Meeting Aggie

38.

Iris, Apollo, and I walked to the dining room. Iris was right about the servants having a day off. Other than the guards, there were no other fairies to be seen. The hallways were quiet of fairies. I must wholeheartedly confess—I enjoyed the silence.

I admired the chirping of the birds, the crickets rubbing their feet, and the bees buzzing their cute selves, but I could never miss the whispers and stares I got from the fairies.

Even though I didn't expect them to treat me differently, it felt weird to have so much negative attention directed toward me.

It felt like over thirty percent of them disliked me, and all because of my witch side. It might not have been a greater number than I originally thought, but it still bothered me.

"A videnea for your thoughts, love?" Apollo asked, waving a hand in my face with the coin.

"Considering the fact that you might be poor here too, just keep it."

Apollo shoved the coin back in his pocket. "No argument there. You're right. I'm just worried about you. I thought you'd be more excited about having all six elemental gifts. That's all."

I shook my head in amazement. "I can't even put into words how thrilled I am. Being the first fairy to master all the elemental abilities is beyond incredible. It's just... the idea of becoming empress now feels so surreal."

"You have the queen of the fairies backing you, her little sister, and even gods who were rumored to dislike you... and then there's me. The ones who truly matter are right here, standing by your side."

Iris glanced at me and flashed a knowing smile. "Absolutely."

She led us to a halt in front of grand silver doors, signaling the guards to open them. With a respectful bow, the guards stepped aside, granting us entry.

Iris, too, bowed to me before stepping aside, allowing us to enter first. As I stepped into the dining room, a mesmerizing sight unfolded before my eyes. The room was adorned with flickering fireflies, their gentle purple glow casting an enchanting ambiance throughout.

I turned to Iris with a curious expression. "So, how many different colored fireflies are there?"

"Too many to count. For the interior, we mainly use white, blue, purple, and pink fireflies. But if you have a specific color in mind, we can make a request for it."

Before I answered her, I glanced at the table. It made me question the duration of my presence in the throne room. An hour seemed too short for such an extravagant feast for just three people.

The majority of dishes on the table were classic fairy delicacies, but alongside them sat some of my favorite indulgences from the human realm: crispy bacon, fluffy waffles, and cheesy scrambled eggs.

"I made the human realm food for you. I chose your favorites in case you didn't like the fairy food," Apollo said shyly.

A warm smile spread across my face as I embraced him, feeling his reciprocating hug and a gentle kiss on my forehead. As I pulled away, my gaze shifted eagerly toward Iris.

"Go ahead and eat. This is a well-deserved meal, supreme elemental." She nodded toward the table.

I rushed over to the table and grabbed a plate. I placed the bacon, waffles, and eggs on my plate first. I sat down at the table but eyed the unfamiliar fairy food I wanted to try.

"Any suggestions among your foods, Iris? It looks really good too."

"Of course! I don't mind at all," she gushed as she clapped her hands excitedly.

Iris pondered for a moment, then selected a small plate and placed four items on it for me. She handed it over, revealing a cookie, a greenish paste, a fluffy yellow concoction, and a chunk of unidentified meat.

The sight and scent of the food were appealing, but whether I would find it to my taste remained uncertain.

Apollo filled his plate and took a seat to my right. Iris filled her plate as well and sat across from us slightly closer to the head of the table.

"I've been to the human realm a couple times, so I'll try to describe each thing to the best of my ability."

I nodded for her to continue as I looked at each individual item.

"The pink and green 'cookie' is called a qameacot. It's a healthy desert made from bee nectar, nuts, and cream with food coloring."

I raised my eyebrow and took a small bite. Oh yes.

"Definitely saving this as a dessert."

Apollo eyed the mystery meat on my plate. "What's that one?"

"That meat is made from a pink-bellied kakapo. It was cooked to perfection."

"Caca what?" I choked up as tears filled my eyes.

Apollo shoved his elbow into my rib before whispering in my ear. "A kakapo, Aggie. It's a sacred bird only used for special occasions. Be nice."

I shot him a glare before taking a bite. To my surprise, it tasted like a decadent variation of chicken. It was unexpectedly delicious.

Iris looked at me expectantly, awaiting my feedback. I simply nodded in response, indicating my approval.

"You're a great cook, Iris!" I tried not to laugh as I said the trigger word, "The kakapo was great."

"Thank you! The white and green paste is idirana—a potato salad with meat bits."

Apollo took the initiative to taste it first. His initial reaction was a contorted face, but he persisted, taking multiple bites until it was completely consumed.

I watched him with a mix of disbelief and dismay, while Iris found amusement in the situation and burst into laughter.

"What? I underestimated it. I'll get you more," he said with his mouth full.

Iris said her next words lowly. "The trick is a dash of Pegasus meat."

"Pe-Peg-Pegasus meat? As in the flying horse Pegasus?" I mentally gasped but stammered my words.

"To clarify, we were not responsible for its death. The Pegasus met its end naturally. As creatures of great worth, we hold the utmost respect for them."

Apollo cleared his throat. "Lovely."

I eyed the last thing on the plate she gave me hoping there were no surprises. It was yellow and fluffy, so I hoped it was dessert, or innocuous like gelatin salad.

Remiel stirred. "I'm hoping there are no more surprises. Cause I'll be damned, Agatha."

Poppy disagreed. "I found everything to be delicious. Only wished I could've tried the potato salad."

Isidore agreed with Remiel. "I ate a lot in my lifetime, but this was way too much. I'm relieved Aggie didn't eat the Pegasus, that's for sure."

I turned to Iris, seeking an explanation.

"It's a fluffy padamelon," she said. "It's made from fairy fruits."

I savored a bite of the dish and declared it delicious. Anticipating the need for food later, I discreetly set aside two portions for myself.

Once our meal concluded, a solemn ambiance settled over the room. Our gazes locked, and we braced ourselves for the weighty discussion ahead.

Iris broke the silence, her voice steady anddetermined. "Now, let's focus on the task at hand: training your fairyform for battle."