a couple of fields of wheat, and there were the greenhouses. Archie slowed down—better to not be out of breath when Blanche saw him. It never even crossed his mind that she might not be there. He knew she didn't have a shift at Blue Orchards, and even if she was taking a nap, she was just as likely to be doing that in the greenhouse.

The humidity of the greenhouse hit him like a wall of water. But then a sweet voice hit him like a song. His eyes went straight to her, seeing no one else.

"Hey Archie!" Blanche called as she graced him with a smile. She was crouched over a head of lettuce and obscured by a massive shadow. Archie was lost in Blanche's eyes. Even from afar, he could make out the flashes of green and gold in her brown eyes. And then the shadow moved suddenly.

Archie looked up just in time to see a cinnamon roll flying at him like a frisbee. It unfurled, threatening to wrap around him like a bola. He managed to duck at the last possible moment.

"Almost caught you sleeping," Picea taunted.

"You got me. I didn't expect to be attacked in the greenhouse," Archie snarked. A summer of training together had stripped any formal power dynamics from their relationship, and Archie felt free to let Picea know that he wasn't in the mood to spar.

Archie's tone breezed past Picea without remark. "You could get attacked anywhere. You did good to dodge."

"What's up?" Blanche asked as she rose to her feet. She brushed the knees of her tan breeches, knocking off dirt only to reveal the darker stains underneath. She had a select few pieces of clothing that she kept clean—the rest were all brown at the knee.

"I wanted you to try this. It's coconut water."

As Blanche took the pitcher, her fingers grazed Archie's, sending a flurry of butterflies through his stomach. She drank and puckered her lips in glee. Archie imagined his lips on hers. For a moment. Because in the next, Picea stepped between them and took the pitcher for herself.

"That's good!" Blanche said.

Archie smiled. "Yeah, I thought you would—"

"Oh yeah!" Picea interrupted as she wiped some off her chin. "That's good stuff. You know, in Palm Coast, they give coconut water to all the laborers. It's hard to manipulate essence in pure water, so the coconut serves as a conduit."

Archie pursed his lips in a tight smile. It was an interesting comment, but not as interesting as Blanche. "You know, a few Chefs are upstairs having a little informal competition. A battle of the kingdoms. They're just missing a Khalyan Chef. You should go join in."

Picea scrunched her face up. "Not really in a cooking mood. Never was my thing, to be honest. Our flower here has been showing me around the greenhouse, and I gotta say, it has me wondering how my life would have been different if I was from here. I always thought a farmer's life suited me, but with the low essence in Khala, you know…"

"Oh. Well, I was hoping I could steal Blanche." Archie realized he didn't need to ask Picea for permission and reconnected eyes with Blanche. "They're making some good food and need judges. It'll be fun."

Blanche looked at her crops and then back to Archie. It was a brief but clear hesitation.

"The Labruscan Chef is making a bunch of desserts," Archie added.

Blanche held out her hands and started moving. "Well, start with that next time! Let's go!" She turned back to Picea. "You coming with us?"

Picea shrugged. "Sounds like there will be a crowd. I think I'll go for a walk around the lake. I don't ever get to experience heat like this—it's like I'm in a sauna."

Blanche took one last sip from the pitcher and then shoved it back in Picea's hands. "Drink it all. The heat out here will really get you if you're not used to it."

Picea raised her eyebrows at Archie. "Yes, ma'am."

"Let's go," Blanche said to Archie, the music back in her voice.

"Uh, red onion first. For my dad."

"Oh, he's cooking?" Blanche looked at Picea. "He's very good."

Archie laughed. "Well, he's going against a White Jacket, so he's gonna need the best red onion you have."

After a couple of minutes of digging and a quick goodbye to Picea, Archie was walking back through the fields with Blanche. He juggled the red onion in his hand. It was rich with the feeling of Blanche, reminding him of the sensation of the Tamani tree. He thought that perhaps the familiarity wasn't because her essence was in the tree, but instead, some of the tree had stayed with her. There were times that Archie still felt a godliness from her. But maybe that was just the nerves. He struggled to start a conversation, spiraling into his own thoughts about his inadequacies of charm and charisma. As much as it would embarrass, he realized that perhaps he should ask his father for advice.

"So classes are starting soon," Blanche said.

Archie took an excited breath at the broken silence. "Yeah."

"Things are probably going to get pretty busy."

"Yeah." Archie stared at the distant lake.

"I'll have to spend a lot of time at Blue Orchards…"

Archie finally caught on. "Oh, well. Maybe we could—um—do something. Before then?" He turned to Blanche, caught her smile, and turned away. He let out a long, smooth breath—much smoother than his words.

"I'd like that," Blanche said.

Not that he doubted it before, but Blanche's leniency around Archie's awkwardness was even more proof to him that she liked him. He swore to himself that he'd charm her at the next opportunity. He just had to keep his eyes open to it…

They stepped into the long tunnel that led to the elevator. The sun shone in enough to just barely reach the elevator and torches punctuated the rocky walls, but the bit of darkness that was left reminded Archie of something. Maybe this was his chance. He cleared his throat as subtly as he could and feigned confidence to the best of his ability.

"Tell you what." Archie looked around the tunnel. "It's not quite the cave, but if you want, we could spend a weekend pretending we're stuck in here. I'll bring the tent."

"Hmm." Blanche considered the walls. "I think it's missing something."

Archie clicked his tongue. "You're right. It's not freezing cold."

"Not just that. It's missing that, uh…fear-for-your-life charm. It's like, you can have a house, right? But it's the enukin waiting to kill you that really make it a home."

Archie chuckled. "I guess so. We'll find something else."

"Good." Blanche stepped onto the platform and looked at the elevator noodle.

"You try," Archie said.

Blanche grimaced at the noodle as she plucked it. The platform shook but did not rise. "You'll have to teach me some other time."

Archie saw his opportunity. "Here, put your hand on it. I'll show you."

Blanche grabbed the noodle. Archie stepped in close and wrapped his hand around her forearm, running his thumb along its width a couple of times before sending his essence through her arm. She was more than comfortable with the touch, but the jolt of essence made her jump. The platform lurched and started to rise.

"You know, feeling your essence was how I learned to cultivate plants."

"I'm sure we could teach each other all kinds of things."

Archie let Blanche swing her arm back down and held onto it for just an extra second. Part of him wanted the elevator to go slower, but then he remembered what waited for him. Up above, his father was competing with one of the greatest Chefs in the world. He flicked the noodle to speed it up, then walked quickly through the lounge so that Blanche wouldn't get distracted. "Come on, let's hurry."

Archie walked faster and faster and clenched his lips together. He was delightfully nervous in Blanche's company, gleeful of his successful flirting, and excited to see the cook-off, his emotions filling up to the brim. But as they climbed the final steps toward the upper kitchen, an emptiness hit Archie like an upset stomach.

A tall, lanky blonde man in a red Chef's jacket looked down at them, blocking the entrance. The man was somewhat familiar to Archie, but the feeling he gave was even moreso. It was the same feeling that Archie had when he stared down the tariaksuq and the enukin. He stepped in front of Blanche to shield her.

"I recognize you," the man said as he wagged a finger at Archie. "You're the pipsqueak. Tarragon's 'natural born fighter.'"

Archie remembered where he had seen the man. He was used to seeing him in The Serving Bowl, so it took it a second to recognize the fighter. "Gristle. Good to see you again," Archie lied.

"Learned to fight since I've seen you?" Gristle asked. He picked at his crooked teeth. "I'm on guard duty for the afternoon. I could come back later. Take you down to the lake and see what you're made of."

Archie remembered his trip beneath the arena. The only fighter that put Archie more on edge was Tataki. And Gristle struck Archie as the kind of fighter that would promise to take it easy only to leave you with a permanent injury. "I'm okay. Guard duty?"

Gristle stepped aside. "That's right. So if you're thinking about causing any trouble in there, you won't know we're fighting until it's too late."

Trouble? What kind of trouble could Archie cause? He let Blanche walk in first, keeping his body between Blanche and Gristle at all times. The kitchen had cleared out save for the four competing Chefs, a couple of guards, and a man that made Archie's stomach turn.

"Ahh, the Kent boy!" Waldorf smiled and held out his massive arms as Gristle shut the door behind them.

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