Chapter 4: Processing Information

"Okay," Esmee said as she sat down on her bed and put her head in her hands. "I know our father loves money, but is his desire for it really strong enough to warrant selling us off to be slaves for new masters?"

"Apparently so," Claudia replied as she finished changing out of her nice school clothes and back into the chef's blacks she had been wearing that morning. "And anyway, are we really that surprised?"

"I am." Savannah replied, twisting her hair up into a bun. "My questions are one, what are we going to feed our guests tonight and how are we going to serve them while being dressed up to the nines?"

"What if we wear those aprons that Jeremy made us in secret?" Esmee offered, standing up and going to their shared closet. "If we wear those and their matching dresses, then we should be fine. Just apply neutral makeup and a simple hairdo, and voila! The perfect fifties housewife." She said as she pulled one of the dresses out.

"But we promised him that we would never reveal his secret!" Claudia protested, trying to wrestle the dress from her sister.

"Careful, you'll rip it. Plus, do we really have much of an alternative?" Savannah asked. "We have already been promised as housewife type brides for our future grooms, why not go all the way?"

"Fine." Claudia conceded. "But if anyone asks, I made the dresses."

"And now for the all important discussion of what are we going to serve our guests, and how are we going to divide up the labour?" Savannah asked. "I think that we should each make the courses that best suit our strengths, Esmee making dessert, Claudia arranging the salads and vegetables that go into each meat dish, and I prepping the meat."

"I think that is a great idea." Esmee replied. "What do you think, Claudia?"

"I could live with that. We are cooking for twenty, so we all are going to be pretty busy. What are we making?"

"I was going to make some fresh fruit and custard tarts, as well as some ambrosia for dessert." Esmee replied. "It's simple enough for me to do all the work on my own, but complicated enough to impress."

"I wanted to make some kebabs, which I will need veggies for." Savannah said, looking at Claudia with pleading eyes. "Plus I think dad will want some of his favourite pulled pork."

"And I am going to make sure that we have at least a garden salad fit for a king, if only that." Claudia replied. "But I also want to make a Chef's salad, Potato salad and Pomegranate salad, so don't be mad at me if I hog the stove."

"We won't, I promise." Esmee placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "Now, whatever comes of this dinner, we will survive. We have survived this long in their majesties' care, we can survive a night of being humiliated by them if it comes to that." She pulled them in for a hug. "Let's go down to that kitchen and give it our absolute all."

"Is she really that cruel?" Jeremy asked as he paced up and down the shared bedroom. "I know that she has hated us since we 'cost her that job', but were we really that terrible, to sell us off as if we were cattle?"

"Like your one to complain." Joshua replied, tossing a ball into the air and catching it. "You are engaged to the one and only Peia Jet, whereas I am only marrying someone's daughter."

"Even so, doesn't it bother you that she hates us this much?" Jeremy asked in retort. "What did we do wrong? We didn't choose to be born, it was her decision to have sex that night, not ours."

"But we can't change what is done without pissing someone off." Joshua reasoned, trying to calm his brother down. "Plus, your Fiancée might be even hotter than in her pictures."

"You're right." Jeremy replied. "But I still can't help but be enraged at the injustice of it all."

"I think that goes for all three of us." James said, putting his ball down. "Maybe even for the girls too. But these are the cards life dealt us, and so we must play the best moves we can in this game of poker humans call life."

"How long do you think it is going to take us to clean the house?" Joshua asked, changing the subject. "The same way we did this morning, I mean."

"I don't know, at least a couple of hours." James replied. "We should probably go downstairs and get started.

Esmee was positively pouring with sweat by the time she, Savannah and Claudia made their ways back to their bedroom.

"Whose going for a shower first?" She asked, sitting down on her bed and taking off her shoes and socks.

"You might as well, you are the oldest." Savannah replied.

"Only by a minute!" Esmee retorted, throwing her filthy socks at her sister. "Fine. Since you two are so ageist, I will have the first shower and make sure it lasts at least half an hour!"

"You better not, her majesty would be furious that we weren't there to serve her precious guests!" Claudia said in mock horror as both Esmee and Savannah burst out laughing.

"Honestly, if nothing else I will be happy to be free of that cow," Savannah said between fits of laughter. "It will be the greatest day of my life, provided that my spouse doesn't treat me with the same disgust."

"I should get showered." Esmee stated as she went into their small ensuite and turned on the shower.

"It's such a shame that Sadie won't allow Jeremy to sew at home." Esmee said as she ran her fingers along the beautiful teal polkadot fabric of the skirt of her dress. "She would be so happy to have her own personal tailor, given how stingy she is in other areas."

"It is a shame." Savannah said, admiring herself in her pale green plaid dress that perfectly matched her eyes. "He has such a good eye for design."

"Yes, he does." Claudia replied, stepping out of the closet wearing her striped turquoise dress that, when paired with her flaming red and very curly hair made her look like an enchanting sea creature. "Here are the aprons." She said, handing them each a white apron with trimmings that matched the colour of each dress.

"Well, boys, looks like we will be on guard duty." Jeremy said as he, Joshua and James entered the room. Esmee felt blood rush to her cheek.

"And to think, it is all because we have such a talented tailor in the family!" Savannah replied. "I'm sure Miss Peia Jet is going to be absolutely thrilled when she discovers how talented you are."

"I trust that tonight is not the night she will find out?" He asked, concerned. "Please?"

"Of course not!" Claudia responded. "Tonight, I am taking all the credit for these masterpieces."