The kitchens are a busy, hot place. They are filled with kitchen staff rushing around to prepare the main meals for the king's family and residing nobles. Tonight they are preparing two deer the king and his nobles caught while hunting, as well as some rabbit from a few days ago and seasoned vegetables. There are multiple fires around the kitchen to cook the animals and boil the vegetables, and combined with the heat of all the people the room is stifling. While the main kitchen workers are middle aged women who stay at one station, there are also younger children running around taking ingredients from one place to another. People are shouting instructions and gossip to one another constantly, so it is very hard to hear anything, but the atmosphere is very cheerful.
the kitchens, Inside Castle
rat
queen
I need a new cushion for this throne! All this chatter in court is giving me a headache!  That Lord that just walked past offended my nose with his odor.  I need to find my chambermaid.
Gah! A nasty, filthy rat in MY royal kitchen! I am clean compared to others I just, I just cannot believe this.  My life is a wreck - first my toast is too CRUNCHY, and my pillow is NOT soft enough. I try and find my maid to get some PROPER HELP here and there's this... this THING! I just need somewhere to live. Hrmph.  And it has the audacity to speak to me.  Well then, rat?  What have you to say for yourself?  Why shouldn't I just set the royal cats on you straightaway? No one will know I am here. I help clean up by eating crumbs. Well... I suppose I can allow that for now.  But don't you touch my food!  And stop twitching your nose so much, you're giving me a headache. Maybe we have something in common.  What is your favorite food? WELL.  If the merchants were so incompetent, I would feast on the fruit found from the White Tree morning noon and night.  But they insist that it only grows in the Springtime.  Can you believe what I have to deal with? Sorry that you have to deal with that. How do you like the cooking? It makes my eyes water.  Honestly, I cannot believe you would ask me that, it's making me tear up even more! I like the cooking, it makes me happy.