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Sunday, February 21, 2016

Today's #flashfiction The Tastiest Food

“Who let the dogs out?”
Cruella de Vil* #quote

You know, everyone keeps asking “find x”. Is x a wanted fugitive? How big of a bounty is on his head for everyone to be talking about it? Anyway onto the flash fiction!

The Tastiest Food


           The king of the Golden Grasslands, the wealthiest kingdom known, desired a food tastier than any he had before. He'd eaten many delicacies and the most basic of foods as well, eaten anything for the flavor. He enjoyed planning conquest, studying the books in his library, and trying to eat something different for every single meal. He became moody when he ate the same meal within a year.
           His name was King Abborn, though his was called either The Merciless King in war or the The Giving King in peace. He offered rewards for various things, often technological advancements. Since he desired a food tastier than the many he'd eaten before, he offered a massive reward for it. However his merciless nature showed itself in the way he offered the reward. Ten years of prison time faced whoever wasted his time.
          Over one hundred people rotted in cells because of their arrogance in thinking they could top what the king had already found through his many years of paying the top chefs in the kingdoms to make.
          The last one to take the challenge was an odd candidate. He showed no signs of any cooking experience. But he wore a nervous smile, with a hint of deviousness, along with the tattered clothes of a peasant who worked a meager living.
          “It will take me seven hours to prepare the meal,” he told King Abborn.
          “Seven hours!?” The king yelled, “That's crazy!”
          “Yes, and it's a big one, so don't eat anything in the meantime. Do I have your word Milord?”
          The king glared at the peasant, “You've got a lot of guts talking to me like that. Demanding my 'word'. Fine, you have my word. But if this is a waste of my time, the cell you rot in will be extremely unpleasant.” The king looked at the scroll that showed the peasant's name, Carn Kein, and took note of it in case he needed to specifically give an order to give the man a difficult sentence over other peasants.
         The king waited the long seven hours, even having to sleep. Since the last meal he had was yesterday's lunch this made it about fifteen hours since he last ate. He felt hunger. Abborn never felt this as king, even from youth. He always had food and comfort. He kept his word before the meal, and when it was announced he rushed to the dining hall, only keeping royal composure when he entered.
          The peasant put on the table the only thing he knew how to serve, bread and water.
          King Abborn didn't comment on it he merely went to the table and began eating. It was the most delicious thing he'd eaten. After eating it he demanded more and Carn did, having put another few servings aside for the king to demand again and again.
           Carn Kein won the reward, though the king never desired to have food that way again. He also appointed Carn advisor in his court, the peasants insight allowed him to make improvements in the kingdom, and the experience of starvation caused empathy for the king. He released those he put in prison for failing the challenge to give him the tastiest food at the request at Kein. With advise from the peasant King Abborn gained another nickname, Abborn the Wise.

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