Jasmine
04-15-12, 03:06 AM
Kaeruen’s adventures in learning how not to be a noblewoman…
Chapter 1: Waitressing
Inns with taverns are nearly all alike in small towns. The tavern that Kaeruen found herself in was not very different from the countless other taverns she had been in recently. The floor was comprised of old, wooden boards that creaked no matter how lightly a person walked. This one was reasonably clean and free of dirt. Several sturdy tables and chairs were scattered around the room. The wall that faced the street had two large windows to let in the waning sunlight with a door right between the windows. Along the back wall stood a long bar with half a dozen stools in front of it. The barkeep idly polished a glass in between serving patrons. Moving between the tables was a staff of four girls busily going from table to table, then to the kitchen or bar, then back to the tables carrying large trays of delicious food. The aromatic scent of roast beef stew wafted from the kitchen and filled the dining area. Other meals were available, but the stew was the most popular.
Kaeruen sighed disconsolately and fidgeted with the glass of water in front of her. The smells emanating from the kitchen made her mouth water and her stomach growl. She would have liked something more to eat and drink, but water was free. She was nearly out of money and she did not know what to do. Her guardian had died three weeks ago of an illness he contracted at one the last villages they had traveled through. Alone now, she had to figure out how to take care of herself. All her life, she had not needed to worry about paying for food or somewhere to sleep. Even in the last several months with her guardian she had not had to worry about such things; he had taken care of everything.
“What am I going to do,” she thought. “I can’t really fight, so I can’t take on any mercenary jobs. I’m not even very good at defending myself yet”
“Hey, Miss, are ya gonna order anythin’ or not?”
Kaeruen looked up in surprise. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she had not heard the young waitress walk up. “Oh, umm, I…” she paused then hung her head, “I can’t afford to order anything. I’m sorry, the water is just fine.”
“Well, alright.” The waitress started to turn away then turned back. “Ya know, iffen you need a job, you should talk to Mistress Abigail. She’s the innkeeper’s wife and she might be able to find you somethin’ to do.”
“Umm, thank you. Maybe I will.”
The waitress nodded then moved on to another table. It was still early in the evening and the tavern would not close for many hours yet. Kaer stayed in her spot for another hour, trying to think of what she could possibly offer to Mistress Abigail. She could bake somewhat and embroider, but that was practically all she could do. She had never waited tables or cooked anything more than a tray of muffins, cookies, or sweet pastries. But, she was willing to learn new things. Hopefully, her willingness to learn would aid her in getting a job. Her mind made up, Kaer flagged down a waitress.
“Excuse me, sorry, could you get Mistress Abigail for me? I was told she might be able to help me with a job and I’d like to talk to her.”
“Sure thing, Miss,” the waitress smiled at her, “I’ll let her know. What’s your name?”
“I’m Kaeruen, thank you so much.”
She watched as the waitress disappeared behind the swinging double doors that separated the kitchen from the rest of the tavern. She fidgeted more with her now empty glass nervously. Was it always this nerve-wracking to talk to someone about a job? She had no time to really think of an answer for Mistress Abigail joined her at the table.
The mistress of the inn was pleasantly plump with a round face, reddened from working in the hot kitchen for several hours. The older woman fanned herself with a dishcloth as she took a seat. “You must be Kaeruen,” she said with a smile on her face. “Marissa tells me that you need a job. Is that true?”
Kaeruen was slightly taken aback by the friendly nature of the woman. She wasn’t exactly sure what she had been expecting, but it certainly was not such friendliness. “Um, yes. I have been travelling for some time now, and my funds are getting low. I was hoping you could help me?”
“Well now, that depends. What can you do?”
“I can bake, somewhat. Mostly just sweets like cookies, muffins, scones and the like. I can embroider. That’s about it, but I’m a quick learner and I’m willing to be taught.”
Mistress Abigail was quiet for a minute or two then got to her feet. “I can always use one more person to wait tables. You can tail Marissa for a little bit, then we’ll see how you do on your own. I think I have an extra apron in the back.” She started back for the kitchen then paused and turned, “Well come on Miss Kaeruen. You won’t learn anything sitting there.”
Kaeruen couldn’t believe her luck. She had a job! Hurriedly, she got to her feet and followed Mistress Abigail to the back of the kitchen. The apron she was given was a little big on her, but not so big as to cause a problem. Eagerly, she followed Marissa out on the floor and watched as Marissa jotted down notes about what people wanted. The young woman made it seem very easy.
Soon Kaer was overseeing a small section of the tavern all on her own. Thus far it was going well. Her smile brightened as darkness fell outside and she made few mistakes. More than once she wobbled a bit with the heavy trays, but she managed to get them under control without losing anything. “I can do this. This isn’t so hard after all…” she thought to herself as she took another order and went quickly back to the kitchen to give it to the cooks.
As she was walking between two tables, a patron slid his chair out and knocked Kaer off her feet. With a tiny yelp she fell forward directly into another customer. To Kaeruen’s absolute mortification and his friends’ amusement, the man got a very close, personal introduction to her chest. She squealed and scrambled off the man, apologizing profusely as her face turned beet red.
“Oh, it’s all right, girlie,” the man grinned broadly. “You’re pretty enough I suppose.” He winked at his friends as he watched Kaeruen splutter and back away.
“I’m so, so, so, so very sorry!” Unable to stand the laughter around her she fled to the back corner of the kitchen and sat down, finally letting the tears of embarrassment that had been brimming in her eyes fall.
“Here now, what’s all this fuss?” Mistress Abigail asked as she walked over to Kaeruen.
“I fell, and squished a man’s face with m-m-my chest!” Kaeruen said quietly.
“Oh is that all? That must be what all that sudden laughter was.” Abigail looked back at the dining area a moment then realized that Kaer was still crying. “Relax, Honey, it’s not that big of deal. Chin up, in this line of business you gotta learn to go with the flow. Sometimes the men’ll tease a bit, but they mean you no harm. Now dry your eyes and get back to work. We still got another couple hours before we close the kitchen. Go on now.”
Kaer did as she was bidden. Before stepping back out of the kitchen she took a deep breath, determined not to let a little fall get the better of her. The young man she’d fallen into smiled and started to make another comment, but then caught a glimpse of Mistress Abigail’s face and thought better of it. No harm had been done and it was not worth Mistress Abigail’s wrath to tease the new girl.
For most of the rest of the evening, Kaer did very well. Then a large group came in. They shoved four tables together to make one long table. Kaer caught Marissa as she went by, “Who’s got that big table? “
“Oh, it’s in your section, Kaeruen. It’ll be mostly you, but me and the other girls’ll help whenever we can. Don’t worry, you’re doing fine. Don’t focus on the size of the group, just keep the tables themselves straight and you’ll do fine.”
Marissa turned out to be mostly correct. Kaer did quite well keeping their drinks straight and full. She didn’t even mix up which plate of food would go to which table. The trouble came when it came time to deliver the last tray of food. The tray was large and very heavy. Kaer’s arms were getting tired, but they only had a little bit further to go until she could take a break. She smiled as she approached the table, “Alright gentlemen, I have the last tray here.”
Just as she started to bring the tray down to set it on the table, she stepped on a smooth rock that had been trailed in on someone’s boot. Her foot slid out from under her and she and all the food crashed to the floor. The tray managed to land on its edge and rolled a short ways away. A few of the men began to chuckle, but stopped when they realized that Kaer was nearly to tears. Kaer just sat there, too upset with herself to move until the gray-bearded man at the head of the table offered a gentle hand to help her to her feet.
“Easy now, lass,” he told her as he pulled her to her feet. “This your first night?” She nodded miserably and he went on, “Well don’t worry about it. Go on and get yourself cleaned up, we’ll wait for our food. Mistress Abigail!”
“Yes, Johan?“ Mistress Abigail answered as she came out of the kitchen, “What is… oh dear. What happened?”
“I think she slipped on a rock. We’re always trailing them in. ‘Tis no fault of her own. Let her go get cleaned up. Gerald and Eric will help clean up. We’ll wait for new food. Now don’t you fuss, Abigail,” he said, raising a finger to forestall the lady of the inn, “I said we’ll wait and we’ll help clean up and we’ll do just that.”
As soon as he called their names Gerald and Eric got to their feet and began collecting the food from the floor and carrying it back to the kitchen. Kaer slipped away ahead of them and found herself a corner of the kitchen. She was still covered in food, but she didn’t care. Her shoulders shook as she put her head in her hands. She didn’t look up until Marissa came over to check on her.
“What’s wrong, Kaeruen?”
“Didn’t you see!?" Kaeruen asked in disbelief then explained in a rush, "I dropped their food all over me and all over the floor and now they’ll have to wait longer to get their food and Mistress Abigail will probably make me leave now and I won’t have a job anymore and I don’t know what I’ll do!”
“Whoa, whoa! Slow down! Mistress Abigail isn’t that cruel. Besides, droppin’ such a large tray on the floor is nothin’. On my first night ever I dropped three trays, two on the floor and one on myself. On top of that, when a cute boy pinched my bottom harder than I was expectin’ I accidently poured an entire pitcher of ale all over this lady that was wearing a real nice dress. Completely soaked her and ruined her dress. She was livid. But, Mistress Abigail kept me on anyway. Your first night has gone many times better than mine did. So relax, it coulda been a lot worse. Now, let’s get you cleaned up and these appetizers out to them while their new food cooks.”
Kaer sniffled and nodded. Marissa’s story had made her feel a little better. With Marissa’s encouragement, and the fact that none of the men at the table rubbed her fall in her face, she was soon smiling again and had put it behind her. When she went to bed that night, in a room provided by the inn as an employee, she smiled to herself, “Yes, I suppose it could have been worse. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all, at least for a little while.”
Chapter 1: Waitressing
Inns with taverns are nearly all alike in small towns. The tavern that Kaeruen found herself in was not very different from the countless other taverns she had been in recently. The floor was comprised of old, wooden boards that creaked no matter how lightly a person walked. This one was reasonably clean and free of dirt. Several sturdy tables and chairs were scattered around the room. The wall that faced the street had two large windows to let in the waning sunlight with a door right between the windows. Along the back wall stood a long bar with half a dozen stools in front of it. The barkeep idly polished a glass in between serving patrons. Moving between the tables was a staff of four girls busily going from table to table, then to the kitchen or bar, then back to the tables carrying large trays of delicious food. The aromatic scent of roast beef stew wafted from the kitchen and filled the dining area. Other meals were available, but the stew was the most popular.
Kaeruen sighed disconsolately and fidgeted with the glass of water in front of her. The smells emanating from the kitchen made her mouth water and her stomach growl. She would have liked something more to eat and drink, but water was free. She was nearly out of money and she did not know what to do. Her guardian had died three weeks ago of an illness he contracted at one the last villages they had traveled through. Alone now, she had to figure out how to take care of herself. All her life, she had not needed to worry about paying for food or somewhere to sleep. Even in the last several months with her guardian she had not had to worry about such things; he had taken care of everything.
“What am I going to do,” she thought. “I can’t really fight, so I can’t take on any mercenary jobs. I’m not even very good at defending myself yet”
“Hey, Miss, are ya gonna order anythin’ or not?”
Kaeruen looked up in surprise. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she had not heard the young waitress walk up. “Oh, umm, I…” she paused then hung her head, “I can’t afford to order anything. I’m sorry, the water is just fine.”
“Well, alright.” The waitress started to turn away then turned back. “Ya know, iffen you need a job, you should talk to Mistress Abigail. She’s the innkeeper’s wife and she might be able to find you somethin’ to do.”
“Umm, thank you. Maybe I will.”
The waitress nodded then moved on to another table. It was still early in the evening and the tavern would not close for many hours yet. Kaer stayed in her spot for another hour, trying to think of what she could possibly offer to Mistress Abigail. She could bake somewhat and embroider, but that was practically all she could do. She had never waited tables or cooked anything more than a tray of muffins, cookies, or sweet pastries. But, she was willing to learn new things. Hopefully, her willingness to learn would aid her in getting a job. Her mind made up, Kaer flagged down a waitress.
“Excuse me, sorry, could you get Mistress Abigail for me? I was told she might be able to help me with a job and I’d like to talk to her.”
“Sure thing, Miss,” the waitress smiled at her, “I’ll let her know. What’s your name?”
“I’m Kaeruen, thank you so much.”
She watched as the waitress disappeared behind the swinging double doors that separated the kitchen from the rest of the tavern. She fidgeted more with her now empty glass nervously. Was it always this nerve-wracking to talk to someone about a job? She had no time to really think of an answer for Mistress Abigail joined her at the table.
The mistress of the inn was pleasantly plump with a round face, reddened from working in the hot kitchen for several hours. The older woman fanned herself with a dishcloth as she took a seat. “You must be Kaeruen,” she said with a smile on her face. “Marissa tells me that you need a job. Is that true?”
Kaeruen was slightly taken aback by the friendly nature of the woman. She wasn’t exactly sure what she had been expecting, but it certainly was not such friendliness. “Um, yes. I have been travelling for some time now, and my funds are getting low. I was hoping you could help me?”
“Well now, that depends. What can you do?”
“I can bake, somewhat. Mostly just sweets like cookies, muffins, scones and the like. I can embroider. That’s about it, but I’m a quick learner and I’m willing to be taught.”
Mistress Abigail was quiet for a minute or two then got to her feet. “I can always use one more person to wait tables. You can tail Marissa for a little bit, then we’ll see how you do on your own. I think I have an extra apron in the back.” She started back for the kitchen then paused and turned, “Well come on Miss Kaeruen. You won’t learn anything sitting there.”
Kaeruen couldn’t believe her luck. She had a job! Hurriedly, she got to her feet and followed Mistress Abigail to the back of the kitchen. The apron she was given was a little big on her, but not so big as to cause a problem. Eagerly, she followed Marissa out on the floor and watched as Marissa jotted down notes about what people wanted. The young woman made it seem very easy.
Soon Kaer was overseeing a small section of the tavern all on her own. Thus far it was going well. Her smile brightened as darkness fell outside and she made few mistakes. More than once she wobbled a bit with the heavy trays, but she managed to get them under control without losing anything. “I can do this. This isn’t so hard after all…” she thought to herself as she took another order and went quickly back to the kitchen to give it to the cooks.
As she was walking between two tables, a patron slid his chair out and knocked Kaer off her feet. With a tiny yelp she fell forward directly into another customer. To Kaeruen’s absolute mortification and his friends’ amusement, the man got a very close, personal introduction to her chest. She squealed and scrambled off the man, apologizing profusely as her face turned beet red.
“Oh, it’s all right, girlie,” the man grinned broadly. “You’re pretty enough I suppose.” He winked at his friends as he watched Kaeruen splutter and back away.
“I’m so, so, so, so very sorry!” Unable to stand the laughter around her she fled to the back corner of the kitchen and sat down, finally letting the tears of embarrassment that had been brimming in her eyes fall.
“Here now, what’s all this fuss?” Mistress Abigail asked as she walked over to Kaeruen.
“I fell, and squished a man’s face with m-m-my chest!” Kaeruen said quietly.
“Oh is that all? That must be what all that sudden laughter was.” Abigail looked back at the dining area a moment then realized that Kaer was still crying. “Relax, Honey, it’s not that big of deal. Chin up, in this line of business you gotta learn to go with the flow. Sometimes the men’ll tease a bit, but they mean you no harm. Now dry your eyes and get back to work. We still got another couple hours before we close the kitchen. Go on now.”
Kaer did as she was bidden. Before stepping back out of the kitchen she took a deep breath, determined not to let a little fall get the better of her. The young man she’d fallen into smiled and started to make another comment, but then caught a glimpse of Mistress Abigail’s face and thought better of it. No harm had been done and it was not worth Mistress Abigail’s wrath to tease the new girl.
For most of the rest of the evening, Kaer did very well. Then a large group came in. They shoved four tables together to make one long table. Kaer caught Marissa as she went by, “Who’s got that big table? “
“Oh, it’s in your section, Kaeruen. It’ll be mostly you, but me and the other girls’ll help whenever we can. Don’t worry, you’re doing fine. Don’t focus on the size of the group, just keep the tables themselves straight and you’ll do fine.”
Marissa turned out to be mostly correct. Kaer did quite well keeping their drinks straight and full. She didn’t even mix up which plate of food would go to which table. The trouble came when it came time to deliver the last tray of food. The tray was large and very heavy. Kaer’s arms were getting tired, but they only had a little bit further to go until she could take a break. She smiled as she approached the table, “Alright gentlemen, I have the last tray here.”
Just as she started to bring the tray down to set it on the table, she stepped on a smooth rock that had been trailed in on someone’s boot. Her foot slid out from under her and she and all the food crashed to the floor. The tray managed to land on its edge and rolled a short ways away. A few of the men began to chuckle, but stopped when they realized that Kaer was nearly to tears. Kaer just sat there, too upset with herself to move until the gray-bearded man at the head of the table offered a gentle hand to help her to her feet.
“Easy now, lass,” he told her as he pulled her to her feet. “This your first night?” She nodded miserably and he went on, “Well don’t worry about it. Go on and get yourself cleaned up, we’ll wait for our food. Mistress Abigail!”
“Yes, Johan?“ Mistress Abigail answered as she came out of the kitchen, “What is… oh dear. What happened?”
“I think she slipped on a rock. We’re always trailing them in. ‘Tis no fault of her own. Let her go get cleaned up. Gerald and Eric will help clean up. We’ll wait for new food. Now don’t you fuss, Abigail,” he said, raising a finger to forestall the lady of the inn, “I said we’ll wait and we’ll help clean up and we’ll do just that.”
As soon as he called their names Gerald and Eric got to their feet and began collecting the food from the floor and carrying it back to the kitchen. Kaer slipped away ahead of them and found herself a corner of the kitchen. She was still covered in food, but she didn’t care. Her shoulders shook as she put her head in her hands. She didn’t look up until Marissa came over to check on her.
“What’s wrong, Kaeruen?”
“Didn’t you see!?" Kaeruen asked in disbelief then explained in a rush, "I dropped their food all over me and all over the floor and now they’ll have to wait longer to get their food and Mistress Abigail will probably make me leave now and I won’t have a job anymore and I don’t know what I’ll do!”
“Whoa, whoa! Slow down! Mistress Abigail isn’t that cruel. Besides, droppin’ such a large tray on the floor is nothin’. On my first night ever I dropped three trays, two on the floor and one on myself. On top of that, when a cute boy pinched my bottom harder than I was expectin’ I accidently poured an entire pitcher of ale all over this lady that was wearing a real nice dress. Completely soaked her and ruined her dress. She was livid. But, Mistress Abigail kept me on anyway. Your first night has gone many times better than mine did. So relax, it coulda been a lot worse. Now, let’s get you cleaned up and these appetizers out to them while their new food cooks.”
Kaer sniffled and nodded. Marissa’s story had made her feel a little better. With Marissa’s encouragement, and the fact that none of the men at the table rubbed her fall in her face, she was soon smiling again and had put it behind her. When she went to bed that night, in a room provided by the inn as an employee, she smiled to herself, “Yes, I suppose it could have been worse. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all, at least for a little while.”