Chapter 176: Frosting, Threats, and Sugar-Bribes
Chapter 176: Frosting, Threats, and Sugar-Bribes
Elyn’s POV
I was holding hands with two children who could not have been more different if they tried.
Aziren walked on my left, his grip warm and enthusiastic, swinging our joined hands slightly as if every step was a small celebration. He was still laughing under his breath, the sound bubbling up from his chest in little bursts, like the joy from the picnic had not yet settled and refused to stay quiet.
Honestly, the picnic had been enjoyable, to say the least. Aziren told me stories about what he and his mother usually did on picnics and also about his father. It was obvious from the way he spoke that he loved both his parents dearly.
On my right was Azerion.
Azerion, who had frosting on his face. And I don’t even mean a little frosting. When it came to anything sweet, there was never anything little when it came to Azerion—it was always a lot.
It smeared his cheeks, dotted the tip of his nose, and had somehow found its way to the corner of his mouth and his chin. One hand was sticky, shining faintly in the light as he very deliberately licked frosting off his fingers, utterly unbothered by his appearance or the fact that he was leaving a trail of sugar and crumbs in our wake.
Behind us, Rin, Vaelory, and Morthen trailed. They had arrived just as Aziren, Azerion, and I were almost done with the picnic. I had told Rin to get Vaelory, and she took hours to do so. I was going to have to deal with them all at a later time.
I glanced down at Azerion again. He looked so extremely messy that it reminded me of the time we went to the beast demon territory, where I had caught him at a goblin’s stall.
"...Rin," I said calmly. "Help make Azerion look more presentable."
Rin stopped walking at the same time Azerion stopped licking his fingers.
They turned slowly, looked at each other, then turned back to me, looked at each other again, pointed at themselves, then turned back to me.
They did so in perfect synchronization, enough to make one think they were siblings or best friends who could read each other’s minds. They were not even close to friends, though.
"No," they said at the exact same time.
I stopped walking at that.
Aziren stopped too, looking between us with interest, as though he sensed something entertaining was about to happen.
I released both children’s hands and folded my arms over my chest.
Rin froze.
I tilted my head slightly and stared at her. "Rin," I said softly, "have you forgotten that you are still on shaky ground?"
Her shoulders stiffened.
"I sent you to get Vaelory," I continued, my voice level, "and you were gone for quite a while."
Rin sighed, long and dramatic, like someone who had been unjustly wronged by the universe. "I had to make sure she changed," she said, gesturing vaguely toward Vaelory. "And then I had to return the jewelry she stole from me."
I did not say anything.
I just stared at her.
Slowly, I raised one eyebrow.
"I couldn’t let her meet with you like that. You wouldn’t like it," she told me.
I said nothing.
Rin exhaled sharply through her nose, clearly accepting defeat. She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a napkin.
Azerion’s eyes widened in alarm as Rin crouched down to his height and glared straight into his eyes.
Her eyes—those black, depthless orbs that looked like they could swallow light itself—locked onto him.
"If you don’t behave," Rin said in a low, dangerous voice, "I will take out your lungs."
Aziren gasped softly, delighted.
Azerion did not look scared.
He leaned closer, frosting still on his face, and whispered loudly, "If you don’t keep quiet, I’ll tell the Queen you’re stealing jewelry."
Rin froze.
Her eyes widened.
"What?" she gasped. "I do not steal jewelry!"
She pointed at him accusingly. "I only take. It’s the same way you take sweets."
Azerion frowned. "They’re not the same."
"They are exactly the same," Rin snapped back. "And if you’re threatening me, then you should also know that if you say anything, I’ll tell the Queen that you stole snacks."
"I didn’t steal them," Azerion said indignantly. "They were there. I just took them."
"The same way you take snacks is the same way I take jewelry."
"You steal them," Azerion said to her.
I cleared my throat.
Neither of them stopped.
Rin and Azerion continued glaring at each other, whisper-arguing with absolutely no subtlety whatsoever, apparently forgetting that I was standing right there and that I could hear every single word.
I felt a laugh bubble up in my chest before I could stop it.
I shuffled slightly and let out a small chuckle.
Both of them froze again.
Rin slowly turned her head toward me.
Azerion did the same.
I smiled sweetly.
"Rin," I said, "clean his face."
She groaned, defeated, and aggressively wiped frosting off Azerion’s cheeks while he squirmed and complained dramatically about oppression and injustice.
That was when I felt a presence approaching.
I looked up to see Ignivar walking toward us.
He bowed deeply the moment he reached me. "Your Highness," he said, respectful and sincere. "Thank you for spending time with my son."
Aziren’s grip tightened on my hand again. "We have to go?" he asked, pouting.
Ignivar nodded. "For now."
Aziren’s shoulders slumped. He looked up at me, searching my face.
I nodded gently. "You can come back next time," I told him. "And I’ll play with you again."
His face brightened immediately.
Azerion, who had just finished being scrubbed clean, turned toward Aziren. His voice was smaller when he spoke.
"...You’re leaving?"
Aziren nodded.
Azerion’s smile faded.
He reached into his pocket.
And pulled out a small sweet.
It was wrapped in thin, shimmering paper, twisted at both ends, the colors swirling together—reds, blues, golds, and greens—like tiny jewels. They were soft and faintly glowing, warm to the touch, the kind of confection that melted slowly on the tongue and tasted different every time.
They were called starplumes.
And Azerion held it out silently toward Aziren.