Dinner was a feast of unmatched splendor, every dish a masterpiece that danced on the taste buds and filled the soul with warmth.
By the end, I was comfortably full and basking in the afterglow of good food and laughter. As we leaned back in our chairs, Rowena nudged my arm.
"Come on," she said, standing and stretching. "Let's help clear the dishes."
I raised an eyebrow. "We have staff for that, you know."
Rowena shrugged. "So? I like to help out sometimes. Besides, we probably owe them after all the chaos we caused growing up."
"Fair point," I said with a grin, rising to join her.
We gathered the plates and silverware, our movements synchronized as only twins' could be. The clinking of dishes filled the air as we stacked them neatly, carrying them to the kitchens.
The servants tried to stop us, of course, insisting that it was their duty, but Rowena's charming smile and my stubborn refusal won out in the end.
"Thanks for letting us do this," Rowena said to one of the cooks, her tone unusually soft.
She wasn't one to show her sentimental side often, but it was moments like these that reminded me how much heart she truly had.
Later, with the kitchen clean and my hands washed, I decided to seek out Leora. I found her in the library, leafing through an ancient cookbook with a nostalgic smile.
She looked up as I approached, her sharp purple eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Ah, Rhiannon," she said, closing the book and setting it aside. "What brings you here, my ambitious little chef?"
"I had some questions," I began, pulling up a chair across from her.
Leora tilted her head, intrigued. "About what?"
I hesitated for a moment, then decided to dive right in. "About poisons."
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, and then she burst out laughing. "Poisons? Oh, your mother did mention something about your… unique experiments."
I groaned, slumping in my chair. "Of course she told you."
"Why wouldn't she? It's not every day someone hears their grandchild is trying to create a poison that works on demons. It's both hilarious and mildly alarming." She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.
"So tell me, how did you even come up with this idea?"
The memory hit me immediately a vivid flashback to when I was ten years old and far less cautious.
---
I had been wandering through the woods near the castle, chasing a particularly shiny butterfly, when I stumbled upon a fruit tree.
The fruits were bright orange and glowed faintly in the dim light filtering through the trees. They looked delicious, and without thinking, I plucked one and took a big bite.
It wasn't until the bitter aftertaste hit me that I realized something was wrong. Within an hour, I was doubled over with the worst stomachache of my life.
I spent the rest of the day in the bathroom, vowing to never eat anything in the forest again.
But the experience left me wondering, why hadn't it killed me? Would it have worked on a human? And what would it take to create something that could actually affect demons?
---
"So," Leora said, snapping me back to the present, "you decided to turn a childhood trauma into a culinary science project?"
I shrugged. "Pretty much. I mean, it's not like poisons are inherently bad. They're just misunderstood."
Leora laughed again, shaking her head. "You really are something else, Rhiannon."
"Well," I said, standing up, "if you're so curious, I can show you what I've been working on."
Leora's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh, this I have to see."
We made our way to my personal kitchen, the one I had begged Seraphine to let me build when I was ten even if Riley was not happy with it.
Even now, it was my sanctuary a space filled with gleaming countertops, meticulously organized spices, and the comforting hum of magical appliances.
Leora looked around, clearly impressed. "This is quite the setup," she said, running her fingers over the polished surface of the counter. "You've been busy."
"Welcome to my world," I said with a grin, pulling out a small vial of pale green liquid from a shelf. I held it up, the contents glinting ominously in the light.
Leora raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Looks like any other poison."
"Exactly," I said, placing it on the counter. "But it's not. This one's designed specifically for demons."
"And how do you know it works?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"I test it," I said simply.
Leora blinked. "You what?"
"To see if it's effective," I explained, reaching for the vial. "I drink a small amount. Just enough to—"
Before I could finish, Leora's hand shot out, slapping the vial out of my grasp. It hit the floor, shattering, and the liquid hissed as it met the tiles, eating through the surface like acid. We both jumped back, staring at the damage.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Leora exclaimed, her voice a mix of shock and disbelief.
"I diluted it!" I protested. "It wouldn't have done that in my stomach."
Leora pointed at the still-smoking floor. "You call that diluted?"
"Well… maybe I miscalculated."
She let out a groan, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Rhiannon, you can't just go around testing poisons on yourself. What if it actually works one day?"
"That's kind of the goal," I said, earning myself a glare.
"You're impossible," Leora muttered, shaking her head. "Do you have any idea how reckless this is?"
"It's not reckless—it's scientific," I said defensively. "Besides, you're one to talk. Didn't you once set a kitchen on fire trying to make flaming soufflés?"
Leora narrowed her eyes but couldn't hide the hint of a smile. "That was artistic experimentation. There's a difference."
"Sure there is," I said with a smirk.
We stood there for a moment, glaring at each other, before bursting into laughter. It was the kind of laughter that only family could share, filled with exasperation and affection.
"So," I said, wiping a tear from my eye, "when does enrollment for the school's culinary program start?"
Leora leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms. "It ends tomorrow afternoon."
"So," I said, wiping a tear from my eye, "when does enrollment for the school's culinary program start?"
Leora leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms. "It ends tomorrow afternoon."
The words hit me like a bucket of cold water. "Tomorrow afternoon?" I repeated, my voice rising in panic. "That's barely any time to prepare! What do I even need? Papers? References? Ingredients?"
Leora chuckled, clearly amused by my spiraling thoughts. With a wave of her hand, a scroll of parchment appeared in the air between us, floating gently down into her grasp. She unrolled it and handed it to me.
"Here you go," she said, smirking. "Everything you need is listed right here."
I snatched the parchment, my eyes scanning the elegant script. My confidence plummeted as I read through the list:
A completed application form. Documentation of magical lineage (if applicable). Proof of vaccinations. Allergy information. A valid birth certificate. Previous academic diplomas.
I frowned. "Why do they need my birth certificate? It's not like I wasn't born—" I stopped myself, realizing that in a world of magic, that assumption wasn't as solid as it seemed.
"Never mind. This is ridiculous. Why do they need all this just to learn how to cook?"
"Rules are rules," Leora said, shrugging. "And before you ask—no, I can't just conjure all of it up for you. You'll have to gather it yourself."
I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "Fantastic. That means I'll need to get my moms involved."
Leora raised an eyebrow. "You'd better hurry. Tomorrow morning is going to be hectic, and I doubt they'll appreciate you springing this on them last minute."
She was right, of course. The thought of navigating my mothers' combined wrath if I waited until the eleventh hour sent a shiver down my spine.
"I'll find everything tonight," I muttered, clutching the list tightly. "No way I'm risking this tomorrow."
I sprinted through the halls of the castle, my footsteps echoing off the stone walls. It was late, but the soft glow of enchanted sconces guided my way to my mothers' chambers. I hesitated for a moment outside their door before knocking.
"Come in," came Riley's familiar voice.
I pushed the door open to find her seated in an armchair, glasses perched on her nose as she reviewed some documents.
Seraphine was lounging on the bed, flipping through a magazine that seemed to feature demon royalty gossip. Both of them looked up as I entered.
"Rhiannon?" Riley said, setting her papers aside. "What's wrong?"
"I need your help," I said, holding up the parchment. "I'm enrolling in the culinary program, but I need a whole list of documents by tomorrow afternoon."
Seraphine's eyes lit up with excitement. "You're officially enrolling? That's wonderful! Show me the list."
I handed her the parchment, and she read it aloud, her expression growing more amused with every line.
When she finished, Riley sighed and stood, already heading to the wardrobe where they kept important papers.
"Birth certificate, diplomas… let's see," Riley muttered as she sifted through a drawer.
"Ah, here's your birth certificate." She handed me the delicate piece of parchment adorned with ornate calligraphy. "And your unniversity diploma from today is right here."
I tucked the papers into a neat pile, feeling a flicker of relief. "What about my vaccinations?"
Riley turned back to the drawer and pulled out a small booklet. "You're up to date on almost all of them, except one—Lumenlight, the booster against magical allergies."
I groaned. "And of course, it's too late to visit a doctor now."
"You can always get it after enrollment," Seraphine suggested. "It's not like they'll kick you out for missing one vaccination."
"Still," I said, frustrated, "I wanted everything to be perfect."
Riley placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You'll be fine, Rhiannon. Focus on what you can control tonight. You've got most of what you need already."
I nodded, trying to tamp down my anxiety. "Thanks, Mom."
With my papers in hand, I left their room, my mind racing. The weight of the day, the excitement, the planning it was all catching up to me.
I got my documents in my room and then paused before deciding that I needed to clear my head, I headed straight for my bathroom.
The hot water cascaded over me, washing away the stress and tension as I stood under the showerhead.
The steam filled the room, clouding the mirrors and carrying the faint scent of lavender from the enchanted soap. I closed my eyes, letting the soothing warmth ease my frazzled nerves.
I stayed there longer than I probably should have, but it was the first real moment of solitude I'd had all day.
By the time I finally stepped out, wrapping myself in a soft towel, I felt renewed if not entirely prepared for what lay ahead.
Changing into a comfortable set of pajamas, I climbed into bed and was immediately greeted by a familiar weight settling beside me.
Ember, my orange-scaled dragon companion, curled up against my side, her tail flicking lazily as she nestled into the blankets.
"You're a lifesaver, Ember," I murmured, scratching behind her horns. She let out a contented chirp, her warm scales a comforting presence.
As I lay there, staring at the ceiling, the events of the day played over in my mind. Graduation, my declaration, the dinner, Leora's amused exasperation it had been a whirlwind.
Tomorrow would be no less chaotic, but for now, I let myself drift into the kind of restful sleep only a dragon's purring could provide.
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