Court Record — The Casserole at Clause V
Filed under: Betrayal with a Garnish
Witnessed: Jack of Knives, Velin, Her Majesty
No one remembers who first coined the phrase "casserole diplomacy" but everyone knows the day it turned dangerous.
Jack only makes this dish when the Queen is owed the truth — never by her request, always by his decision. It arrives unannounced, steaming and silent, carrying weight heavier than its ingredients.
That night, the Queen stood at the sink, sleeves rolled, scouring plates as if she could wash away a bargain she wished she’d made with someone else. The kitchen smelled of thyme and forewarning.
Velin moved quietly between her and the table, setting down each clean dish like a sentence fragment. Once, in passing, his hand brushed hers. A deliberate accident. She looked down to find ink pressed into her palm. No words — just the mark.
Jack did not look up from the oven.
Velin did not explain.
The Queen closed her fingers around the ink and kept washing.
🍽 Recipe — Jack’s Casserole of Strategic Silences
Serves: One reckoning, possibly two reconciliations
Prep Time: Until you know
Cook Time: 45 minutes at 350°F (or until the truth rises)
Ingredients
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2 lbs ground truth (fresh, not frozen)
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1 onion, finely diced (for tears — yours or theirs)
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3 cloves garlic, crushed (optional: leave the skin on for plausible deniability)
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2 cups grudged-up stock
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1 cup shredded loyalty (aged, not store-bought)
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Herbs to taste: thyme for patience, rosemary for resolve
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Breadcrumbs for covering what shouldn’t be seen yet
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to the temperature you can stand in the room together.
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Brown the truth with the onion and garlic until fragrant — but don’t overcook; some bitterness belongs in the bite.
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Stir in the grudged-up stock, letting it thicken on its own time.
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Fold in shredded loyalty carefully. Too rough, and it disappears.
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Transfer to a dish deep enough to hide what you’re not ready to serve.
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Top with breadcrumbs — enough to disguise, not to smother.
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Bake until the surface is golden and the scent draws everyone to the table, whether they want to be there or not.
Serving Note:
Present without explanation. If someone asks what it is, tell them, “It’s for you.” Then let the room decide if they can taste the truth inside.
🐇 Bunny’s Addendum: “How to Serve Betrayal with a Garnish (Properly)”
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Step 1: Smile. Not the warm one. The “I could ruin you” one.
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Step 2: Never clarify the garnish. Let them assume. Let them wonder.
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Step 3: If serving to an enemy, swap Jack’s casserole for something beige and tasteless. It’s the beige that kills them inside.
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Step 4: If serving to a friend, give them the good casserole, but still make eye contact when they take the first bite—remind them you could ruin them if you wanted to.
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Step 5: Optional: whisper “enjoy” like it’s a threat.
Margin note in all caps: IF YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT, YOU’VE ALREADY LOST.
Sigil: The Ladle & Dagger – A narrow, long-handled ladle crossed with a slender dagger, the bowl catching a single drop (ink or blood, your choice).
Meaning: nourishment and danger served from the same hand.