Floor 1, Kitchen

 The kitchen is a large room to cover for details, for it takes up the entire length of the back end of the palace and is the major room for dining, cooking, preparing foods, laundry and keeping warm by the hearth in winter. The room is divided into three parts; the dining section by the barracks, the center, and the far end on the right is the scullery. There are also three extra tiny rooms: the preservatives room, salting room, and butcher's cold room, and one door off the scullery is Lord Azzur's personal dinnerware room. There is one massive fireplace, two exits to outside, one locked door of a hidden stairwell, and one portcullis to the herbal veranda. Four exits extra: one to the barracks, two that go down the corridors that lead back to the foyer, and a closed off door to a hidden abandoned stairwell which is now barricaded behind the scullery. 

Starting on the left of the kitchen is referred to as the mess hall where guards and staff eat; it has two long rectangular tables and plain chairs, it is by the portcullis, hidden stairwell Lord Azzur uses, and the barracks. The veranda is full of edible plants and herbs, the door to the stairwell used by his lordship whenever he leaves or arrives at the palace, his carriage usually parks out back, this stairwell goes down to the basement as well as way up to the 4th levels.

In the center of the kitchen, is a very long sturdy old table that is used by the food preps, bakers, cooks, and the butcher. The table is in front of the fireplace and an outside exit, so whoever is at it gets a hot, uncomfortable, and sweaty disposition. There is a large cabinet against the wall that holds bowls, plates, cups and cutlery, cutting boards and baking equipment. Hanging from the ceiling above the table are pots, pans, skillets, metal sheets. There are overhanging baskets full of whatever fruits or vegetables were picked that day from the gardens, could be grapes, olives, tomatoes, lettuce, radish, apples for pies, bell peppers, and purple onions. As well seen in visible view are sacks of grain, lentils, flour, beans, oats, barley and rice. Hanging herbs decorate the kitchen such as oregano, parsley, basil, dill, coriander and long strings of garlic. There are dishes of all sizes, non decorated, just plain stoneware; butcher tools, knive blocks, baking pans, and granular blocks of salt and sugar. There are lots of torches, candles, and lanterns places anywhere its possible for as much light as possible. All kinds of salted meats like pork, fish, and goat hang down, ready to be prepared the next day.

Now, onto the right end of the kitchen where the scullery rests. This is where the laundry personal work, including the seamstress and dishwasher. They wash clothes, curtains, drapes, bedding, horse blankets, and many other things that can be washed. Garments are sewn, created, and mended here, and dishes are done here as well. It's the hottest part of the kitchen and extremely unbearable due to the steam, blistering vinegar water, and lye. Lord Azzur does not want anything dusty, pet hairs, stinky and moldy so the staff in this section work long hours cleaning things that don't even need to be cleaned. The head housekeeper also visits this area barking angrily about keeping to the time sheets.

Lord Azzur is not on the same schedule as his staff, he eats whenever he wants and even when he doesn't request food, it's prepared anyways at all times. There is an around-the-clock menu, nights included. He does not eat meat due to risk of poisonous contamination or parasitic infections, he is a vegetarian. In winter, the kitchen keeps its hearth lit nonstop for meals, warmth, and to prevent the items in the kitchen from freezing. There is also a rodent exterminator who's main purpose in his miserable life is to catch and kill rats, mice, and insects. Surprisingly, the palace is so well kept that it doesn't suffer a horrid vermin problem like most castles. Every morning, the aroma of fresh bread fills the halls and foyer and someone can be heard singing out a cute operatic tune as they work hard with the rising and falling of the sunlight.

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If you had to be a worker in the kitchen what would your shift look like? Having to meet the demands of your dictator all bloody day and all bloody night, cook, clean, launder and not just for him but for everyone who lives in that palace. You can see the room when it might be filled with workers, including people eating at the tables. A kitchen that never stops at least until the quiet hours hit of 3am to 5am. Two hours to sleep. Workers hollering, squished in, moving about to their next station, rattling of pots and pans, bubbling pots in the fireplace, dough banging on the table as it's being kneaded, hot fumes and steam from the scullery barrels, foods being chopped, diced, and seasoned. Heaven forbid the summers are scorching, you'd probably die in this kitchen. The angry cook chops up a carcass he killed earlier this morning, fancy platters are being made up for Lord Azzur and carefully decorated for him in painstakingly detail like an unfortunate radish being carved by a small knife into a flower now. All the fruit and vegetables that can be turned into a work of art so he doesn't get mad. It's difficult to get a second chance with him if the person messes up the first time, death could result for serving an orange with its skin still on. Butter and milk are churned, the hen coup outside voided of its brown eggs and maybe one chicken for a stew. You can smell the wondrous reminiscent lingering aromas of cinnamon cake, roasted pork, and hot apple pie. There's a faint scent of the rosemary herb, the green stems of cherry tomatoes, and freshly cut salads. In the night, you can imagine the head cook resting in his chair by the fireplace, snoring and having his tattooed arms up over his potbelly. As the dawn makes her way up through the dark skies, the kitchen that fell asleep for a nap wakes up yet again. Amazingly, you kinda enjoy being in here; it's hearty, warm, and has a kind welcoming feeling, your stomach is starting to grumble, just the thought of the good foods is making you hungry. 

You walk passed the mess area to a doorway blocked by a portcullis, and see a Greek-like veranda outside which is full of greenery. there's nothing else of interest here, you've poked your head into the preserving room and seen nothing but glass jars, dried fruits, and vinegar, the other room beside it was filled with salt and dried up meat and vegetables, and as for the butcher's cold room? Just a hole dug out in the floor where he temporarily stores his fish and carved meats until the next day. You did however notice a room off the laundry area by one of the corridors, it was a room with sparkly crystal and dishes. 

You may go outside now, all you need do is pull the chain down to lift the portcullis, you'll go back over to that dinnerware room later.

Veranda, turn to .